Kings Indian Attack

What are your guys’ thoughts on the Kings Indian Attack? It seems like a very favorable opening for aggressive players to me. Also what are your thoughts on an idea I had relating to the Kings Indian: Would it be better for white to close the center early on, after a move like 9. e5 from white?

Assuming you’re playing a French KIA from White’s perspective, you will likely have to fight on the kingside, since after 9. e5 Nfd7 10. Nf1 a5, Black will be ready for a very powerful attack on your Queenside, a place where you will have few defenders. Most of your firepower must be focused on Black’s strong kingside in order to attain an able advantage. You will have to sacrifice pieces in order to have any chance at trapping black. I’d suggest you study up a couple grandmaster games after 9. e5 in order to grasp the ideas. Or maybe not yet...

Aren’t you kind of a beginner? Will learning about an opening that goes this many moves in depth really help improve your gameplay? (If so, will the advantage it provides be substantial enough to last the entire game?) I would think not, at least not compared to your alternatives, where I suggest that you practice solving puzzles, recognizing skewers, forks, etc. Granted, these basic opening principles will carry you a long way (^∇^)

1. Thou shalt develop thy pieces!

2. Thou shalt not make thyself too many pawn moves!

3. Thou shalt not move thy queen too early!

4. Thou shalt not move thy piece twice!

5. Thou must castle early!

6. Thou shalt develop towards center!

7. Thou shalt make thyself room and connect the rooks along the back rank!

Thank you for suggesting kindly, but yes I am a beginner. The way I learn focuses is better with theory and I do follow those key principles, although my tactics do need some work...

Possibly of interest:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/has-the-king-s-indian-attack-been-forgotten
The King's Indian Attack is sometimes suggested as a sort of quick-fix opening solution for near-beginners, but notice the reservations that IM Watson had while mentioning the idea.
"... For players with very limited experience, I recommend using openings in which the play can be clarified at an early stage, often with a degree of simplification. To accomplish this safely will take a little study, because you will have to get used to playing wiith open lines for both sides' pieces, but you can't eliminate risk entirely in the opening anyway. ... teachers all over the world suggest that inexperienced players begin with 1 e4. ... You will undoubtedly see the reply 1 ... e5 most often when playing at or near a beginner's level, ... After 2 Nf3, 2 ... Nc6 will occur in the bulk of your games. ... I recommend taking up the classical and instructive move 3 Bc4 at an early stage. Then, against 3 ... Bc5, it's thematic to try to establish the ideal centre by 4 c3 and 5 d4; after that, things can get complicated enough that you need to take a look at some theory and learn the basics; ... Of course, you can also play 1 d4 ... A solid and more-or-less universal set-up is 2 Nf3 and 3 Bf4, followed in most cases by 4 e3, 5 Be2 and 6 0-0. I'd rather see my students fight their way through open positions instead; however, if you're not getting out of the opening alive after 1 e4, this method of playing 1 d4 deserves consideration. ... a commonly suggested 'easy' repertoire for White with 1 Nf3 and the King's indian Attack ... doesn't lead to an open game or one with a clear plan for White. Furthermore, it encourages mechanical play. Similarly, teachers sometimes recommend the Colle System ..., which can also be played too automatically, and usually doesn't lead to an open position. For true beginners, the King's Indian Attack and Colle System have the benefit of offering a safe position that nearly guarantees passage to some kind of playable middlegame; they may be a reasonable alternative if other openings are too intimidating. But having gained even a small amount of experience, you really should switch to more open and less automatic play. ..." - IM John Watson in a section of his 2010 book, Mastering the Chess Openings, Volume 4
The KIA is discussed in Winning Chess Openings by GM Yasser Seirawan (1999).

https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-openings
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
For more on the KIA, one could try The King's Indian Attack: Move by Move by Grandmaster Neil McDonald (2014).
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7277.pdf

Also, The King's Indian Attack... Properly Played by Jerzy Konikowski.

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7874.pdf
Perhaps, it would be of interest to look at The Fianchetto Solution by Emmanuel Neiman and Samy Shoker (2016)
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9029.pdf
and Starting Out: King's Indian Attack by John Emms (2005).
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627034051/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen81.pdf

The KIA is a good system to play.  But unless you understand the "why" behind where the pieces and pawns go, its not really going to matter. 

As far as the KID?  Way to much theory for your ability level.

So, opening choice matters?

Of course.  When you started kindergarten, did you start with basic math like 1+1, or did you start with Calculus?  Calculus, like the KID is way to much theory for the OP's level.

Now if the OP wishes to learn the KID first that is his choice.  But as i said, it would be like wanting to learn Calculus before basic math.  If ya want to give it a go, then by all means go for it.  Just dont be surprised if it doesnt work out well.

