King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Byrne Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
24,100 games: White 49.3% / Draw 5.4% / Black 45.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 17,14617K | ||
| 3,7233,723 | ||
| 2,5162,516 | ||
| 103103 | ||
| 8888 | ||
| 8282 | ||
| 7979 | ||
| 7171 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.32 White is slightly better
Best play: 8. Nge2 b5 9. O-O bxc4 10. Bxc4 d5 11. Bb3 dxe4 12. Nxe4 a5
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, Byrne Defense (ECO E81, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Normal Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 c6 7. Bd3 a6 (7 moves).
In 24,100 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.3%, Black 45.2% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Nge2, in 71% 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: Sämisch Variation, Byrne Defense
8. a4 scores best for White: 55.2%, with White winning 52.2% and Black 41.8% of 3,723 games. The most played, 8. Nge2, scores 52.0% in 17K games, and 8. Qd2 scores lowest: 49.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. Nge2.
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: Sämisch Variation, Byrne Defense (E81)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-samisch-variation-byrne-defense