ECO code: A15
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Indian Formation 3.Nc3 Bg7
This opening arises after the moves 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7. It is a flexible system where Black fianchettoes the dark-squared bishop, aiming to control the long diagonal and prepare for a King's Indian Defense structure.
Characteristic: The move 3...Bg7 is a hallmark of the King's Indian Formation within the English Opening. Black adopts a hypermodern approach, allowing White to occupy the center initially while planning to challenge it later with pawn breaks like ...d6 and ...e5.
Attacking or Defensive: From Black's perspective, this setup is generally considered dynamic and attacking, focusing on counterplay against White’s center and queenside. White's play is often positional and flexible, aiming to control the center and space, but can transition into attacking chances depending on how the center evolves.
Center Control: White initially builds a strong central presence with pawns on c4 and possibly d4, while Black contests the center more indirectly and plans to strike at it later. Thus, White aims to control the center early, whereas Black adopts a more restrained, counterattacking stance.
This opening is defined by the position shown on the board below. The moves displayed are a typical sequence that leads to it, but different sequences can reach the same position and still carry the same opening name.
Practice puzzles and train your tactics with real positions from games that used the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Indian Formation 3.Nc3 Bg7, and sharpen your opening mastery.
Puzzle 1 of 9 - Move #8 white
You can also discover how top players used English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Indian Formation 3.Nc3 Bg7 to leverage key strategies to secure victories in these classic matchups.