Thank you for going on record about this. Perhaps you are aware that someone might jump into a discussion about opening choice and proclaim:

"Just follow opening principles. ..."

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/which-has-more-theory-to-learn-for-black-classical-e5-or-sicilian?page=4

If we see that again, perhaps it will be useful to cite your view.

You forgot the rest if my post.

Of course. When you started kindergarten, did you start with basic math like 1+1, or did you start with Calculus? Calculus, like the KID is way to much theory for the OP's level.

Now if the OP wishes to learn the KID first that is his choice. But as i said, it would be like wanting to learn Calculus before basic math. If ya want to give it a go, then by all means go for it. Just dont be surprised if it doesnt work out well.

 

The OP would be better off with following opening principles.  But they asked about specific openings. 

I have not forgotten.

If you're going to quote someone, quote them in their entirety.  Or else things get taken out of context.

You mean SeniorPatzer or 20charactersinuse or both?

Do you not read?  Or do you have trouble comprehending?

"The OP would be better off with following opening principles. "

Since you seem hell bent on destroying someone else's post as usual with your lunacy, im out.

To the OP i apologize for this, but this seems to be what kindaspongey does to eversyones posts.  If you want any or all of this removed please say so, and i will delete my posts.

20chactersinuse is the OP here. SeniorPatzer was the OP at the

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/which-has-more-theory-to-learn-for-black-classical-e5-or-sicilian? thread.

By the way: "... I am not here for the drama. ..." - SoupTime4 (~7 days ago)

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/general-tips-about-improving

Are you under the impression that there is a rule about that at chess.com?

Calm down dudes... (¬_¬)ﾉ
There is no need to start the war here.

Based on GM Yasser Seirawan's book, Winning Chess Openings, I have always played variations of Reti and King's Indian. Very flexible opening/defence, allows for early castling if desired, and beginning players tended to be less familiar with them.

I would recommend reading any of his books or videos - such as this . . .

 

The KIA as a catch-all system is no good!  If White tries to play it via 1.Nf3, Black can play a Reversed Fianchetto KID or Reversed Saemisch KIA with zero advantage for White (Reversed classical does not work - extra tempo is too much, just like how the reversed Yugoslav Attack after 1.c4 e5 is no good and Black should play a reversed Classical Dragon).

 

After 1.e4, it is only really playable against the Sicilian, French, or Caro-Kann, and there are transpositional possibilities between the French and Sicilian.  It is all about Black's d-pawn, regardless of whether Black played 1...c5 or 1...e6.

 

Examples

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2(forced) Nf6 4.g3 c5 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.Re1 b5 - KIA vs French, play 9.e5

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 d5 4.Nd2 Nf6 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Be7 ... See KIA vs French

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 (Nd2 should only be played if ...d5 is pushed) g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.O-O d6 (the major difference between KIA vs Sicilian and KIA vs French) 7.Re1 Nge7 8.c3 and now Black has to decide if he wants to allow 9.d4 (hence why you do not play Nbd2 when not forced to, so the Queen can eye d4) or stop it with 8...e5, but then the Bishop is blocked and White plays for b4 and Queenside expansion.  VASTLY different than the KIA vs French.

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nf3 Nc6 and a later ...d6 (No ...d5) and despite 1...e6, you are in a KIA vs Sicilian.

 

Then the KIA vs Caro is a different ball of wax all together which I do not know enough theory to go into detail.  Never played the KIA against the Caro-Kann and only faced the KIA once in my shirt stint of playing the Caro.

 

But then you need something against 1...e5 (KIA no good here), 1...d5 (KIA impossible here - 2.d3? dxe4 3.dxe4 Qxd1+), 1...Nf6 (2.d3 d5 is not so good for White), Pirc and Modern defenses, etc.

The King's Indian Attack (KIA) is a flexible opening system for White which can theoretically be played against almost any response by Black, including 1.d5 etc.....however, whether it is a good choice vs any particular Black opening is another question entirely....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Indian_Attack

Intro to GM Damian Lemos' video course on the KIA.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckAEiBfcRB4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkuVZZw1vPM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3EynZPiSpQ

Similar to the KIA is the Reti Opening (1.Nf3).  The Reti can also provide you with flexible options in the opening...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9ti_Opening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLiB8U9Kf0U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmVehutWcAA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmOn8ZaLPX0

Otherwise you might discover some ideas here...

Chess Openings Resources for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/openings-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond

Note also that when referring to the KIA it is customary to include the word 'Attack' in the name to distinguish it from the King's Indian Defense (KID).  Otherwise, if the work 'Attack' is omitted, it is assumed that the KID is being referred to.