King's Indian Attack

The King's Indian Attack against the French Defense begins with 2. d3, a modest move that props up the e4-pawn instead of building a broad center with 2. d4. White avoids the classical French main lines and the theory that comes with them, and aims for a King's Indian Defense setup with colors reversed. The king's bishop goes to the long diagonal by fianchetto, and White castles kingside. The scheme looks less active than the 2. d4 lines, and the slow buildup gives Black time to finish development without being harassed.

The main strategic idea appears once Black has committed a pawn to d5. White can then advance the e-pawn to e5, gaining space and a strong point on the kingside that supports an attack on that wing. Black usually answers with expansion on the queenside, so the game takes on a pattern similar to many Sicilian positions, with the two sides attacking on opposite flanks. Because the plans rest on piece placement and pawn levers rather than forcing play, the opening is a natural choice for players who prefer understanding a setup to memorizing long variations.

The usual reply is 2...d5, played in a clear majority of games, which claims the center in typical French fashion and allows White to proceed with the plan described above. The second most common answer is 2...c5, also regarded as a correct reply; it keeps the d-pawn flexible, and play often transposes into other King's Indian Attack structures. A less ambitious option is 2...d6, which keeps the pawn chain compact. The engine also suggests the waiting move 2...Be7 alongside 2...c5 and 2...d5. The sharp 2...f5, the Franco-Hiva Gambit, hits e4 at once but is rarely seen, and White scores noticeably better against it than against the main replies.

The opening is popular, sitting in the upper tier of named openings by the number of games that reach it. In Lichess games the results are close to even, with White winning slightly more often than Black and draws uncommon. The engine considers the position after 2. d3 balanced, which fits its standing as a sound, low-theory alternative rather than an attempt to refute the French.