Chess Openings Lab
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King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation

The Smyslov Variation is 4.Nf3 d6 5.Bg5, pinning the f6 knight before White has played e4. White wants a compact setup with e3 and a light bishop on d3 or e2, while Black frees the game with ...Bf5 and ...Ne4 to trade pieces.

Moves
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.Bg5
ECO
E61
Engine
+0.01 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
1,302 games in our lichess sample
White scores
52.4%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Play e3 and develop the light bishop to d3 or e2, keeping c4 and d4 firm.
  • Against ...Ne4, take with Nxe4 or retreat with Nd2, as the engine lines show, to keep the structure free of weaknesses.
  • If Black castles first, e4 grabs the center and the engine later retreats with Bc1.
  • After ...h6, Bh4 keeps the pin and makes Black spend another move to break it.

Black

  • ...Bf5 is the engine's top move: it develops and prepares ...Ne4 to swap off the pinned knight.
  • ...h6 first is also fine; after Bh4, follow with ...Bf5 and ...Ne4 as in the second engine line.
  • If White plays e4, castle and answer with ...Bg4 and ...c5 against the center.
  • Trading on c3 with ...Nxc3 gives White doubled c-pawns that can become targets.

Plans and pawn structure

White's early Bg5 and e3 aim for a slow, quiet game with little theory. Black's freeing plan is ...Bf5 and ...Ne4: piece trades remove the pin and the light bishop sits actively outside the pawn chain. If White goes for e4 instead, play turns toward King's Indian structures with ...c5 and d5. The pinned f6 knight is Black's only real problem, and ...h6 or ...Ne4 solves it.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.01: level. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. +0.01 5...Bf5 6.e3 Ne4 7.Nxe4 Bxe4 8.Bd3
  2. +0.12 5...h6 6.Bh4 Bf5 7.e3 Ne4 8.Nd2
  3. +0.32 5...O-O 6.e4 h6 7.Bc1 Bg4 8.Be2

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

1,302 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 52.4%.

1200–159948.6%
1600–199953.7%
2000 and up54.4%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

How to play against it

As Black, play ...Bf5 and ...Ne4 to free the game, or insert ...h6 first. Avoid passive moves that leave the knight pinned for long. As White, keep d4 protected with e3 and do not allow Black easy piece trades that leave you with nothing to press.

Questions

What are the moves of the King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation?

The King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation starts 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.Bg5. Its ECO code is E61.

Is the King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.01 at depth 20, which is level. In 1,302 lichess games from our sample, White scored 52.4%. A solid, low-theory choice for White players who like quiet positions, and Black equalizes comfortably with the ...Bf5 and ...Ne4 plan.

What is the main idea of the King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation?

White pins the f6 knight early with Bg5 and aims for a calm setup with e3. Black frees the game with ...Bf5 and ...Ne4, trading pieces to remove the pin.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is Bf5, with h6 and O-O close behind. ...Bf5 develops outside the pawn chain and prepares ...Ne4, trading the pinned knight.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.