- ECO code
- E61
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3
- Family
- King's Indian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 4,545
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1922–2026
King's Indian Defense is the opening filed under ECO code E61, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3. It belongs to the King's Indian Defense family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 4,545 games on this line — the 33rd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1922 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 1,210 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 34% of those games, 39% end in a draw, and Black wins 27%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 3...Bg7, played in 2,265 games, followed by 3...d5 (2,262) and 3...d6 (13). After 3...Bg7 White scores 39% and Black 29%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Kortschnoj, Viktor (159 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (349).
15 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Grünfeld Defense; King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation; King's Indian Defense: Normal 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 34% (1,549)
- Draws 39% (1,787)
- Black 27% (1,209)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...Bg7 | 2,265 | 39/32/29 | — |
| 3...d5 | 2,262 | 29/47/24 | Grünfeld Defense |
| 3...d6 | 13 | 54/8/38 | — |
| 3...c5 | 4 | 50/25/25 | — |
| 3...c6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Grünfeld Defense · 3...d5 · 2,262 games
- Normal Variation · 3...Bg7 4.e4 · 2,024 games
- Normal Variation · 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 · 1,879 games
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation · 3...d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 · 1,163 games
- Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation · 3...d5 4.Nf3 · 678 games
- Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation · 3...d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 · 678 games
- Normal Variation, Rare Defenses · 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 · 636 games
- Orthodox Variation · 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 · 553 games
- Normal Variation, Standard Development · 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 · 486 games
- Orthodox Variation · 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 · 470 games
- Sämisch Variation · 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 · 433 games
- Sämisch Variation, Normal Defense · 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O · 356 games
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation · 3...d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 · 348 games
- Orthodox Variation · 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O · 328 games
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation · 3...d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 · 310 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
Played most often by
As White
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 159
- Mamedyarov,S 159
- Carlsen,M 106
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 349
- Nepomniachtchi,I 218
- Grischuk,A 190
Games per decade
- 1920s 19
- 1930s 54
- 1940s 55
- 1950s 188
- 1960s 247
- 1970s 133
- 1980s 192
- 1990s 609
- 2000s 639
- 2010s 1,199
- 2020s 1,210
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klukin,Kirill | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Praggnanandhaa,R | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Grischuk,A | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| 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 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 23rd Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the King's Indian Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code E61, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3. It belongs to the King's Indian Defense family.
Is the King's Indian Defense good for White or for Black?
In 4,545 master games on this line White wins 34%, 39% are drawn and Black wins 27%. 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?
3...Bg7 — played in 2,265 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the King's Indian Defense?
On the White side Kortschnoj, Viktor (159), Mamedyarov,S (159), Carlsen,M (106); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (349), Nepomniachtchi,I (218), Grischuk,A (190).
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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