King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4
The King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO E60, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4. It is a line of the King's Indian Defense. Black is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 6,388 times by this move order. White won 48%, 6% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 3… Bg7 (86% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.20 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 3… Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4)
- ECO
- E60
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pppppp1p/5np1/8/2PP4/5N2/PP2PPPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 527 | |
| 1500-1999 | 2,521 | |
| 2000+ | 3,340 | |
| All | 6,388 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… Bg7 | 5,493 (86%) | |
| 3… c5 | 297 (5%) | |
| 3… d6 | 292 (5%) | |
| 3… d5 | 248 (4%) | |
| 3… c6 | 26 (0%) | |
| 3… e6 | 16 (0%) | |
| 3… b6 | 6 (0%) | |
| 3… h5 | 3 (0%) |
Master games
16,381 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 24%, Black 36%). The strongest:
- Stockfishdev-20240413-c55ae376 (3657) – LCZero0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-6147500 (3628) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-04-29
- LCZero0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-6147500 (3628) – Stockfishdev-20240413-c55ae376 (3657) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-04-26
- LCZero v0.26.3_T60.66740 (3575) – ScorpioNN 3.0.11 (3496) 1-0 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2021-01-07
- ScorpioNN 3.0.11 (3496) – LCZero v0.26.3_T60.66740 (3575) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2021-01-05
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) – GM Levon Aronian (2775) 1/2-1/2 · FTX Crypto Cup 2022 · 2022-08-17
Highest-rated Lichess games
- GM Fabsid (2811) – MeeTion01 (2841) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- GM Fabsid (2782) – Sunrise34 (2855) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- GM Fabsid (2782) – Sunrise34 (2853) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
East Indian Defense 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6
Continuations
- King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Hollywood Variation E60 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2 Nc6
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation (7… c5 8. Rb1) D85 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. Rb1
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation, Kramnik's Line D85 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. h3
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (7… c5 8. dxc5) D75 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O c5 8. dxc5
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: Santasiere Variation E60
- King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Benoni 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
- King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Carlsbad Variation E62
- King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Delayed Fianchetto E62
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.