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Why would anyone play the Kings Indian Defence?

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DasBurner

I can understand why GMs play this, however at my rating range, the space advantage white has is just too great for someone who plays this without knowing what they're doing. IMO there are so many better options for black after 2.c4, Nimzo, Queens Indian, Bogo Indian (Pretty much offering a draw), just playing QGD etc. Here's a game I played a few minutes ago. (I know my Blitz rating is bad don't make fun of me) 

For the Kings Indian players: why do you like this opening? and how do you like to play it?

DrewGainer
Speaking as someone who plays a few different variations of the Indian Game, but mostly the King’s Indian, my main reasons for playing it are:
1- My dark-squared bishop enjoys a long diagonal protecting the king
2- It is very flexible
3- And most of all, there is very little theory.
Also, the dark-squared bishop trade can generally be avoided by playing h6 and then Kh7.
DrewGainer
Also, because of the reasons I listed, you don’t need to be very high rated to know what you’re doing in the KID. You will, of course, play it better if you’re higher rated, but you’ll still know what to do at the beginner or intermediate level.
PSV-1988
DrewGainer wrote:
Speaking as someone who plays a few different variations of the Indian Game, but mostly the King’s Indian, my main reasons for playing it are:
3- And most of all, there is very little theory.

Wut

Game_of_Pawns

I'm playing the KID in a lot of my games at the moment, with both colours.

 

It's an opening which provides plenty of opportunities for one player to outplay the other. It has plenty of theory, but it's more of an ideas opening, than a memorize exact move orders opening. At least it is at my level, which can only be even more true at yours.

 

It's an asymmetrical opening, where White and Black typically have totally different plans. It's about understanding White's plans as well as Black's plans. There are rich positional ideas (for example White's typical plan of pushing through on the queenside to promote a pawn and/or win material) and there are spectacular attacking tactical ideas (for example, Black's typical plan of sacrificing all his pieces and mating the White king).

 

For me, it has everything. I'm really enjoying playing the KID, from both sides. I'm learning a lot from the games too. It's a complex opening, where you will make a lot of mistakes, which is absolutely great. Every game is different. Every game is fun. Every game contains multiple mistakes to learn from. I wish I'd starting playing it a long time ago.

DasBurner

that is true, every game ive played against it has been different, even if the plans remain the same

sndeww

People who play the kings Indian fancy a swashbuckling kingside attack. My antidote is usually to make the position as boring as possible and as a result anything other than central and queenside play loses happy.png

sndeww

Then the king's Indian isn't for you, unfortunately... 

Game_of_Pawns

I assume a post has been deleted?

sndeww
Game_of_Pawns wrote:

I assume a post has been deleted?

ah yes, he did delete his post... the guy was saying how he liked the KID because there wasn't much theory.

Game_of_Pawns

Yeah, there's definitely plenty of theory lol.

 

Also, exactly like you said before Biz, White can play in various ways. White really can dictate Black's plan. People who play the KID for the wrong reasons, like being obsessed with a kingside attack, will horribly falter if White choses to play a certain way. There are probably lots of people like that out there. If you played like you described against me, it wouldn't bother me one bit. I'd love it, to be honest. I love the variety. I'd still lose, because you're way better at chess than me lol, but it wouldn't be because of your opening choices.

Uhohspaghettio1

I've never heard of there being a lowerbound rating cut-off for playing the KID before, I'm guessing it's probably just more like you're not understanding black's plans properly. 

In this sort of situation you might learn a lot by figuring out all of black's continuations. But hey we all have preferences, maybe the KID just isn't for you. 

beginner7196

They want to be the next Fischer or Kasparov.

Kevin1711

Am a rated at 1050 rapid and play the KID and Kings Indian Attack as white. The reason is it's highly recommended by GM Seirawan in his book on openings. Opponents do not expect this opening and you get a safe king by castling early.

sassygirltebritish
Game_of_Pawns wrote:

I'm playing the KID in a lot of my games at the moment, with both colours.

It's an opening which provides plenty of opportunities for one player to outplay the other. It has plenty of theory, but it's more of an ideas opening, than a memorize exact move orders opening. At least it is at my level, which can only be even more true at yours.

It's an asymmetrical opening, where White and Black typically have totally different plans. It's about understanding White's plans as well as Black's plans. There are rich positional ideas (for example White's typical plan of pushing through on the queenside to promote a pawn and/or win material) and there are spectacular attacking tactical ideas (for example, Black's typical plan of sacrificing all his pieces and mating the White king).

For me, it has everything. I'm really enjoying playing the KID, from both sides. I'm learning a lot from the games too. It's a complex opening, where you will make a lot of mistakes, which is absolutely great. Every game is different. Every game is fun. Every game contains multiple mistakes to learn from. I wish I'd starting playing it a long time ago.

its a great opening but a lot of people should play in the center the kings indian defense doesnt teach you how to play solidly and stop your opponents ideals even sharp openings like the grunfeld give black euqal chances in chess you want to play actively and in the kings indian it can be a lot harder someti,mes