King’s Indian: the Fianchetto Variation — Chess Library

White meets the King’s Indian by fianchettoing too. It is the calmest way to handle Black’s setup, and it takes the sting out of the usual kingside attack.

Lesson

White to move. Main line: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5

King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Fianchetto (E67). The line runs 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 — the move order matters, and this is the one the theory follows.

White’s bishop on g2 supports the center and makes a direct ...f5-f4 attack harder to organize. Black still has the usual ...e5 break, but must respect pressure on the long diagonal.

White often expands with e4 or b3-Bb2; Black chooses between ...e5 and ...c5. The quieter setup delays contact, so understanding the pawn breaks matters more than memorizing another move.