King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, Kozul Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
7,303 games: White 56.6% / Draw 3.9% / Black 39.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,7213,721 | ||
| 1,6571,657 | ||
| 961961 | ||
| 649649 | ||
| 143143 | ||
| 124124 | ||
| 2525 | ||
| 1212 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.44 White is slightly better
Best play: 14... Nxc5 15. b4 Na6 16. Nb5 h5 17. Nxa7 Nxb4 18. Nxc8 Qxc8 19. a4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, Kozul Gambit (ECO E98, Indian Defenses) is a gambit in the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, Neo-Classical Line, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. Ne1 Nd7 10. Be3 f5 11. f3 f4 12. Bf2 g5 13. Rc1 Ng6 14. c5 (14 moves).
In 7,303 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.6%, Black 39.5% and 3.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 14…Nxc5, in 51% of those games.
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How to play against the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, Kozul Gambit
The most played answer, 14…Nxc5, also scores best for Black: 44.6%, with Black winning 42.4% and White 53.3% of 3,721 games. Of the main answers, 14…dxc5 scores lowest: 32.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 14…Nxc5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, Kozul Gambit (E98)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-orthodox-variation-classical-system-kozul-gambit