King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation (4. e4 d6)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
The King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO E70, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6. It is a line of the King's Indian Defense. White is to move. 8 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 20,793 times by this move order. White won 49%, 6% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 5. Nf3 (29% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.55 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 5. h3 Nbd7 6. Nf3 e5 7. d5 Nc5)
- ECO
- E70
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqk2r/ppp1ppbp/3p1np1/8/2PPP3/2N5/PP3PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 2,114 | |
| 1500-1999 | 10,702 | |
| 2000+ | 7,977 | |
| All | 20,793 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Nf3 Normal Variation, Rare Defenses | 5,956 (29%) | |
| 5. f4 Four Pawns Attack (4… d6 5. f4) | 3,114 (15%) | |
| 5. Be2 Normal Variation, Standard Development | 2,807 (13%) | |
| 5. f3 Sämisch Variation (4… d6 5. f3) | 2,758 (13%) | |
| 5. h3 Makogonov Variation | 2,173 (10%) | |
| 5. Bd3 | 1,786 (9%) | |
| 5. Bg5 Accelerated Averbakh Variation | 708 (3%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 607 (3%) |
Master games
1,744 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 20%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- GM Alexey Sarana (2706) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2830) 0-1 · Titled Tue 7th May Late · 2024-05-07
- GM Alexander Morozevich (2748) – GM Hao Wang (2737) 1-0 · SportAccord Blitz Men 2012 · 2012-12-16
- GM Daniil Dubov (2710) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2759) 0-1 · Levitov Dubov-Firouzja Bl · 2021-05-19
- GM Daniil Dubov (2710) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2759) 1-0 · Levitov Dubov-Firouzja Bl · 2021-05-19
- GM Daniil Dubov (2710) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2759) 0-1 · Levitov Dubov-Firouzja Bl · 2021-05-19
Search all games of the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- NM Andrey11976 (2800) – Nana_jede_cevape (2883) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- winx_m (2943) – gmnihalJO (2676) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Juan_Delasala (2727) – IM shuriks91 (2849) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation (3… Bg7 4. e4) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4
Continuations
- King's Indian Defense: Accelerated Averbakh Variation E70 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Bg5
- King's Indian Defense: Four Pawns Attack (4… d6 5. f4) E76 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4
- King's Indian Defense: Kramer Variation E70 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nge2
- King's Indian Defense: Makogonov Variation E71 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. h3
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Deferred Fianchetto E72 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. g3
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses E90 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Standard Development E73 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2
- King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation (4… d6 5. f3) E80 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3
More King's Indian Defense lines (all)
- King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation E60
- King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Immediate Fianchetto E60
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation E60
- King's Indian Defense: Santasiere Variation E60
- King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Benoni Variation E60
- King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Hollywood Variation E60
- King's Indian Defense E61
- King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Benjamin Defense E61
- King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation E61
- King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Exchange Variation E61
- King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Queenside Storm Line E61
- King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation E61
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.