- ECO code
- E70
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6
- Family
- King's Indian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,879
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1923–2026
King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation is the opening filed under ECO code E70, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6. It belongs to the King's Indian Defense family and is known as the Normal Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,879 games on this line — the 63rd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1923 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 550 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 39% of those games, 32% end in a draw, and Black wins 29%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 5.Nf3, played in 636 games, followed by 5.Be2 (486) and 5.f3 (433). 5.Nf3 leads into King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses. After 5.Nf3 White scores 32% and Black 33%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Kortschnoj, Viktor (91 games); on the Black side, Firouzja,Alireza (131).
7 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses; King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation; King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Standard Development.
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Results in master games
- White 39% (748)
- Draws 32% (592)
- Black 29% (539)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.Nf3 | 636 | 32/35/33 | King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses |
| 5.Be2 | 486 | 45/29/26 | King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Standard Development |
| 5.f3 | 433 | 44/32/24 | King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation |
| 5.h3 | 181 | 50/22/28 | — |
| 5.f4 | 43 | 28/33/39 | — |
| 5.Bd3 | 41 | 17/39/44 | — |
| 5.Nge2 | 33 | 49/30/21 | — |
| 5.Bg5 | 14 | 43/36/21 | — |
Variations from this position
- Rare Defenses · 5.Nf3 · 636 games
- King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation · 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 · 553 games
- Standard Development · 5.Be2 · 486 games
- King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation · 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 · 470 games
- King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation · 5.f3 · 433 games
- King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Normal Defense · 5.f3 O-O · 356 games
- King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation · 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O · 328 games
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 · 29,631 games
- Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 · 22,243 games
- Indian Defense: West Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 · 6,337 games
- King's Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 · 4,545 games
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 · 2,024 games
Played most often by
As White
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 91
- Erigaisi,Arjun 51
- So,W 46
As Black
- Firouzja,Alireza 131
- Grischuk,A 81
- Kasparov, Gary 72
Games per decade
- 1920s 10
- 1930s 8
- 1940s 7
- 1950s 118
- 1960s 105
- 1970s 49
- 1980s 77
- 1990s 377
- 2000s 220
- 2010s 358
- 2020s 550
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klukin,Kirill | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Carlsen,M | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team 5-8th |
| Moeller,Maurin | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Giri,A | Firouzja,Alireza | 1-0 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
| Duda,J | Carlsen,M | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Playoffs |
| Bluebaum,M | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code E70, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6. It belongs to the King's Indian Defense family.
Is the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation good for White or for Black?
In 1,879 master games on this line White wins 39%, 32% are drawn and Black wins 29%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation?
5.Nf3 — played in 636 of the master games on this line, which leads into King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses.
Which grandmasters play the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation?
On the White side Kortschnoj, Viktor (91), Erigaisi,Arjun (51), So,W (46); on the Black side Firouzja,Alireza (131), Grischuk,A (81), Kasparov, Gary (72).
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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