King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4......... 6.Be2

Articles/Opening Guides/King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4...... 6.Be2 King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4...... 6.Be2 +27% E911.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 Oct 7, 2028 TL;DR The Classical Variation. White's most principled try: complete development, await Black's central break, and play on the queenside with c5 and the d-file. The starting position of decades of grandmaster theory. Reviewed by IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses. Summary The King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 6.Be2 begins with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 (ECO E91). Lichess records 5,355,413 games in this line, which gives us a reliable view of how it actually performs in practice. History and Notable Players It arises from the King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 5.Nf3. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Lubomir Ftacnik (172 games), Loek Van Wely (164 games), Zdenko Kozul (127 games). Black-side regulars include Ilia Smirin (157 games), Zdenko Kozul (144 games), Wolfgang Uhlmann (141 games). Performance Across Rating Levels Popularity and results vary sharply by rating level. The 1200 bracket has 101,718 games (0.02% of all games at that level); White wins 50.3%, Black 46%, 3.7% are drawn. At 1800 the opening surfaces in 0.14% of games; White wins 50%, Black 44.9%, draws 5.1%. At the top end (2500+ Elo), popularity is 1.14% with 9.5% draws — a clear sign of how much theory rules the line at master level. Positions also become less sharp as level rises (sharpness 0.96 → 0.91). Time Control Patterns Time control matters here: blitz players reach for this opening more than others. In bullet, it appears in 0.09% of games (2,369,502); White wins 50.2%. Blitz shows 0.13% adoption across 4,656,211 games, White scoring 50.2%. In rapid, the share rises to 0.06% — 689,154 games, White 50.1%. Move Diversity and Theory Depth What players actually play after the opening moves depends heavily on rating. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Nbd7, played 20.3% of the time. There are 7 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 48.5% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 3.16. By 2500, e5 dominates at 60.5% of replies; only 5 viable alternatives remain and 78.1% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 2.01. That entropy collapse is the signature of a line where preparation pays off: at the top, players know the best move and play it. Historical Trends Long-term, the trajectory of this opening is informative. Adoption peaked in 2017 at 0.16% (177,057 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.09% — a 27% shift overall, leaving the line on the rise. Main Lines and Variations After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2, the established follow-ups are:

• King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... e5

Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get. Common Mistakes

• Playing outside main lines — At 400 Elo, only 49% of moves follow established theory — at 2000 that climbs to 71.1%. Most of the gap is players who pick a reasonable-looking move over the best one, and the position quietly drifts.
• Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
• 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 Ready to try the King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 6.Be2 against a bot? Pick an opponent at your level and play a game. Quick Facts Main Line1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 DifficultyAdvanced Parent OpeningKing's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 5.Nf3 Style Hypermodern openings let the opponent occupy the center with pawns, then attack it from the flanks with pieces and fianchettoed bishops. Control is exerted from a distance rather than by direct occupation. 5,355,413games on Lichess 50.1% 5.8% 44% White wins Draws Black wins Top Players As White

