E81 King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Normal Defense
E81 holds nine named lines, all under the name King’s Indian Defense. It leaves E80 (King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation) with 5...O-O. With nine named lines it is level for the largest code of the 39 King’s Indian Defense codes. Both queens have left the board by the end of King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Sämisch Gambit Accepted. Material is no longer level at the end of two of its lines; the widest gap, one pawn in White’s favour, comes in King’s Indian Defense: Steiner Attack.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | d4 | Nf6 |
| 2 | c4 | g6 |
| 3 | Nc3 | Bg7 |
| 4 | e4 | d6 |
| 5 | f3 | O-O |
The move that completes E81
The reference line of E82 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; E81 is the position reached at 5...O-O.
- 5...O-O Black castles kingside, opening a line for the queen on d8, guarding the bishop on g7.
Lines filed under E81
All nine share their first ten plies, the whole reference line and then split three ways at White’s move 6.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Normal Defense | (the shared start itself) | 10 | Black castled |
| King’s Indian Defense: Steiner Attack | 6.Bg5 | 11 | Black castled |
| King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Bobotsov-Korchnoi-Petrosian Variation | 6.Nge2 | 11 | Black castled |
| King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Sämisch Gambit | 6.Be3 c5 | 12 | Black castled |
| King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Byrne Defense | 6.Be3 c6 7.Bd3 a6 | 14 | Black castled |
| King’s Indian Defense: Steiner Attack | 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 h6 8.Bf4 | 15 | Black castled |
| King’s Indian Defense: Steiner Attack | 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2 exd5 9.Nxd5 | 17 | Black castled |
| King’s Indian Defense: Steiner Attack | 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2 h6 9.Bxh6 | 17 | White +1, Black castled |
| King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Sämisch Gambit Accepted | 6.Be3 c5 7.dxc5 dxc5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Bxc5 | 17 | White +1, Black castled, queens off |
The road to E81
- 1.d4 … 4.e4six earlier stops: A40, A45, A50, E60, E61, E70
- 4...d6E70 Normal Variation
- 5.f3E80 Sämisch Variation
- 5...O-OE81
The position after 5...O-O
White has brought out the knight on c3; Black the knight on f6 and bishop on g7. White is to move and has 36 legal moves.
Codes that branch off from E81
The reference lines of three other codes leave E81 from the position after 5...O-O, each with its own moves.
| Code | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|
| E82 | 6.Be3 b6 | King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Double Fianchetto |
| E83 | 6.Be3 Nc6 | King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Yates Defense |
| E85 | 6.Be3 e5 | King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Orthodox Variation |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| E77 | King’s Indian Defense: Four Pawns Attack | four squares: f1, e2, f3, f4 |
| E91 | King’s Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | five squares: f1, g1, e2, f2, f3 |
| D97 | Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation | six squares: d1, g1, f2, f3, c4, d6 |
| E76 | King’s Indian Defense: Four Pawns Attack | six squares: f3, f4, e8, f8, g8, h8 |
| E87 | King’s Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Closed Variation | six squares: c1, e3, d4, d5, e5, e7 |
| A42 | Modern Defense: Averbakh System | seven squares: f2, f3, f6, e8, f8, g8, h8 |
| B76 | Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack | seven squares: c1, g1, c2, e3, c4, d4, c7 |
Where lines continue from here
Fifteen named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 5...O-O. Besides the codes above, they belong to A65, E84, E86, E87, E88, E89.