- ECO code
- A05
- Moves
- 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6
- Family
- King's Indian Attack
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 711
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1947–2026
King's Indian Attack: Symmetrical Defense is the opening filed under ECO code A05, reached after 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6. It belongs to the King's Indian Attack family and is known as the Symmetrical Defense; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 711 games on this line — the 156th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1947 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 283 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 43% of those games, 31% end in a draw, and Black wins 26%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 3.Bg2, played in 446 games, followed by 3.b3 (161) and 3.c4 (55). After 3.Bg2 White scores 43% and Black 29%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (42 games); on the Black side, Mamedyarov,S (34).
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Results in master games
- White 43% (307)
- Draws 31% (217)
- Black 26% (187)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.Bg2 | 446 | 43/28/29 | — |
| 3.b3 | 161 | 39/35/26 | — |
| 3.c4 | 55 | 46/36/18 | — |
| 3.b4 | 35 | 55/31/14 | — |
| 3.d3 | 8 | 62/38/0 | — |
| 3.d4 | 6 | 50/33/17 | — |
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 42
- Gukesh,D 41
- Smyslov, Vassily 38
As Black
- Mamedyarov,S 34
- Firouzja,Alireza 32
- Grischuk,A 24
Games per decade
- 1940s 1
- 1950s 67
- 1960s 33
- 1970s 26
- 1980s 20
- 1990s 45
- 2000s 29
- 2010s 207
- 2020s 283
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura,Hi | Biyiksiz,Ali Batuhan | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 |
| Javakhadze,Z | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 11th Jun 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Talgatov,Nazar | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Wadsworth,Matthew J | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 21st Apr 2026 |
| Keymer,Vincent | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 14th Norway Chess 2026 |
| Meier,Geo | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Mar 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the King's Indian Attack: Symmetrical Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code A05, reached after 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6. It belongs to the King's Indian Attack family.
Is the King's Indian Attack: Symmetrical Defense good for White or for Black?
In 711 master games on this line White wins 43%, 31% are drawn and Black wins 26%. 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: Symmetrical Defense?
3.Bg2 — played in 446 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the King's Indian Attack: Symmetrical Defense?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (42), Gukesh,D (41), Smyslov, Vassily (38); on the Black side Mamedyarov,S (34), Firouzja,Alireza (32), Grischuk,A (24).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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