- ECO code
- A05
- Moves
- 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5
- Family
- King's Indian Attack
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 527
- Average game length
- 47 moves
- Years covered
- 1928–2026
King's Indian Attack is the opening filed under ECO code A05, reached after 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5. It belongs to the King's Indian Attack family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 527 games on this line — the 201st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1928 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 195 games. An average game here lasts 47 moves.
White wins 41% of those games, 35% end in a draw, and Black wins 24%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 4 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 3.Bg2, played in 514 games, followed by 3.c4 (7) and 3.d4 (3). After 3.Bg2 White scores 42% and Black 23%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (33 games); on the Black side, Nepomniachtchi,I (21).
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Results in master games
- White 41% (218)
- Draws 35% (184)
- Black 24% (125)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.Bg2 | 514 | 42/35/23 | — |
| 3.c4 | 7 | 29/29/42 | — |
| 3.d4 | 3 | 33/0/67 | — |
| 3.d3 | 2 | 0/100/0 | — |
| 3.b3 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
How the position is reached
- Zukertort Opening · 1.Nf3 · 14,933 games
- Zukertort Opening · 1.Nf3 Nf6 · 6,439 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 33
- Grischuk,A 31
- Gukesh,D 27
As Black
- Nepomniachtchi,I 21
- Karjakin,Sergey 18
- Nakamura,Hi 15
Games per decade
- 1920s 1
- 1940s 4
- 1950s 25
- 1960s 16
- 1970s 17
- 1980s 33
- 1990s 20
- 2000s 26
- 2010s 190
- 2020s 195
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Svane,R | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 12th May 2026 |
| Li,Di | Giri,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Nakamura,Hi | Duda,J | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 9th Jun 2026 |
| Keymer,Vincent | Giri,A | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Blitz Croatia |
| So,W | Materia,Marco | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Mar 2026 |
| Carlsen,M | Duda,J | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Playoffs |
Frequently asked questions
What is the King's Indian Attack?
It is the opening with ECO code A05, reached after 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5. It belongs to the King's Indian Attack family.
Is the King's Indian Attack good for White or for Black?
In 527 master games on this line White wins 41%, 35% are drawn and Black wins 24%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the King's Indian Attack?
3.Bg2 — played in 514 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the King's Indian Attack?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (33), Grischuk,A (31), Gukesh,D (27); on the Black side Nepomniachtchi,I (21), Karjakin,Sergey (18), Nakamura,Hi (15).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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