The Averbakh System is an extremely powerful weapon for fighting off the King’s Indian Defense!
For an introduction to the KID, watch this video on the basics:https://youtu.be/mND6TK5dSKQ
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The King’s Indian is a powerful defense, and if you are familiar with what black normally tries to achieve, then you know that! Kingside attack, expansion, sacrifices, opening up files! Well, not against the Averbakh System! In this variation, white doesn’t seem to allow any of that.
In fact, in most lines, white is the one who attacks black’s king. The variation starts after white plays the move Bg5. It’s a very direct trap, in fact. It stops the thematic move e5, which black normally plays (after Nf3). So already on move 6, black can go badly wrong and lose! If he knows the variation, and plays one of the four main defenses to Bg5, I still think white has a significant edge.
The main line (where black plays c5) is the perfect example. It leads to an almost inevitable pawn loss or black. And not just any pawn, the d6 pawn. And it’s a clear pawn up. Not as if white is about to lose his extra pawn any time soon. The sidelines, when black wishes to avoid losing a pawn, are not much better. Instead of a material disadvantage, black finds himself under immense pressure in most of them. White is quick to attack with g4, h4, h5, while his king is still on e1, and black has no counter pressure!
For now, after about a week of research and analysis, my conclusion is that white is superior in the Averbakh System, and that regardless of what black plays, he should be better or even material up if he knows what he is doing. This is going to be my weapon against the King’s Indian Defense!
#chess