King's Indian Defense: Steiner Attack 8…exd5 9. Nxd5
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Statistics from Lichess
2,503 games: White 47.3% / Draw 5.0% / Black 47.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,1341,134 | ||
| 760760 | ||
| 375375 | ||
| 9696 | ||
| 9595 | ||
| 1818 | ||
| 1212 | ||
| 66 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 9... Be6 10. h4 Bxd5 11. cxd5 Qb6 12. O-O-O Nbd7 13. Kb1 Ne5 14. Rc1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Indian Defense: Steiner Attack (ECO E81, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the King's Indian Defense: Steiner Attack, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Bg5 c5 7. d5 e6 8. Qd2 exd5 9. Nxd5 (9 moves).
In 2,503 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.3%, Black 47.7% and 5.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Be6, in 45% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 9. Nxd5
The most played answer, 9…Be6, also scores best for Black: 56.6%, with Black winning 53.5% and White 40.3% of 1,134 games. Of the main answers, 9…Nbd7 scores lowest: 41.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9…Be6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Steiner Attack (E81)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-steiner-attack-3