- ECO code
- E73
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2
- Family
- King's Indian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 486
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1946–2026
King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Standard Development is the opening filed under ECO code E73, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2. It belongs to the King's Indian Defense family and is known as the Normal Variation, Standard Development; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 486 games on this line — the 216th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1946 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 185 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 45% of those games, 29% end in a draw, and Black wins 26%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are less common here than usual, by 6 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5...O-O, played in 465 games, followed by 5...e5 (6) and 5...Nbd7 (6). After 5...O-O White scores 44% and Black 26%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Kortschnoj, Viktor (44 games); on the Black side, Firouzja,Alireza (29).
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Results in master games
- White 45% (216)
- Draws 29% (142)
- Black 26% (128)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5...O-O | 465 | 44/30/26 | — |
| 5...e5 | 6 | 83/17/0 | — |
| 5...Nbd7 | 6 | 34/33/33 | — |
| 5...Na6 | 3 | 0/0/100 | — |
| 5...c5 | 2 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 5...Nc6 | 2 | 50/50/0 | — |
| 5...a5 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 5...c6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
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
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 44
- Erigaisi,Arjun 40
- Shirov, Alexei 32
As Black
- Firouzja,Alireza 29
- Kasparov, Gary 18
- Polgar, Judit 18
Games per decade
- 1940s 1
- 1950s 23
- 1960s 26
- 1970s 15
- 1980s 27
- 1990s 100
- 2000s 41
- 2010s 68
- 2020s 185
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moeller,Maurin | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Giri,A | Firouzja,Alireza | 1-0 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
| Bluebaum,M | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 |
| So,W | Van Foreest,Jorden | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool A |
| Ezat,M | So,W | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Feb 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Movahed,Sina | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Standard Development?
It is the opening with ECO code E73, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2. It belongs to the King's Indian Defense family.
Is the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Standard Development good for White or for Black?
In 486 master games on this line White wins 45%, 29% 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 Defense: Normal Variation, Standard Development?
5...O-O — played in 465 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Standard Development?
On the White side Kortschnoj, Viktor (44), Erigaisi,Arjun (40), Shirov, Alexei (32); on the Black side Firouzja,Alireza (29), Kasparov, Gary (18), Polgar, Judit (18).
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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