- ECO code
- E90
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3
- Family
- King's Indian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 636
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1923–2026
King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses is the opening filed under ECO code E90, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3. It belongs to the King's Indian Defense family and is known as the Normal Variation, Rare Defenses; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 636 games on this line — the 174th 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 196 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 32% of those games, 35% end in a draw, and Black wins 33%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 5 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 5...O-O, played in 634 games, followed by 5...Bg4 (2). After 5...O-O White scores 32% and Black 32%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Carlsen,M (24 games); on the Black side, Firouzja,Alireza (57).
3 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation; King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation; King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 32% (205)
- Draws 35% (224)
- Black 33% (207)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5...O-O | 634 | 32/36/32 | — |
| 5...Bg4 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
Variations from this position
- King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation · 5...O-O 6.Be2 · 553 games
- King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation · 5...O-O 6.Be2 e5 · 470 games
- King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation · 5...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
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 · 1,879 games
Played most often by
As White
- Carlsen,M 24
- Giri,A 23
- So,W 23
As Black
- Firouzja,Alireza 57
- Nakamura,Hi 33
- Grischuk,A 28
Games per decade
- 1920s 2
- 1930s 2
- 1940s 2
- 1950s 17
- 1960s 22
- 1970s 14
- 1980s 20
- 1990s 107
- 2000s 100
- 2010s 154
- 2020s 196
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 |
| Duda,J | Carlsen,M | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Playoffs |
| Katsanis,Vasileios Dim | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Feb 2026 |
| Drygalov,Sergey | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 16th Jun 2026 |
| Amburgy,Ryan | So,W | 0-1 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses?
It is the opening with ECO code E90, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3. It belongs to the King's Indian Defense family.
Is the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses good for White or for Black?
In 636 master games on this line White wins 32%, 35% are drawn and Black wins 33%. 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, Rare Defenses?
5...O-O — played in 634 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses?
On the White side Carlsen,M (24), Giri,A (23), So,W (23); on the Black side Firouzja,Alireza (57), Nakamura,Hi (33), Grischuk,A (28).
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
Play this opening against the Katuranga bot, then review the game — the engine marks every brilliant move, mistake and blunder.