The aim of the sideline 4...Bf5 in the KID is crystal-clear: Black doesn't want to see 5.e2-e4 on the next move and is probing for their opponent's intentions. White's very next move will often give an indication of their mood, which is also interesting from a psychological viewpoint. By opting for 5.g3, 5.e3 or 5.Bg5 White will generally aim for a cautious set-up, not particularly critical for the viability of the line. Other more ambitious tries usually enable White to count on a space advantage, but whenever g2-g4 occurs, a share of risk will be involved for the first-player. In this video course I endeavour to give an overview of the most popular and challenging lines, as well as the black counterplay. Although White could well be slightly better in several variations, maintaining an advantage while neutralising Black's counterplay is anything but simple.
The characteristic of the King’s Indian is the fianchetto of Black’s king’s bishop in conjunction with ...Nf6 and ...d6. Black allows White to march forward in the centre with his c-, d- and e-pawns and only lays claim to his share of the centre later on with ...e5 or ...c5. The popularity of the King’s Indian was due first of all to the games of the Soviet grandmasters Isaac Boleslavsky (1919–1977) and David Bronstein (1924–2006). The first heyday of the King’s Indian was in the 1950s and 1960s when Bobby Fischer too played it. At the end of the 1980s the most prominent exponent of the King’s Indian was Garry Kasparov, a position which has nowadays been occupied by Teimour Radjabov.
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