Tree path 3 levels Indian Defense: West Indian Defense › King's Indian Defense › Smyslov Variation
- Chess Codex
- Indian Defense: West Indian Defense E60
- King's Indian Defense E61
- Smyslov Variation E61 you are here
King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation
Overview
King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation is a named branch in the Indian Defenses group of chess theory, classified under ECO E61.
The Indian Defenses group covers Indian defences — hypermodern lines where Black challenges the centre with pieces rather than pawns.
It begins with 9 plies and takes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. Bg5 to reach the canonical position.
In the opening tree, this line branches off from King's Indian Defense, part of the broader Indian Defense: West Indian Defense system.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- E61
- Group
- Indian Defenses (E)
- Plies
- 9
- Parent
- King's Indian Defense
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
1,539,893 games · White 48.1% / Draw 5.2% / Black 46.7%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| O-O | 1,079,467 | |
| h6 | 143,336 | |
| Nbd7 | 138,068 | |
| Bg4 | 52,701 | |
| c6 | 46,447 | |
| Nc6 | 27,573 | |
| c5 | 12,215 | |
| b6 | 10,682 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 02:10:37
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