1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 0-0 6.Be2 c5 7.Nf3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nc6 9.Be3 opens the King's Indian Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Exchange Variation, ECO E79. Across rating levels it shows up in 17,276 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 Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Fluid Attack. On the White side, Wolfgang Uhlmann (16 games), William E Martz (15 games), Mario Bertok (8 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Svetozar Gligoric (7 games), Werner Golz (4 games), Samuel Herman Reshevsky (4 games).
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Move choice is far from uniform in the King's Indian Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Exchange Variation. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is e5, played 27.1% of the time. There are 7 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 60% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.96. By 2500, Bd7 dominates at 24.4% of replies; only 7 viable alternatives remain and 57.2% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 2.97. Even elite players don't fully agree on the best continuation here, which keeps the position dynamic.
Common Mistakes
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- 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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