k This lecture is one in a series that will review the moves and ideas behind the King's Indian Attack (KIA). The KIA is a flexible opening system used by many of the world's top players including Fischer, Stein & Tal. It has been successfully played against the French, the Sicilian and the Caro-Kann. This opening lends itself to players who can't spend a great deal of time memorizing openings as White can reach the basic position regardless of what Black does.
55
k The KIA vs. other defenses.
8
k In this lecture we will be looking at 4 black formations.
6
k (1) KIA vs. a Queen's Indian formation.
k (2) A full KID with the colors reversed.
k (3) The symmetrical variation.
k (4) KIA vs. the Sicilian where Black plays ...d6.
5
k Let's start with the KIA vs. the Queen's Indian formation.
5
wname Henley
1
bname Browne
1
g1f3
k There are many ways of getting into the KIA. Here white chooses to keep other options open.
9
c7c5
k Inviting a standard Sicilian after 2. e4.
5
g2g3
k Preparing to fianchetto the K-Bishop.
5
b7b6
k Heading for a Queen's Indian defense with ...b6 and ...Bb7.
6
f1g2
k Preparing to castle.
c8b7
e1g1
k With the King safe, White will make his intentions on the center clear.
8
g8f6
d2d3
k Preparing e4.
6
d7d5
k Black is also fighting for the e4 square.
6
b1d2
k Still preparing e4.
6
e7e6
k Black decides to reinforce his strong point (d5).
6
e2e4
k In some ways this system resembles the KIA vs. the French. As we will see later many of the ideas involved in playing the KIA vs. the French are also valid against the QID.
17
f8e7
f1e1
k Protecting the valuable e4 pawn and preparing to push to e5.
7
b8c6
k Hitting the d4 square.
8
c2c3
k Keeping the Black Knight out of d4.
6
d5e4
k Black tries to ease the pressure by exchanging the e4 pawn. As we shall see, this doesn't work out as planned.
11
d3e4
k The Knight on d2 is shielding the Queen from being exchanged (as in the French).
8
e8g8
e4e5
k White plays e5 anyway. This effectively cuts Black's defenses in half.
7
f6d5
d1e2
k Overprotecting the e5 pawn.
6
a8c8
k Up to this point we have been following Henley-Browne, WBCA Caissa Memorial Blitz Tournament, 1992.
10
k We shall show the rest of the game so you can see how to follow White's plan through.
9
h2h4
c5c4
d2e4
d8c7
e4g5
h7h6
g5h3
c8d8
e2c4
f7f6
k An ugly way to undermine the e5 pawn, but what else is Black to do?
7
e5f6
f8f6
h3f4
c7d7
f4d5
e6d5
c4d3
d8f8
e1e2
g8h8
c1f4
a7a5
f3e5
k e5 still is a problem for Black.
9
c6e5
f4e5
f6f7
a1d1
e7c5
e5d4
d7g4
d1e1
b7c6
d4c5
b6c5
g2d5
f7f3
d5f3
c6f3
e2e8
k And Black resigned here.
5
k Now we will examine a variation where Black floods the center with pawns. This variation is the Fianchetto variation King's Indian Defense with the colors reversed.
16
revert
1
wname Petrosian
1
bname Donner
1
g1f3
d7d5
g2g3
g7g6
f1g2
f8g7
e1g1
e7e5
k Black will attempt to smother White with his center pawns.
6
d2d3
g8e7
b1d2
e8g8
k Preparing e4.
6
e2e4
k Achieving the basic KIA setup.
6
c7c5
k We now have a full KID with the colors reversed.
6
e4d5
k White immediately attacks the Black center attempting to show that it is weak.
8
e7d5
d2b3
k Wasting no time. White wants to pressure the Black center as much as possible.
8
b8d7
k Also possible is ...b6 but this leaves the long diagonal (h1 - a8) very weak.
8
f1e1
k Now pressuring the e-pawn.
6
a8b8
k Getting off the long diagonal and preparing ...b5.
6
k Up until now we have been following Petrosian-Donner, Piatgorski Cup, 1966. The rest of the game is a lesson on how to contort your opponent.
13
f3d2
d5c7
b3a5
c7e6
a5c4
k Bouncing from weakness to weakness, Tigran slowly improves his position and worsens his opponent's.
