King's Indian Gligoric System: Adviser, Diagrams and Replay Lab

The King's Indian Gligoric System is the Classical King's Indian setup with an early Be3, usually after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3. Use the Gligoric System start diagram.

A standard move order is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3. Use the Gligoric System start diagram.

Yes. It is a Classical King's Indian branch because White uses Nf3, Be2 and e4, then develops the c1 bishop to e3 early. Use the Branch Map to return to the Classical page.

White plays 7.Be3 to develop actively, support central control, prepare Qd2, and ask Black how they will challenge the bishop. Use the Gligoric System start diagram.

Black must decide whether to chase the bishop with ...Ng4, strike with ...c6, use ...Na6, or clarify with ...exd4. Use the Adviser.

Yes. It can become sharp very quickly after ...Ng4, Bg5, ...f6 and ...g5, even though the first idea is positional development. Use the 9.Bh4 g5 diagram.

It is a serious practical system because White develops naturally and can choose between centre play, queenside play and kingside restraint. Use the Replay Lab.

Yes, because the plans are easier to remember than some deep Mar del Plata move orders, but Black's ...Ng4 lines still need care. Use the Adviser first.

Black plays 7...Ng4 to attack the Be3 bishop and force White to decide between Bg5, Bd2 or other retreats. Use the 7...Ng4 diagram.

White answers 8.Bg5 to keep the bishop active, provoke ...f6 or ...Qe8, and make Black's kingside structure more committal. Use the 8.Bg5 f6 diagram.

After 8.Bg5 f6, White often retreats to h4 and Black may gain space with ...g5. Use the 8.Bg5 f6 diagram.

The 9.Bh4 g5 structure is a sharp Gligoric battleground where Black gains kingside space while weakening squares. Use the 9.Bh4 g5 diagram.

...Na6 gives Black a flexible route to c5 or b4 and avoids committing the knight to g4 immediately. Use the 7...Na6 diagram.

...c6 supports central counterplay and often prepares ...d5 or pressure against White's centre. Use the 7...c6 8.d5 diagram.

...exd4 clarifies the centre and can transpose toward Exchange-style Classical structures. Use the 7...exd4 diagram.

...Nc6 is a natural developing move, but White can then decide between d5, O-O or Qd2 structures. Use the Replay Lab's 7...Nc6 group.

White usually needs a clear bishop decision. Bg5 is the most principled active answer, while other retreats aim for slower control. Use the 7...Ng4 diagram.

White uses Bg5-h4-g3 to keep the bishop alive and test whether Black's kingside pawn advances create weaknesses. Use the 9.Bh4 g5 diagram.

White plays d5 to close the centre and move toward Petrosian or Mar del Plata-style structures, depending on castling and Black's knight route. Use the 7...c6 8.d5 diagram.

White can exchange on e5 to reduce Black's central tension and aim for piece pressure or endgame pressure. Use the Replay Lab's exchange-style games.

White can play c5 in some Gligoric lines to undermine d6 and gain queenside activity. Use the Replay Lab's Radjabov and Ivanchuk examples.

White castles kingside when the centre is stable and Black's kingside pawns have not created immediate danger. Use the Adviser with side set to White.

Queenside castling can appear when White has Qd2 or Qc2 support and the centre is controlled, but it must be checked against Black's queenside counterplay. Use the Replay Lab.

White's biggest mistake is letting Black gain kingside space with ...g5 and ...h5 while the Be3/Bg5 bishop loses time. Use the 9.Bh4 g5 diagram.

Black should choose ...Ng4 for immediate pressure, ...Na6 for flexible regrouping, ...c6 for central play, or ...exd4 for a clearer structure. Use the Adviser with side set to Black.

...Ng4 directly questions White's last move and often forces Bg5, after which ...f6 can gain time and space. Use the 7...Ng4 diagram.

Black plays ...f6 when chasing the bishop and building a kingside pawn front is worth the dark-square weakening. Use the 8.Bg5 f6 diagram.

Black plays ...g5 when the bishop on h4 is vulnerable and Black can support kingside expansion without losing central control. Use the 9.Bh4 g5 diagram.

...Na6 avoids some direct forcing bishop lines and gives Black c5 or b4 access. Use the 7...Na6 diagram.

...c6 prepares central counterplay and can make White define the d5/e4 structure. Use the 7...c6 8.d5 diagram.

Black's biggest mistake is chasing the bishop with pawns but failing to connect that space gain to central or kingside activity. Use the Replay Lab's White-win examples.

Black should study one ...Ng4 game, one ...Na6 game, one ...c6/d5 game and one ...exd4 game. Use the Replay Lab optgroups.

Start with Karpov vs Kasparov for 7.Be3 Na6, then compare Kasparov vs Anand for 7.Be3 Ng4 and Black's active resources. Use the Replay Lab selector.

Kasparov vs Anand, Topalov vs Kramnik, Aronian vs Radjabov, Bacrot vs Radjabov, Ivanchuk vs Radjabov, Wang Yue vs Radjabov and Aronian vs Nakamura show Bg5 and ...f6 structures. Use the ...Ng4 replay groups.

Topalov vs Kramnik, Aronian vs Radjabov, Bacrot vs Radjabov, Wang Yue vs Radjabov and Aronian vs Nakamura show the sharp Bh4/g5 structure. Use the 9.Bh4 g5 replay group.

Karpov vs Kasparov, Gelfand vs Topalov, Gelfand vs Carlsen and related games show ...Na6 or flexible knight routes. Use the 7...Na6 replay group.

Kasparov vs Ivanchuk, Topalov vs Kramnik, Aronian vs Ivanchuk, Gelfand vs Carlsen and Caruana vs Radjabov show ...c6 and d5 structures. Use the ...c6 replay groups.

Gelfand vs Topalov, Ivanchuk vs Radjabov, Carlsen vs Grischuk and Morozevich vs Grischuk show ...exd4 and Exchange-style structures. Use the ...exd4 replay group.

Karpov vs Kasparov, Kasparov vs Ivanchuk, Topalov vs Kramnik, Aronian vs Radjabov, Ivanchuk vs Radjabov, Aronian vs Nakamura and Caruana vs Radjabov show strong White resources. Use the White-result replay groups.

Kasparov vs Anand, Gelfand vs Topalov, Gelfand vs Carlsen, Bacrot vs Radjabov, Wang Yue vs Radjabov, Aronian vs Ivanchuk and Morozevich vs Grischuk show Black resources. Use the Black-result replay groups.

White should play it if they want active development against the King's Indian without committing immediately to Bayonet or Petrosian move orders. Use the Adviser with side set to White.

Black should respect it, but not fear it. The main antidotes ...Ng4, ...Na6, ...c6 and ...exd4 are all playable. Use the Adviser with side set to Black.

It begins positionally with Be3, but many lines become tactical once ...Ng4, ...f6, ...g5 or ...c6/d5 appear. Use the diagram grid.

It is not simply better; it asks different questions. 7.O-O often heads to Classical or Mar del Plata lines, while 7.Be3 forces an immediate bishop decision. Use the Branch Map.

Yes, some Gligoric lines transpose to early d5 Petrosian-style structures when White closes the centre. Use the 7...c6 8.d5 diagram.

Yes, if White later castles and locks the centre, some positions can resemble Mar del Plata races. Use the Branch Map to compare.

After this page, study the Classical Variation parent, Mar del Plata, Petrosian, Sämisch, Four Pawns Attack and Fianchetto pages. Use the Branch Map links.

Use one diagram to understand the bishop question, one Adviser recommendation to choose your side's plan, and one Replay Lab group to see the plan in action. Use the Adviser first.