Starting from 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.g3, players enter the King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 5.g3 — ECO E62. Across rating levels it shows up in 684,675 recorded games — enough data to map exactly where it succeeds and where it stalls.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 3.Nc3. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Dragisa Blagojevic (10 games), Milen Vasilev (9 games), Leonid Sandler (9 games). Black-side regulars include Vladislav Nevednichy (9 games), Alexei Fedorov (6 games), Eugenio Torre (6 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. Among 1200-rated players, it appears in 0.00% of games — 17,425 of them on record — with White winning 50.1% and Black 45.9%. At 1800 the opening surfaces in 0.02% of games; White wins 50.2%, Black 44.3%, draws 5.5%. At 2500, 0.07% of games go into this opening; draws sit at 9.7% — the line is well-mapped at this level. Positions also become less sharp as level rises (sharpness 0.96 → 0.90).
Time Control Patterns
The King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 5.g3 skews toward bullet chess. In bullet, it appears in 0.02% of games (572,168); White wins 50.2%. Blitz shows 0.02% adoption across 606,816 games, White scoring 50%. In rapid, the share rises to 0.01% — 76,408 games, White 50.2%.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Looking at move selection shows how forcing — or not — the position really is. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is O-O, played 69.8% of the time. There are 3 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 84.6% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 1.77. By 2500, O-O dominates at 94.9% of replies; only 1 viable alternatives remain and 97.6% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 0.43. That entropy collapse is the signature of a line where preparation pays off: at the top, players know the best move and play it.
Historical Trends
Long-term, the trajectory of this opening is informative. Adoption peaked in 2020 at 0.02% (94,728 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.01% — a 64% shift overall, leaving the line on the rise.
Main Lines and Variations
From the position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.g3, the recognised continuations are:
- King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... c5
- King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... Nbd7
- King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... a6
Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 82.9% — versus 93.7% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Bg4 (played 8% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
- Letting White own the centre — Hypermodern openings concede central space on purpose, but only if you strike back in time. Delay the counter-blow and you end up squeezed.
Practice on Chessiverse
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