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: Orthodox Variation, Aronin-Taimanov Defense
This opening arises after the moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6.
Characteristic of the Move 7...Nc6: This move develops Black’s knight to a natural and active square, supporting the central e5-pawn and increasing pressure on White’s d4 and e4 pawns. It also prepares potential central and queenside counterplay. The Aronin-Taimanov Defense is a flexible and dynamic choice within the King's Indian framework.
Attacking or Defensive: From Black’s perspective, this setup is generally attacking. Black aims to challenge White’s center and launch kingside counterattacks, often involving pawn breaks like ...f5 later in the game. White, meanwhile, typically plays more positional and central control, aiming to maintain and expand their spatial advantage in the center and on the queenside.
Center Control: Yes, this opening heavily involves contesting the center. White builds a strong pawn center with pawns on d4 and e4, while Black challenges it actively with pieces and pawns (especially through moves like ...e5 and later ...c5 or ...f5). The struggle for central dominance is a key theme in this opening.
Practice puzzles and train your tactics with real positions from games that used the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Aronin-Taimanov Defense, and sharpen your opening mastery.
Puzzle 1 of 2 - Move #39 black
You can also discover how top players used King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Aronin-Taimanov Defense to leverage key strategies to secure victories in these classic matchups.