The King's Indian Defence, Sämisch Variation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... e5 begins with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 (ECO E85). With 510,878 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the King's Indian Defence, Sämisch Variation: 0-0. On the White side, Rainer Knaak (22 games), Florin Gheorghiu (19 games), Anatoly Karpov (19 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Svetozar Gligoric (36 games), Wolfgang Uhlmann (36 games), Praveen Mahadeo Thipsay (18 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
Popularity and results vary sharply by rating level. The 1200 bracket has 3,167 games (0.00% of all games at that level); White wins 52.9%, Black 44.1%, 3% are drawn. At 1800 the opening surfaces in 0.02% of games; White wins 52%, Black 43.2%, draws 4.8%. At the top end (2500+ Elo), popularity is 0.04% with 7.9% draws — a clear sign of how much theory rules the line at master level. White's edge erodes by 4.2pp from 1200 to 2500 Elo, suggesting Black's counterplay is easier to find with experience.
Time Control Patterns
The King's Indian Defence, Sämisch Variation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... e5 skews toward blitz chess. In bullet, it appears in 0.01% of games (240,295); White wins 51.9%. Blitz shows 0.01% adoption across 446,694 games, White scoring 51.6%. In rapid, the share rises to 0.01% — 63,235 games, White 52.1%.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Move choice is far from uniform in the King's Indian Defence, Sämisch Variation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... e5. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is d5, played 75.1% of the time. There are 3 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 91.6% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 1.35. By 2500, d5 dominates at 48.9% of replies; only 2 viable alternatives remain and 98.3% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.21.
Historical Trends
Long-term, the trajectory of this opening is informative. Adoption peaked in 2015 at 0.02% (4,234 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.01% — a 6% shift overall, leaving the line flat.
Main Lines and Variations
From the position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5, the recognised continuations are:
- King's Indian Defence, Sämisch Variation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 7.d5
- King's Indian Defence, Sämisch Variation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... c6
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 78.6% — versus 93.1% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Bd3 (played 6.3% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- 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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