10
d8c7
d2e4
d7b6
e4c3
c8d7
a2a4
d7c6
c3b5
c6b5
a4b5
b6c4
d3c4
b7b6
c2c3
f8e8
a1a6
e8e7
d1a4
b8c8
g2d5
c7b8
d5e6
f7e6
a4d1
c8d8
d1g4
e7e8
h2h4
d8d7
h4h5
g6h5
g4h5
e8f8
h5g4
f8f6
c1e3
f6g6
g4e4
g7f8
a6a1
f8d6
e1d1
g6g7
d1d2
d6f8
d2d7
g7d7
e4g4
g8f7
g4h3
f7f6
a1f1
b8e8
h3h4
f6g7
e3h6
g7g8
h6f8
g8f8
f1e1
e8f7
e1e5
f7g6
g1g2
g6f7
e5e4
f8e8
e4f4
f7e7
h4h5
e8d8
h5e5
d8c8
e5e4
c8b8
f4h4
e7f7
h4f4
f7e7
e4f3
e7d6
f4f8
d7d8
f8f6
k and Black resigned here.
k Just to show how flexible the KIA can be, the following game shows a symmetrical variation of the KIA.
10
revert
1
wname Levitan
1
bname Shaked
1
g1f3
g8f6
g2g3
g7g6
f1g2
f8g7
d2d3
d7d6
e2e4
e7e5
k This game is Levitan-Shaked, US Junior Ch. 1993.
6
h2h3
b8c6
b1c3
e8g8
e1g1
f6e8
c1e3
f7f5
e4f5
g6f5
f3g5
c6e7
d3d4
h7h6
d4e5
h6g5
e3g5
c7c6
k And now comes a great shot. I'll give you 45 seconds to find it.
51
c3d5
k If Black takes the Knight...
5
c6d5
k Then...
5
g2d5
f8f7
k This is forced because...
8
back 1
g8h8
k walks into...
6
d1h5
g7h6
h5h6
k Mate! The same variation holds for 16... Kh7.
6
back 4
f8f7
d1h5
k And the Rf7 falls giving White an overwhelming position.
6
back 4
f8f7
d5e7
f7e7
e5d6
e8d6
c2c3
d8d7
g5e7
d7e7
f1e1
e7f6
d1b3
g8h8
a1d1
c8d7
b3b4
g7f8
c3c4
a8d8
c4c5
d6e4
b4b7
e4c5
b7a7
f6g7
b2b4
c5e4
g2e4
f5e4
e1e4
k Black resigns.
k The final Black formation we will examine is the Sicilian defense where Black plays ...d6.
9
k The obvious advantage is that it prevents White from maintaining a pawn on e5. The KIA is not quite as effective in these variations but is still very playable.
16
revert
1
wname Smyslov
1
bname Botvinnik
1
g1f3
g8f6
g2g3
g7g6
f1g2
f8g7
d2d3
c7c5
e2e4
b8c6
b1d2
e8g8
e1g1
d7d6
k With a pawn on d6 a King-side attack (prevalent in some variations of the KIA) is unlikely.
9
k White has other resources however.
6
a2a4
k Gaining Q-side space and securing c4 for the Nd2.
6
k At this point there are two variations to consider. Here Black can play this position two ways. (1) Mutual expansion of the Q-side by playing ...Rb8 ...Bb7 and (2) central expansion by ...Ne8 and ...f5.
19
k First, Q-side expansion.
6
a8b8
d2c4
b7b6
k Please note that 9. ... a6 is met by 10. a5 tying up Black's Q-side.
7
e4e5
d6e5
f3e5
c6e5
c4e5
k With some initiative for White. Analysis by GM Henley.
6
back 8
k Black's other alternative is to expand in the center.
6
f6e8
k Preparing ...f5.
6
d2c4
k Pressuring the e5 square.
6
e7e5
k Gaining central space and controlling the d4 square.
6
c2c3
k Keeping the Knight out of d4.
6
f7f5
k Attacking the e4 pawn. Capturing would allow Black to play ...gxf5.
7
b2b4
k Following through with the idea of Q-side expansion.
6
k Smyslov-Botvinnik, USSR Ch. 1955 is the game being played here. We present the rest of the game to show how each sides plans are followed through.
14
c5b4
c3b4
f5e4
d3e4
c8e6
c4e3
c6b4
a1b1
a7a5
c1a3
e8c7
a3b4
a5b4
b1b4
g7h6
b4b6
h6e3
f2e3
e6c4
b6d6
d8e8
f1e1
f8f7
f3g5
f7e7
g2f1
k A very important theme in the KIA is relocating the White squared Bishop to a more active post if the long diagonal is blocked.
12
c4f1
e1f1
e8a4
d6d8
e7e8
k Rxd8 fails to Qxd8+ followed by Qxc7.
6
d1f3
a4c4
d8d7
k Black resigns.
k I hope you enjoyed this lecture. If you have any feedback, drop me an email at cissmjg@hotmail.com. Recommended book on the KIA "The ChessBase University Bluebook Guide to Winning with the KIA by IGM Henley and Maddox. ISBN 1-883358-00-0"
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