King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation 7. Nge2 c6
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Statistics from Lichess
28,922 games: White 52.2% / Draw 5.4% / Black 42.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 22,02722K | ||
| 5,4865,486 | ||
| 373373 | ||
| 260260 | ||
| 242242 | ||
| 116116 | ||
| 8989 | ||
| 8989 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 7, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.70 White is better
Best play: 8. d5 Na6 9. Qd2 cxd5 10. cxd5 Nc5 11. h4 h5 12. Nc1 Ne8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation (ECO E86, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Orthodox Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 e5 7. Nge2 c6 (7 moves).
In 28,922 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.2%, Black 42.4% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Qd2, in 76% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Closed Variation, Main Line.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7…c6
8. d5 scores best for White: 55.5%, with White winning 52.8% and Black 41.8% of 5,486 games. The most played answer, 8. Qd2, scores lowest: 55.1% in 22K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. d5.
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: Sämisch Variation (E86)”. Lichess data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-samisch-variation-2