King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Closed Variation 7. d5 c6
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Statistics from Lichess
95,202 games: White 52.0% / Draw 5.0% / Black 42.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 52,16552K | ||
| 27,44827K | ||
| 7,2737,273 | ||
| 3,5443,544 | ||
| 1,7061,706 | ||
| 616616 | ||
| 595595 | ||
| 589589 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.89 White is better
Best play: 8. Qd2 cxd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. g4 h5 11. g5 Nh7 12. Nh3 f6
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, Closed Variation (ECO E88, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Closed Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 e5 7. d5 c6 (7 moves).
In 95,202 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.0%, Black 42.9% and 5.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Qd2, in 55% of those games.
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How to answer 7…c6
8. Bd3 scores best for White: 56.0%, with White winning 53.4% and Black 41.3% of 27K games. The most played answer, 8. Qd2, scores lowest: 53.9% in 52K games. Stockfish's first choice is 8. Qd2.
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, Closed Variation (E88)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-samisch-variation-closed-variation-2