King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Positional Defense, Main Line
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nbd7 8. Re1 c6 9. Bf1 a5
The King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Positional Defense, Main Line is a chess opening classified as ECO E96, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nbd7 8. Re1 c6 9. Bf1 a5. It is a line of the King's Indian Defense. White is to move.
This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.
Engine evaluation: +0.49 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 10. h3 exd4 11. Nxd4 Re8 12. Bf4 Nc5)
- ECO
- E96
- Moves
- 18 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/1p1n1pbp/2pp1np1/p3p3/2PPP3/2N2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQRBK1 w - - 0 10- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nbd7 8. Re1 c6 9. Bf1 a5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
8 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 24%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- Martin Blahynka (2420) – GM Gil Popilski (2519) 0-1 · 26th Czech Open A 2015 · 2015-07-26
- GM Nebojsa Nikcevic (2413) – GM Dalibor Stojanovic (2499) 1/2-1/2 · 24th TCh-CRO Div 1b 2015 · 2015-10-06
- IM Leandro Krysa (2424) – GM Federico Perez Ponsa (2489) 1/2-1/2 · 86th ch-ARG 2012 · 2012-07-10
- CM Equitable Brown (2057) – IM Bernardo Roselli Mailhe (2429) 0-1 · Online Olym Div3 D 2020 · 2020-08-08
- Jesper Sondergaard Thybo (2097) – Kristen Schmidt (2272) 1-0 · Politiken Cup 2013 · 2013-08-04
Comes from
King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (7… Nbd7 8. Re1) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nbd7 8. Re1
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.