Handle the King's Indian with Care

Chessorb Classic, Issue #121 -- GOTM #91

The King's Indian Defense is a great option for Black. He gets a powerful attack on the White Kingside. This is a popular option at the highest level. There are trade offs however. Black's King loses his cover as his pawns rush forward into combat. Which isn't a problem if the attack is successful.

But if White can defend it and survive the onslaught, he will have a target to shoot for later in the game as the Black King will be vulnerable. This is the question that all King's Indian Defense games hang on.

This month's game took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2017. Abdulrahman Masrahi played on the White side of this opening and Ali Hussien Alem chose to go into the King's Indian with the Black pieces.

Handle the King's Indian with Care

Masrahi, Abdulrahman (1962) - Alem, Ali Hussien (1745) [A48]

GotM #91 Riyadh, 2017
[Connaughton, Ken]

1.d4

Queen's Pawn Game

1...Nf6 2.Nf3 g6

King's Indian Defense

3.Bf4 Bg7 4.h3 0-0 5.e3 d6 6.Be2 Nfd7 7.0-0 e5 8.Bh2 f5

Game position after 8...f5

This is the central idea in the King's Indian, the e and f-pawns charge forward trying to break open the White King's defensive structure. A good idea though with obvious risks.

9.c4 e4

...e4 is played to evict the King's Knight, always with ...f4 hanging in the air.

10.Nfd2 Nc6 11.Nc3 g5

Played with ...f4 in mind.

12.c5

White counters on the Queenside.

12...d5?

Game position after 12...d5?

The losing move and look how quickly it's punished.

(12...dxc5 possibly followed by 13.Nd5 cxd4 14.Nxc7 d3 15.Bh5 Nb6 16.Nxa8 Nxa8 would have left Black with a playable game.)

13.Nxd5

White takes the sacrifice and Black will play the move he planned.

13...Nxc5

with a discovered attack on the Knight but he missed the reply...

14.Nxc7

This nice intermezzo takes the White Knight out of the firing line, attacks the Rook, giving him time to win the piece.

14...Nd3 15.Nxa8 Nxb2

Black is flailing in the wake of his losses and now he blunders again.

(15...Rf7 probably should have been played here.)

16.Qb3+

Game position after 16.Qb3+

This fork is the straw that breaks the camel's back. Black resigns.

1-0

Masrahi, Abdulrahman - Alem, Ali Hussien [A48]

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See you next month.

Ken

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