The King's Indian Defence, Sämisch Variation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... c6 begins with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 c6 (ECO E88). With 98,476 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: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 7.d5. On the White side, Lev Polugaevsky (10 games), Rainer Knaak (9 games), Yuri S Razuvaev (9 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Svetozar Gligoric (17 games), Lothar Vogt (10 games), Vadim Milov (10 games).
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 Qd2, played 55.5% of the time. There are 3 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 88.1% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.01. By 2500, Qd2 dominates at 44.9% of replies; only 4 viable alternatives remain and 93.8% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.65.
Main Lines and Variations
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 c6, the established follow-ups are:
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 66% — versus 91.7% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Be2 (played 8.5% 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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