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.
King's Indian Defense: 4.Nf3 O-O
The opening moves are: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O.
This position arises from the King's Indian Defense, where Black fianchettoes the dark-squared bishop and castles kingside early. White develops naturally with 4.Nf3, reinforcing control over the center and preparing for flexible central play.
Characteristic: Black's move 4...O-O signals a commitment to a hypermodern strategy — allowing White to occupy the center initially while Black plans to counterattack later. Castling early ensures the king's safety and prepares for dynamic play on the kingside or in the center.
Attacking or Defensive: As White, the approach is generally attacking, aiming to establish strong central control with pawns on d4 and c4 and possibly e4 later. Black plays a counter-attacking role, focusing on undermining White's center and launching kingside activity.
Center Control: White directly occupies and controls the center with pawns and pieces, while Black contests the center indirectly, often aiming to challenge White's pawns with moves like ...d6 and ...e5 or ...c5 later.
Practice puzzles and train your tactics with real positions from games that used the King's Indian: 4.Nf3 O-O, and sharpen your opening mastery.
Puzzle 1 of 15 - Move #7 black
You can also discover how top players used King's Indian: 4.Nf3 O-O to leverage key strategies to secure victories in these classic matchups.