Orthodox Variation

With 6. Be2 White completes a broad center, prepares to castle and keeps every option open. This is the main line of the King's Indian, also called the Classical Variation. Black's most common reply is 6...e5. It only appears to drop a pawn: after 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Nxe5 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 Bxe5 the material is restored and Black has equalized. For that reason White usually keeps the tension with 7. O-O, closes the center with 7. d5, or plays 7. Be3, the Gligoric-Taimanov System. Other sixth moves include 6...Nbd7, 6...Nc6, the Benoni-style 6...c5 and the Kazakh Variation, 6...Na6, a surprising but sound sideline.

After 6...e5 7. O-O, Black chooses between 7...Nc6 (the Aronin-Taimanov Defense), 7...Na6 (Glek), 7...c6 (Donner) and 7...a5 (Ukrainian). The critical line is 7...Nc6 8. d5 Ne7. There White picks a plan for the queenside race: 9. Ne1 (Classical System), 9. Nd2 (Modern System), 9. Bd2 (Korchnoi Attack) or 9. b4 (Bayonet Attack). Engines give White a slight edge, and results are close to even.