Learn the King's Indian Defense
Black vs 1.d4 · E60–E99
Your goal: play the King's Indian Defense from memory as Black — keep every move right for two weeks and it's mastered.
Choose a line — start with the main line
Watch the moves · play them from memory · spar: play the opening out against the computer.
You'll play Black — watch each move, I'll explain.
Intro
1. d41… Nf62. c42… g63. Nc33… Bg74. e44… d65. Nf35… O-O
What you're training
Fianchetto the bishop to g7, castle, and let White take the centre — then hit back, usually with ...e5 (and often ...f5), aiming a kingside pawn storm straight at White's king.
Strengths
- Hand White the broad centre on purpose, then undermine it: the g7-bishop and a timely ...e5 give Black active piece play in return.
- The fianchettoed bishop on g7 is the soul of the opening — it eyes the long diagonal and supports every central and queenside break.
- In the main lines White attacks on the queenside while Black storms the kingside with ...f5, ...f4 and ...g5 — a thrilling race of opposite-wing attacks.
- It's a setup, not a memorised line: the same Nf6, g6, Bg7, d6, O-O scheme works against most of White's tries.
Watch out for
- Don't push ...e5 or ...f5 before you've castled and developed — opening the centre with your king still in the middle backfires badly.
- If White is allowed to play d5 and clamp the centre, react in the right zone: it usually means your play is the kingside with ...f5, not passive shuffling.
- Trading off the g7-bishop cheaply guts your attack and leaves the dark squares around your king weak — guard that piece.