ECO E80 · King's Indian Defense

King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3

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Black to move. The arrow shows Stockfish’s best move.
Best move

5… O-O+0.40

White is slightly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation (E80), reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3, Stockfish 18 recommends 5… O-O for Black. White is slightly better (+0.40).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.405… O-O 6. Be3 c5 7. Nge2 Qa5 8. Qd2 a6 9. d5 Nbd7 10. Ng3
  2. +0.495… a6 6. Be3 O-O 7. Qd2 c5 8. dxc5 dxc5 9. Qxd8 Rxd8 10. Bxc5
  3. +0.505… c5 6. dxc5 dxc5 7. Qxd8+ Kxd8 8. Be3 Nfd7 9. Nge2 Nc6 10. O-O-O

Other move orders

  • 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 e5 7. Nge2 c6

Variations

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation?
After 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 5… O-O for Black, continuing 6. Be3 c5 7. Nge2 Qa5 8. Qd2 a6 9. d5 Nbd7 10. Ng3. White is slightly better (+0.40). The next best moves are 5… a6 (+0.49) and 5… c5 (+0.50).
Is the King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.40: white is slightly better. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation?
E80. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; E is the volume for indian defenses.

Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).