Chess Codex
Tree path 11 levels Indian Defense: West Indian Defense › King's Indian Defense › Normal Variation › King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation › Rare Defenses › King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation › King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation › King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation › Aronin-Taimanov Defense › King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System › Traditional Line
  1. Chess Codex
  2. Indian Defense: West Indian Defense E60
  3. King's Indian Defense E61
  4. Normal Variation E70
  5. King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation E70
  6. Rare Defenses E90
  7. King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation E91
  8. King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation E92
  9. King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation E94
  10. Aronin-Taimanov Defense E97
  11. King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System E98
  12. Traditional Line E99 you are here
E99

King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, Traditional Line

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Overview

King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, Traditional Line is a variation within the Indian Defenses family, indexed as ECO E99.

The Indian Defenses group covers Indian defences — hypermodern lines where Black challenges the centre with pieces rather than pawns.

Play reaches this position via 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. f3 f5, after 20 plies of opening development.

It is a variation of King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, which itself descends from the root opening Indian Defense: West Indian Defense.

It continues primarily into one named line, King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System, Benko Attack.

Step through the moves on the interactive board below, review the live Lichess statistics, or play this position against Stockfish at one of six difficulty levels.

ECO code
E99
Group
Indian Defenses (E)
Plies
20
Parent
King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System
Direct variations
1

This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.

Statistics from Lichess

29,338 games · White 53.3% / Draw 5.8% / Black 40.9%

MovesGamesW / D / B
g415,597
Be311,978
Nd31,282
Bd2166
b4118
Bg590
exf531
a418

Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 03:27:10

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Variations (1)

Related variations at the same level

Sister lines that share the same parent King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Classical System:

https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-orthodox-variation-classical-system-traditional-line