ECO code: E61
King's Indian Defense: 4.Bg5 O-O
This variation arises after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Bg5 O-O. Here, White develops the dark-squared bishop to g5, pinning Black's knight on f6 and putting immediate pressure on Black's kingside. Black responds naturally by castling, prioritizing king safety and preparing for counterplay.
Characteristic: The move 4.Bg5 is a somewhat less common but direct attempt to challenge Black's knight and disrupt Black's typical King's Indian setup. It often leads to sharp play as White aims to maintain the pin and provoke weaknesses or exchanges that favor White's central and kingside control.
Attacking or Defensive: For White, 4.Bg5 is an attacking move, focusing on piece activity and kingside pressure. Black's castling is a defensive measure, securing the king before launching counterplay in the center or on the kingside.
Center Control: This variation keeps attention on the center. While White does not immediately push pawns in the center, the pin on the knight supports future central advances, and Black aims to challenge the center later with moves like ...d6 and ...e5. Thus, the opening maintains tension in the center and influences central control dynamically.
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 King's Indian: 4.Bg5 O-O, and sharpen your opening mastery.
Puzzle 1 of 6 - Move #9 white