King's Indian Defense Repertoire 3/1: Four Pawns Attack. 1

Further journey in the repertoire of KID will take us into the Four Pawns Attack, a weapon frequently used by white. Though currently it is out of fashion, still it is frequently played at various levels. The chess.com master's game data base has 7 notable games in 2020. 

The four pawns attack has a win rate of 41% for white and 29% for blacks. Still white at higher level has almost stopped playing this attack! Why?

I can't find any reason except I have a nagging suspicion that lack of imaginative fire works or dazzling tactics and flourishes are absent in four pawns attack and though the win rates are similar to Bayonet attack, Bayonet attack is preferred by white to four pawns attack. 

I think this is because the very nature of the KID players and the white players opposite them is of adventurism and showmanship! So probably they avoid any dull lines, even though there is much attack and defense. The game in initial stages seems like both armies are clashing in mighty way, there will be dazzling fire works etc. but the initial flash dies down to a slow and many time mechanical game.

But as it is still played at GM level and club level, every KID player should know this variation.

So let us see how this goes.

5 f4!

White, on the fifth move only has declared that he is going to play aggressively.

Just look at that massive center! Looks menacing, isn't it? But nothing to worry.

Let us see how the game can proceed. 

The standard moves here are 

So white has a massive center. He has a big space advantage in the center.

Why white plays this 4 pawns attack? Besides it is an attack, a weapon, it, in my opinion has another advantage.

It makes Mar Del Plata variation difficult to play! So those who want to avoid Mar Del Plata, will go for this sort of attack. Generally in KID, black has space on the king side and white has space on the queen side. This routine positions are now avoided. If the black is not aware of this 4 pawn attack, he may get caught off guard.

White is planning to move his bishop and castle king side. In that case he has big pawn center with rook on an open file, both bishops aiming on queen side, one knight is on king side and queen can anytime come in play. 

And so the most important task for the black is to demolish the central mejority of the white and that too before its king go to safety.

Let us see how that can be achieved in the next article.