King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation

A solid and aggressive opening for Black, the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation aims to counter White's central pawn structure.

In this opening, Black allows White to establish a strong pawn center with pawns on d4 and c4, while focusing on developing their own pieces to prepare for a counterattack. Black's main idea is to fianchetto their dark-squared bishop on g7, which will exert pressure on the long diagonal and help support a future pawn break with ...e5 or ...c5.

In the King's Knight Variation, White develops their knight to f3, which is a natural and flexible move that supports the center and prepares for kingside castling. This variation is considered less aggressive than other lines in the King's Indian Defense, as it does not immediately challenge Black's setup with moves like f4 or e4.

Black's typical plan in this opening is to play ...d6, ...Nbd7, and ...e5, aiming to challenge White's central pawn structure and create counterplay. White, on the other hand, will often try to maintain their central pawn duo and expand on the queenside with moves like b4 and a4.

The King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation is a popular choice among players of all levels, as it offers a rich variety of middlegame plans and ideas for both sides. It has been employed by many top grandmasters, including former World Champions Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov.