The Ebb and Flow of a Chess Game

The King's Indian Defense owes its name to players from India, who liked to answer 1.d4 with 1...Nf6, instead of the classic Western response of 1...d5

Check out this game from 1851!

But it was Chigorin who developed the basis for the King's Indian Defense as we know it today. Only he did it with the White pieces! It is called the King's Indian Attack. Here is a fantastic game by Chigorin, from St. Petersburg, 1895!

In the late 1930's and early 40's, Bronstein and Boleslavsky analyzed the King's Indian Defense, which at that time did not enjoy a good reputation, and found many new ideas.

Right after WWII there was a friendly match between Prague and Moscow. Here are two games from that match, which made both Bronstein, and the King's Indian Defense, famous!

How do you go from the position in this diagram, where White seemingly has an advantage in space, 

to the position in the next diagram, where Black's pieces have taken over? 

Through superior understanding of the elements of a position, the interaction of the pieces in a time continuum, and of what is actually important in a position, that is how!

P.S.- Simaginfan reminded me of the role that Yates had in the development of this opening. In his honor I present Yate's win over Alekhine, and his win over Bogoljubow!