trw wrote on 05/14/18 at 10:41:22:


Earlier I mentioned about that transposing to an old major line with colors reversed if Black plays 9...0-0.  Certainly that's not the only move, but in any case I'm not sure how it is straightforward for Black and tough for White etc. ...

Thanks for this. I often play 6 b3 iso 6 a4, so it's natural for me to try 6 a4 a5 7 b3. In the 6 b3 line I often end up feeling unsure where to develop my Nb1, but I notice that in the 6 a4 line White often goes Nb1-a3, then c2-c3, with the potential for a nice squeeze ... Meanwhile, I notice that after 6 a4 a5, Epishin plays 7 Bf4 (which without a4/..a5 in seems to score terribly) and always wins!

But after 6 a4 a5 7 Re1 d5, how does White avoid (8)Nc3, transposing to the stodgy line? [Edit. Ah, I see perhaps? -- 8 Nbd2, I imagine ...]

Quote:

In all my databases this scores very well for White! Can anyone summarise the theory on it (such as there might be in such an 'anti-theory' line), or indicate where there's any writing on it?

I've played the KIA on and off since I was 15 so over 50 years now. Also used it in correspondence from time to time as computers don't really understand it. As white I always found the Kings Indian Defence set-up most annoying. White really has to transpose into a mainline of the fianchetto variations to get an advantage which is often not where KIA players want to go.

an ordinary chessplayer wrote on 03/31/18 at 17:58:34:


You could also play the move order 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. g3, although again, how to meet 3. .. f5 is a question.

Alternatively there's 1.e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 when g3 is respected. Also there's 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 . In both cases though the Knight's on c3 and Black can play .. d5, so it's not really a KIA type of position. 

Many years ago if I intended to play the KIA from a 1. e4 move order against both the Sicilian and French, I concluded that a "normal" approach was necessary against everything else.

One thing about e.g. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. g3 Nf6 4. d3 is that it could lead to Black playing a respected KIA-vs.-French line (1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. g3 de with ...Bc5 and ...e5) with an extra tempo.

fjd wrote on 03/30/18 at 18:55:45:


I'm not really blaming McDonald. As far as I am aware, no other book on the KIA covers g3 lines in the double-king pawn openings. And it is true that some the variations in the Glek and Smyslov do not feel like the KIA. However some do, at least to me. From ChessPublishing:
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. Be3
and
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 Bc5 5. Bg2 d6 6. d3 O-O 7. Na4 Bb6 8. O-O h6 9. Nxb6 axb6 10. Re1 Bg4 11. h3 Be6 12. b3 Qd7 13. Kh2
and
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. 

Many of the lines McDonald presents have a KIA feel, but some do not.

Against the Dutch he presents 1Nf3 f5 2d3 Nf6 3e4 fxe 4dxe or 3...d6 4exf Bxf5 5d4

In the chapter on the French we have games that start:
1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. Nf3 e5 5. g3 dxe4 6. dxe4 Nf6 7. Bg2 Bc5 8. O-O O-O 9. c3 a5 
and
1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Qe2 dxe4 4. dxe4 b6 5. Nd2 Ba6 6. Nc4 Nf6 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. e5   

White can fianchetto against the French, Caro-Kan, and Sicilian, and in double-king pawn openings. I think some readers would want coverage of all the preceding. 

It may be that full coverage of the Smyslov and Glek lines would be too much of a distraction. It's a judgment call that perhaps can only be made by the author.

To give credit where it is due, McDonald provides full coverage of all responses to 1Nf3 (where white intends the KIA). Truly, the scope of the KIA is vast. That is some of it's appeal. From 1Nf3, it may be the only opening you need for white. From 1e4, it is almost the only opening you need.