King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Modern Defense, Burgess Line
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Statistics from Lichess
2,193 games: White 47.3% / Draw 6.2% / Black 46.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 605605 | ||
| 508508 | ||
| 383383 | ||
| 183183 | ||
| 177177 | ||
| 103103 | ||
| 7878 | ||
| 6565 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.42 White is slightly better
Best play: 8. Nf3 Nc7 9. d5 cxd5 10. exd5 e6 11. a4 exd5 12. cxd5 Na6
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, Burgess Line (ECO E73, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Modern Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Bg5 Na6 7. Qd2 c6 (7 moves).
In 2,193 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.3%, Black 46.5% and 6.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. h4, in 28% of those games.
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, Burgess Line
The most played answer, 8. h4, also scores best for White: 52.1%, with White winning 48.9% and Black 44.8% of 605 games. Of the main answers, 8. Bh6 scores lowest: 39.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. Nf3.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation, Modern Defense, Burgess Line (E73)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-averbakh-variation-modern-defense-burgess-line