King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Pterodactyl Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
697 games: White 39.2% / Draw 8.3% / Black 52.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 345345 | ||
| 268268 | ||
| 5151 | ||
| 3131 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 11 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.44 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. Nc3 O-O 7. O-O cxd4 8. Qxd4 d6 9. Qh4 Nc6 10. Bd2 Qh5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Pterodactyl Variation (ECO E64, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 c5 5. Bg2 Qa5+ (5 moves).
In 697 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 39.2%, Black 52.5% and 8.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nc3, in 49% 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: Fianchetto Variation, Pterodactyl Variation
The most played answer, 6. Nc3, also scores best for White: 48.4%, with White winning 43.5% and Black 46.7% of 345 games. Of the main answers, 6. Bd2 scores lowest: 37.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Nc3.
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: Fianchetto Variation, Pterodactyl Variation (E64)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-fianchetto-variation-pterodactyl-variation