It was only 5 ...Be7 6 c4 Nf6 I was worried about. I don't immediately see strengths in this Reversed Maroczy with 7 cd Nd5 8 Nc3: after 8 ...Be6 how does White play for advantage? I'd actually prefer 7 Bg5, which perhaps I underestimated -- that looks a decent enough try perhaps to make a KIA player not worry about the occasional 5 ...Be7. 

Any thoughts, anyone, on the lines I gave above?

I also forgot 5.d3 Nf6 6,Bg5 Be7 7.Nfd2 threatening Bxf6 and Nc3 putting pressure on d5 (Carlsen-Karjakin Blitz) Ng8 8.Bxe7 Ngxe7 9.c4 if I am not wrong. Also 5.d3 Nf6 6.c4 is an option. On 5.d3 f5 you can play 6.c4 (The 4 Pawn Attack Reversed with an extra tempo!). On this last one 6.e4 should be playable like the Belov Variation against the 4 Pawn Attack on the KID.
You need to know different structures and setups. It is not about scoring well or not. A whole bunch of people could be misplaying it. And it doesn't mean it is bad. If you want to play the KIA you need to know the ideas on the KID, The Modern Benoni and the Benko Gambit also.

Michael Ayton wrote on 08/02/19 at 12:55:52:


5.d3 is good enough. You do not define your structure and wait on black to see what he plays. If 5...Be7 you can play 6. c4 d4 7.e3 with the idea of exd4. You will have to consider the captures ...cxd4 like a Reversed Modern Benoni which is very good with an extra tempo. Or the recapture with ...exd4 which is kind of dull. Say 7...Nf6 8.exd4 exd4 9.Bf4 with the idea of Re1 with equality at least. But if you are looking for fun. It could be interesting 7.b4!? in case of 7...Nxb4 you play 8.Nxe5 opening the diagonal for your white bishop. Besides after a3 you will kick away the black knight and you will have the b column for you. Also in case of 7...cxb4 you can play 8.a3 like a Benko Gambit with Reversed colors. Keep in mind that after 6.c4 black might want to keep the tension with 6...Nf6 then you have the option of playing a Reversed Maroczy with 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Nc3 with an extra tempo. Even 7.Bg5 looks interesting. On 6...dxc4 7.Qa4 threatening Nxe5 should be more than OK. You even have the option of taking on c4 with the pawn after that and keep the queens on the board. After 7...Bd7 8.dxc4 Nd4 9.Qd1 Nxf3+ 10.Bxf3 you are much better placed.

Also you can play 6.e4, and in case of 6...dxe4 7.dxe4 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 you can practice this kind of ending. Like in many King's Indian Defense!

My experience with the KIA dates back from 1988. So things that before dogmatic people didn't want to play. It is played nowadays! 

Thanks, both. Will do a longer reply later, but yes, Black's kingside possibilities afforded by there being no Knight on f6 were what was concerning me, rightly or wrongly ...

Michael Ayton wrote on 08/01/19 at 12:37:42:


Not sure whether you have access to McDonald's book on the KIA (published by Everyman 2014) but in chapter 4 he goes into some detail about the blocked centre with ....d4 after the e4 advance by white. Basically he feels that although black may have more space, like the KID white has a fairly clear plan to follow and generally has good chances.

He was more concerned about black maintaining the central tension by not advancing or exchanging the d pawn. His view was that this generally leads to white having to play exd5 sooner or later when whites plan and chances are a lot less clear.   

I'm not so keen on the c4 option for white simply because with the knight on c6 and not having played ....e6 black can play ....e5 in one move and I'm just not a fan of allowing black that extra tempo in the reversed Benoni.

Call me a cynic, but I don't have much hope for a publisher that provides a scanned excerpt. 

MaxJudd wrote on 06/30/18 at 02:50:11:


I'd say it depends. Given that you can directly transpose, it's possible that a KIA player will have already met the line. Also .. g5 punts by Black aren't that unusual as attempts to break up the usual KIA structures and attack. 

Stigma wrote on 06/28/18 at 05:35:18:


After 1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 Bc5, then 5. d4 can be played. 5. .. Be7 is a Tarrasch French but 5. .. dxe4 and 5. .. Bb6 are also possible.