June 30, 2026

[Katherine Wise](https://blog.duolingo.com/author/katherine/)

# Chess openings: What is the King’s Indian Attack?

Take your opening knowledge to the next level with the King’s Indian Attack!

Learning openings requires understanding chess notation, the system for naming pieces and moves. [Get a refresher on chess notation here](https://blog.duolingo.com/chess-notation/)!

## King’s Indian Attack: 4 quick facts

- Despite being a [sound](https://blog.duolingo.com/popular-chess-openings/#sound) opening, the King’s Indian Attack is not commonly seen at the [grandmaster](https://blog.duolingo.com/how-to-become-a-chess-grandmaster/) level today, although it has been regularly played by famous players in the past.
- This opening mimics the Black setup from the [King’s Indian Defense](https://blog.duolingo.com/kings-indian-defense/), but adapts it for White, giving it the related name King’s Indian Attack, sometimes abbreviated as “the KIA.”
- One of its key features is its flexibility, as it can be reached through a variety of move orders.
- The King’s Indian Attack is a [closed](https://blog.duolingo.com/popular-chess-openings/#closed) opening that offers [attacking](https://blog.duolingo.com/popular-chess-openings/#attacking) chances for White. It can be played against a wide range of Black openings, including the [Caro-Kann Defense](https://blog.duolingo.com/caro-kann-defense/).

## King’s Indian Attack: the moves

Here are the moves for the King’s Indian Attack:

💡

1\. Nf3 d5

2\. g3

## A flexible system for White

If you want to learn a White setup with flexible move order that can be used against a variety of Black openings, try the King’s Indian Attack!

If you’re looking for more openings, check out [our guide featuring over 30 options](https://blog.duolingo.com/popular-chess-openings/) for every skill level!