King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense

The King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense is a solid and aggressive opening that leads to rich middlegame positions with chances for both sides.

The opening is characterized by Black allowing White to establish a strong pawn center while focusing on fianchettoing the dark-squared bishop and preparing a pawn break with e5. This variation is named after the Russian Grandmaster Igor Glek, who has contributed significantly to its theory and practice. In this line, Black develops the knight to a6, which is a flexible move that can support the c5 or e5 pawn breaks, or even transfer the knight to c7 to support d5.

White's setup is typical for the King's Indian Defense, with pawns on d4, c4, and e4, and knights on f3 and c3. The light-squared bishop is developed to e2, and both kings are castled kingside. The position often leads to a battle between White's central pawn majority and Black's kingside counterplay.

The Glek Defense is a flexible and aggressive choice for Black, offering chances to create imbalances and fight for the initiative. It has been employed by many top-level players, including former World Champions Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov.

In conclusion, the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense is a dynamic and exciting opening that can lead to rich middlegame positions with chances for both sides. It is an excellent choice for players who enjoy complex and aggressive play.