Chess: Understanding the King's Indian Defense

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6
5 Nf3 O-O 6 Be2 e5 7 O-O Nc6 8 d5
8 ... Ne7 9 Kh1:



9 ... Kh8
9 ... Ne8
9 ... Nd7
9 ... Nh5
9 ... a5

Human Vision:



According to John Nunn's The Classical
King's Indian (1990 Edition) 9 Kh1 is
Bent Larsen's idea and it's supposed to
be a tame one. Nunn suggests 9 ... Nd7
or 9 ... Ne8 as Black's best responses.


Theoretical Variations:

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6
5 Nf3 O-O 6 Be2 e5 7 O-O Nc6 8 d5
8 ... Ne7 9 Kh1:



9 ... Nh5 10 Ng1 Nf4 11 Bf3 c5
12 a4 h6 13 a5 g5 14 Ra3 f5
15 exf5 Nxf5 16 g3 Ng6 17 Ne4.



9 ... Nh5 10 g3 f5 11 exf5 Nxf5
12 Ng5 Nd4 13 Bd3 Nf6 14 f3 c6
15 Nge4 Bh3 16 Rf2 cxd5 17 Nxf6+.



9 ... Kh8 10 Ne1 Nd7 11 Nd3 f5
12 exf5 Nxf5 13 Ne4 Nf6 14 Bg5
14 ... Qe8 15 Bxf6 Bxf6 16 Bg4
16 ... Be7 17 Qd2.



9 ... Kh8 10 Ne1 Nd7 11 f4 f5
12 exf5 Nxf5 13 Nd3 Qh4 14 Ne4
14 ... Nd4 15 Bg4 Nc5.



9 ... Kh8 10 Ne1 Nd7 11 f3 f5
12 Be3 f4 13 Bg1 g5 14 Nd3 Rf6
15 c5 Rh6 16 cxd6 cxd6 17 Nf2.



9 ... Ne8 10 Ne1 f5 11 exf5 Nxf5
12 Nc2 Nf6 13 f4.



9 ... Ne8 10 Ne1 f5 11 exf5 Nxf5
12 Nf3 Nf6 13 Bd3 Nd4 14 Nxd4
14 ... exd4 15 Ne4 Nxe4 16 Bxe4
16 ... Bd7 17 Qd3.



9 ... Ne8 10 Ne1 f5 11 exf5 gxf5
12 f4 Ng6 13 g3 Bd7 14 Ng2 Qe7
15 Bd2 Nf6 16 Qc2 exf4 17 Nxf4.



9 ... Ne8 10 Rg1 f5 11 exf5 gxf5
12 Ng5 Nf6 13 f4 Ng6 14 fxe5
14 ... dxe5 15 c5 h6 16 Ne6
16 ... Bxe6 17 dxe6.



9 ... Nd7 10 g4 Nc5 11 Rg1 a5
12 Be3 Bd7 13 Ne1 f6 14 Nd3 b6.



9 ... Nd7 10 g4 Nc5 11 Rg1 a5
12 Be3 Kh8 13 Ne1 f5 14 f3 fxe4
15 fxe4 c6 16 Nd3 cxd5 17 cxd5.



9 ... Nd7 10 g4 c6 11 Rg1 cxd5
12 cxd5 f5 13 gxf5 gxf5 14 Ng5
14 ... Nf6 15 Bd3 f4.



9 ... a5 10 Ne1 Nd7 11 Be3 f5
12 f3 f4 13 Bg1 g5 14 Nd3 b6
15 a3 Nf6 16 Rc1 Ng6 17 b4 Qe7
18 c5.

Silicon Vision:

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6
5 Nf3 O-O 6 Be2 e5 7 O-O Nc6 8 d5
8 ... Ne7 9 Kh1:



9 ... a6 10 Bd2 Nh5 11 Qc1 f5
12 Ng5 Nf6 13 Qc2 c6 14 Qb3
14 ... fxe4 15 Ngxe4 Nxe4
16 Nxe4 Bf5.



9 ... h6 10 Bd2 Nd7 11 Qc1 Kh7
12 Qc2 f5 13 Rae1 Nf6 14 exf5
14 ... Bxf5 15 Qb3 Rb8 16 Be3
16 ... a6.



9 ... Nh5 10 Bd3 h6 11 Re1 f5
12 exf5 Bxf5 13 Nh4 Bxd3
14 Qxd3 Nf4 15 Bxf4 Rxf4
16 Nxg6 Rxf2 17 Nd1.



9 ... Ne8 10 Re1 h6 11 Qb3 f5
12 exf5 Nxf5 13 Bd3 Nf6 14 Bd2
14 ... a6 15 Nd4 exd4.



9 ... Nd7 10 Be3 h6 11 Qd2 Kh7
12 Rae1 f5 13 Qc2 Kg8 14 b4 a5
15 Qa4 Nf6 16 Nd2 f4.
9 ... a5 10 Be3 Nd7 11 Qb3 h6.



9 ... Kh8 10 a4 a5 11 Rb1 h6
12 Qc2 Nd7 13 Be3 f5 14 Kg1
14 ... Nc5 15 Rfe1.