June 30, 2026

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

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

Ready to add a new opening to your arsenal? Check out the King’s Indian Defense!

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 Defense: 4 quick facts

- The King’s Indian Defense (also known as “the KID”) is a [hypermodern](https://blog.duolingo.com/popular-chess-openings/#hypermodern), [attacking](https://blog.duolingo.com/popular-chess-openings/#attacking) Black response to [1. d4](https://blog.duolingo.com/popular-chess-openings/#d4), and is a part of some top [grandmasters](https://blog.duolingo.com/how-to-become-a-chess-grandmaster/)’ repertoires.
- It’s [sharp](https://blog.duolingo.com/popular-chess-openings/#sharp), complex, and rarely leads to [draws](https://preview.duolingo.com/chess/terms/how-does-chess-end?ref=blog.duolingo.com), making it more suitable for intermediate and advanced players rather than beginners.
- This opening is one of the Indian defenses—a group of hypermodern openings starting with 1. d4 Nf6. It’s closely related to the Queen’s Indian Defense, the [Bogo-Indian Defense](https://blog.duolingo.com/bogo-indian-defense/), and the [Nimzo-Indian Defense](https://blog.duolingo.com/nimzo-indian-defense/), which often [transpose](https://blog.duolingo.com/popular-chess-openings/#transposition) into similar openings.
- The King’s Indian Defense is not to be confused with the similarly named [King’s Indian Attack](https://blog.duolingo.com/kings-indian-attack/), which doesn’t belong to the family of Indian defenses. The King’s Indian Attack gets its name because White adopts a setup similar to Black's in the King’s Indian Defense.

## King’s Indian Defense: the moves

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

1. d4 Nf6  
2. c4 g6

## Take your 1. d4 repertoire further

Already experienced with [1. d4](https://blog.duolingo.com/popular-chess-openings/#d4) responses? Try a new option with the King’s Indian Defense!

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!