Updated weekly with Lichess & Chess.com master databases Curated by Elena Vasquez
  Opening Performance Dashboard

The King's Indian Defense:
An Attacker's Weapon Against 1.d4

  Last updated: January 15, 2026  ·  Sources: Lichess Masters, Chess.com Explorer

0%
Popularity vs 1.d4
+2.1% YoY
4th most played response
0%
Black Win Rate
+1.3%
Above avg for d4 defenses
0%
GM Adoption Rate
+4.2%
Top-100 players using KID
0
Avg Game Length
+2 moves
Decisive games only
0
Min ELO for Masters
−50 ELO
Lowered from 1650 in 2024
7...exd4
Most Common Tabiya
+8% freq
Classical Variation main line

  Top Variations

4 Lines
Classical Variation
34.2%
+3.1%
7...exd4 · Most popular at all levels
Sämisch Variation
22.1%
+1.8%
f3 setup · Sharp & tactical
Petrosian Variation
18.7%
−0.5%
7.d5 · Space-grabbing approach
Four Pawns Attack
12.4%
+0.9%
5.f4 · Max central tension

  Key Tactical Patterns

4 Motifs
Kingside Pawn Storm
68%
+5%
h-g-f pawn advance success rate
Piece Sacrifice on h3
42%
+2%
Bxh3/gxh3 exchange success
...f5 Break
55%
+3%
Crucial pawn lever in KID
Rook Lift (Re8-e5-h5)
31%
+7%
Growing in modern practice

  Performance by ELO Range

4 Tiers
1200–1499 ELO
35.2%
+2%
Black win rate · Draws: 28%
1500–1999 ELO
38.1%
+1.5%
Sweet spot for KID attackers
2000–2399 ELO
36.8%
−0.8%
White's prep narrows gap
2400+ ELO (GM)
34.5%
−1.2%
Deep prep counters KID
3× World Champs
Kasparov, Fischer & Spassky all played the KID as Black
92% Sharp Games
KID games feature tactical complications by move 20
+180 ELO Correlation
Players who master KID gain avg 180 points within 6 months

  Benchmark: KID vs Other d4 Defenses

King's Indian Defense
KID
62%
Average
55%
Grünfeld Defense
Grünfeld
58%
Average
55%
Nimzo-Indian Defense
Nimzo
65%
Average
55%
Queen's Gambit Declined
QGD
54%
Average
55%
Slav Defense
Slav
56%
Average
55%
French Defense (vs 1.e4)
French
52%
Average
55%

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