• Lubomir Ftacnik172 games
• Loek Van Wely164 games
• Zdenko Kozul127 games

As Black

• Ilia Smirin157 games
• Zdenko Kozul144 games
• Wolfgang Uhlmann141 games

Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid) Most Popular At2500 SharpnessBalanced Popularity by Rating Percentage of all games at each rating bracket that feature this opening. Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid games) Theory Adherence by Rating How often players choose the single most popular move at this position. Higher = more predictable play. Black to move after the opening line Popularity Over Time Share of all Lichess blitz + rapid games featuring this opening, by year. Top Moves by Rating Black to move after the opening line RatingMost Popular2nd3rd 400Bg417.1%Nbd716.4%Nc615.5% 1000Nbd716.9%Bg416.2%e514.7% 1200Nbd720.3%Bg415%e513.2% 1400Nbd723.1%e514.9%Bg413.3% 1600Nbd724%e519.6%Nc614.1% 1800e527.4%Nbd721.6%Nc616.7% 2000e538.7%Nbd716.4%Nc616% 2200e552.4%Nbd711.2%Nc69.9% 2500e560.5%Nbd79.1%Bg48.5% Popularity by Time Control Bullet 0.09%2.4M Blitz 0.13%4.7M Rapid 0.06%689K 2% more decisive in bullet Raw data tables (Lichess blitz + rapid) King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4...... 6.Be2: popularity and win rates by player rating Rating (Elo) Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % Sharpness 400 0.00 3,776 51.4 44.4 4.2 0.958 1000 0.01 24,356 50.3 46.2 3.5 0.965 1200 0.02 101,718 50.3 46.0 3.7 0.963 1400 0.03 294,586 50.1 45.9 4.0 0.960 1600 0.07 654,336 49.9 45.7 4.5 0.955 1800 0.14 1,217,913 50.0 44.9 5.1 0.949 2000 0.35 1,564,852 50.5 43.6 5.9 0.941 2200 0.79 1,338,281 50.1 42.7 7.2 0.928 2500 1.14 155,595 49.2 41.4 9.5 0.905 King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4...... 6.Be2: move-choice theory adherence by rating Rating (Elo) Top move Top move % Viable moves Theory % Entropy 400 Bg4 17.1 7 49.0 3.149 1000 Nbd7 16.9 7 47.9 3.175 1200 Nbd7 20.3 7 48.5 3.157 1400 Nbd7 23.1 7 51.3 3.107 1600 Nbd7 24.0 7 57.7 3.022 1800 e5 27.4 5 65.7 2.872 2000 e5 38.7 5 71.1 2.624 2200 e5 52.4 6 73.5 2.289 2500 e5 60.5 5 78.1 2.009 King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4...... 6.Be2: popularity over time Year Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % 2013 0.07 2,139 52.2 42.5 5.3 2014 0.10 9,093 51.7 43.0 5.4 2015 0.15 32,638 51.2 43.8 5.0 2016 0.15 92,218 51.3 43.2 5.5 2017 0.16 177,057 50.5 44.2 5.3 2018 0.15 288,618 50.5 44.2 5.3 2019 0.14 394,896 50.5 44.0 5.4 2020 0.15 837,990 50.3 43.6 6.1 2021 0.12 899,821 50.1 43.9 6.0 2022 0.11 804,206 50.0 44.2 5.7 2023 0.10 778,661 50.0 44.2 5.8 2024 0.10 722,006 50.0 44.1 5.9 2025 0.09 696,898 49.9 44.2 5.9 King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4...... 6.Be2: popularity by time control Format Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % Sharpness bullet 0.09 2,369,502 50.2 45.8 4.0 0.960 blitz 0.13 4,656,211 50.2 44.1 5.7 0.943 rapid 0.06 689,154 50.1 43.6 6.3 0.937 King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4...... 6.Be2: top candidate moves by rating bracket Rating (Elo) 1st move 1st % 2nd move 2nd % 3rd move 3rd % 400 Bg4 17.1 Nbd7 16.4 Nc6 15.5 1000 Nbd7 16.9 Bg4 16.2 e5 14.7 1200 Nbd7 20.3 Bg4 15.0 e5 13.2 1400 Nbd7 23.1 e5 14.9 Bg4 13.3 1600 Nbd7 24.0 e5 19.6 Nc6 14.1 1800 e5 27.4 Nbd7 21.6 Nc6 16.7 2000 e5 38.7 Nbd7 16.4 Nc6 16.0 2200 e5 52.4 Nbd7 11.2 Nc6 9.9 2500 e5 60.5 Nbd7 9.1 Bg4 8.5 King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4...... 6.Be2: top practitioners by side Side Player Games White Lubomir Ftacnik 172 White Loek Van Wely 164 White Zdenko Kozul 127 Black Ilia Smirin 157 Black Zdenko Kozul 144 Black Wolfgang Uhlmann 141 Frequently Asked Questions What is the King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 6.Be2? The King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 6.Be2 begins with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 and is classified under ECO code E91. Is the King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 6.Be2 good for beginners? The King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 6.Be2 can be played at any level. Beginners should focus on understanding the key strategic ideas rather than memorizing long theoretical lines. Our AI bots at various rating levels provide a great way to practice the opening concepts. What are the main variations of the King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 6.Be2? The main continuations include: King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... e5. Each variation leads to distinct types of positions with their own strategic themes. What are the win rates for the King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 6.Be2? In a database of 5,355,413 master games, White wins 50.1% of the time, Black wins 44%, and 5.8% are drawn. Notable players on the White side include Lubomir Ftacnik and Loek Van Wely. On the Black side, Ilia Smirin and Zdenko Kozul are among the most frequent practitioners. Related Openings Bogo-Indian Defence

• Bb4+ skips Nimzo theory: solid, flexible answer to 1.d4 where Black trades or shuttles the bishop to a useful square. 2.2M games. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.

Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 3.Nf3 Indian Defence with 3.Nf3 sidesteps the Nimzo, leading to the Queen's Indian, Bogo-Indian, and Catalan move-orders. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse. King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 3.Nc3 King's Indian with 3.Nc3: the gateway to the Classical, Sämisch, Four Pawns, and Averbakh systems. Played in 25M games. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse. King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4...... 4.e4 After 4.e4 White builds the full classical centre on c4-d4-e4. Black answers 4...d6 and aims for the ...e5 or ...c5 break. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse. Reviewed by IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses. Practice This Opening on Chessiverse Play against 1000+ AI bots with unique personalities and opening repertoires. From beginner-friendly to grandmaster-level opponents, find the perfect sparring partner for any opening. Play Now Not sure which opening fits you? Take the free chess personality test — your style determines which openings will work with you. Back to Articles