King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Closed Variation, Main Line
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Statistics from Lichess
10,004 games: White 51.6% / Draw 5.5% / Black 42.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 9,0409,040 | ||
| 791791 | ||
| 160160 | ||
| 88 | ||
| 44 | ||
| 11 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.78 White is better
Best play: 9. cxd5 Nbd7 10. h4 Nc5 11. Qd2 h5 12. Nc1 Ne8 13. Nd3 Nxd3+
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, Main Line (ECO E89, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the King's Indian Defense: Sämisch 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 8. d5 cxd5 (8 moves).
In 10,004 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.6%, Black 42.9% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. cxd5, in 90% of those games.
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How to play against the King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Closed Variation, Main Line
The most played answer, 9. cxd5, also scores best for White: 54.6%, with White winning 52.0% and Black 42.8% of 9,040 games. Of the main answers, 9. Nxd5 scores lowest: 53.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9. cxd5.
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, Main Line (E89)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-samisch-variation-closed-variation-main-line