King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Modern Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
23,007 games: White 46.6% / Draw 6.5% / Black 46.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 13,90514K | ||
| 2,9612,961 | ||
| 2,1862,186 | ||
| 1,8621,862 | ||
| 552552 | ||
| 430430 | ||
| 403403 | ||
| 388388 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.50 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. h3 e5 8. d5 Nc5 9. Qc2 a5 10. Nf3 Bd7 11. Nd2 a4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Modern Defense (ECO E73, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Bg5 Na6 (6 moves).
In 23,007 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.6%, Black 46.9% and 6.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Qd2, in 60% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Modern Defense, Burgess Line.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Modern Defense
7. f4 scores best for White: 55.9%, with White winning 53.6% and Black 41.9% of 2,186 games. The most played, 7. Qd2, scores 50.0% in 14K games, and 7. Nf3 scores lowest: 48.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 7. h3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Modern Defense (E73)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-averbakh-variation-modern-defense