Chessy
King's Indian Defense: your Black opening drill
The King's Indian Defense gives you a clear fighting setup as Black: fianchetto the bishop, keep the position flexible, and wait for White to choose a plan. In this drill, you are playing Black from the starting position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7. The key is to stay alert to White’s most common continuations and answer them with confidence. The engine’s best move here is the move you need to know first.
Play the King's Indian Defense against the engine
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Play the drill now and practise the key move choices as Black. Create a free account to track your progress and sharpen your opening play.
Create a free account →The position is already slightly better for White
Stockfish rates this +0.58, a small edge for White. That means you are slightly worse here. So the opening is playable, but you should not expect equality by autopilot. Your job in the drill is to meet White’s next move accurately and keep the game in a dynamic, practical range.
What White usually chooses here
The most common continuation is e4, with 4,100,945 games and a White score of 50.3%. The next most common is Nf3, with 1,857,304 games and a White score of 48.3%. After that come Bg5, e3, Bf4, and g3. If you know the main idea against the top choices, you will already be ready for most of the position's practical tests.
The engine move to learn first
The engine's best move here is e4, and the continuation given is e4 O-O Nf3 d6. This is the move to build around in the drill because it matches the opening's spirit: challenge White's centre and keep your kingside development on track. If you can handle the position after this choice, you are learning the heart of the King's Indian Defense rather than memorising side lines.
Common mistakes to avoid
Two known mistakes are e3 and g3. Both are marked as inaccuracies and both lose about 0.5 pawns, with e4 listed as the better move in each case. That tells you something important: White’s quieter setups can drift, and if you recognise them early, you can respond with the right central play and avoid letting your opponent get an easy hand on the game.
What the database says about the position
Across 8,121,655 games at this exact position, White wins 49.1%, draws 4.0%, and Black wins 46.9%. Those numbers show a very practical opening: White scores a bit better, but Black still wins a huge number of games. For your training, that means this is not a forced loss — it is a position where understanding the first critical decisions matters a lot.
Results across 8,121,655 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| e4 | 4,100,945 | 50.3% |
| Nf3 | 1,857,304 | 48.3% |
| Bg5 | 796,466 | 49.0% |
| e3 | 557,859 | 45.7% |
| Bf4 | 454,994 | 47.5% |
| g3 | 130,794 | 50.7% |
Frequently asked questions
What is the King's Indian Defense in simple terms?
It is a Black opening after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7. In this position, you are ready to challenge White’s centre while keeping a flexible kingside setup. The drill starts right here, so the main question is how you answer White’s next move.
Is the King's Indian Defense good for Black?
In this exact position, the engine gives +0.58, which is a small edge for White. That means you are slightly worse, but the opening is still fully playable. The database also shows many games and a large number of Black wins, so practical chances are very real.
What should I know first when I play this opening as Black?
Learn the engine’s best move here: e4. The given continuation is e4 O-O Nf3 d6, so the opening idea is to meet White’s centre and finish development in a familiar way. That is the main pattern this drill is teaching.
Which White moves should I watch for most?
The most-played continuation is e4, followed by Nf3, Bg5, e3, Bf4, and g3. Two listed mistakes are e3 and g3, both marked as inaccuracies. If White chooses either of those, you should know that e4 is the better reply in this position.
How many games feature the King's Indian Defense?
Over 8 million Lichess games have reached the King's Indian Defense position. White wins 49.1%, Black wins 46.9%, with 4.0% draws — based on real rated games.