- ECO code
- E94
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O
- Family
- King's Indian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 328
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1952–2026
King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation is the opening filed under ECO code E94, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O. It belongs to the King's Indian Defense family and is known as the Orthodox Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 328 games on this line — the 287th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1952 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 100 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 34% of those games, 36% end in a draw, and Black wins 30%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 7...Nc6, played in 206 games, followed by 7...Na6 (50) and 7...h6 (24). After 7...Nc6 White scores 33% and Black 30%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Carlsen,M (19 games); on the Black side, Firouzja,Alireza (26).
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Results in master games
- White 34% (111)
- Draws 36% (119)
- Black 30% (98)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7...Nc6 | 206 | 33/37/30 | — |
| 7...Na6 | 50 | 24/36/40 | — |
| 7...h6 | 24 | 54/21/25 | — |
| 7...exd4 | 23 | 39/44/17 | — |
| 7...Bg4 | 10 | 30/30/40 | — |
| 7...Nbd7 | 8 | 38/49/13 | — |
| 7...c6 | 3 | 67/33/0 | — |
| 7...Re8 | 2 | 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
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 · 636 games
- King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 · 553 games
- King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 · 470 games
Played most often by
As White
- Carlsen,M 19
- Gukesh,D 15
- So,W 13
As Black
- Firouzja,Alireza 26
- Nakamura,Hi 20
- Grischuk,A 19
Games per decade
- 1950s 8
- 1960s 10
- 1970s 8
- 1980s 6
- 1990s 63
- 2000s 59
- 2010s 74
- 2020s 100
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Vidit,S | Erigaisi,Arjun | 0-1 | 2026 | Tata Steel India Blitz |
| Carlsen,M | Lazavik,Denis | 1-0 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Fier,A | So,W | 0-1 | 2026 | American Cup Blitz 2026 |
| So,W | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code E94, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O. It belongs to the King's Indian Defense family.
Is the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation good for White or for Black?
In 328 master games on this line White wins 34%, 36% are drawn and Black wins 30%. 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: Orthodox Variation?
7...Nc6 — played in 206 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation?
On the White side Carlsen,M (19), Gukesh,D (15), So,W (13); on the Black side Firouzja,Alireza (26), Nakamura,Hi (20), Grischuk,A (19).
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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