When the King's Indian Has Nowhere to Attack
Every King's Indian player knows the feeling. Against White's classical setups there is always a plan to reach for — the ...f5 break, the pawn storm, the race on opposite wings. Against the Fianchetto, none of it applies.
White tucks the bishop on g2, keeps the centre closed and elastic, and settles in for a slow positional squeeze. There is no attack to launch and little forcing theory to lean on, so Black is often worn down without ever being clearly worse. King's Indian Defense for Black — Fight the Fianchetto Variation, by GM Baadur Jobava and GM Andrea Stella, is built to close that gap.
A Repertoire Built on Plans, Not Lines
The authors' answer is to organize everything around understanding rather than memorization. The reasoning is practical: the Fianchetto is precisely the system where Black drifts, so what Black needs is not a longer variation tree but a clear idea in every structure — and the confidence that the opponent has fewer of them.
Since the usual kingside storm isn't available here, the repertoire finds Black's counterplay elsewhere: central pressure with ...e5 and a recurring queenside expansion with ...b6 or ...b5. The main line runs 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 O-O 5.Bg2 d6 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Nc3 e5 8.e4 Re8 9.h3, and here comes the signature of the whole course — 9...b6!?. It is a fresh, modern idea the authors tested in training games before trusting it, and one that leaves White genuinely uncomfortable in his own main line.
Every Move Order Covered
The same plan-based approach carries across White's full range of tries. The systems without c4 (2.Nf3) and the early g3 move orders are handled at the root, and Black meets the critical double-fianchetto with the thematic 6...b5!?. Against the sidelines the verdicts are encouraging: statistics already favour Black in the Exchange with 8.dxe5, 8.e3 is solid but passive, and the closed centre after 9.d5 makes ...f5 the natural plan.
Variation Map
Main line
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 O-O 5.Bg2 d6 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Nc3 e5 8.e4 Re8 9.h3 b6!? → Chapter 13
Systems without c4 — 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 O-O 5.O-O d6
- 6.Re1, preparing e4 → Chapter 1
- 6.Nbd2 → Chapter 2
- 6.Nc3 → Chapter 3
- 6.c3 and the positional 6.a4 → Chapter 4
- 6.b3 b5!?, the double-fianchetto main line → Chapter 5
Early g3 move orders — 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 O-O
- 5.e4!? → Chapter 6
- 5.Nc3 d6 6.h3!? (Artemiev) and 6.e3 → Chapter 7
Catalan-spirit sideline
- 7.Qc2 e5 8.Rd1 → Chapter 8
Alternatives to 8.e4 — after 7.Nc3 e5
- 8.dxe5, the Exchange Variation → Chapter 9
- 8.Qc2 exd4 9.Nxd4 Nb6! → Chapter 10
- 8.e3, solid but passive → Chapter 11
- 8.b3, favoured by strong grandmasters → Chapter 12
Classical Mainline — 8.e4 Re8
- 9.h3 b6!? → Chapter 13
- 9.d5, the closed centre with ...f5 → Chapter 14
- 9.Re1 → Chapter 15
Part of a Larger Project
This course continues the King's Indian Defense According to Jobava series. The earlier parts answer White's classical, e4-based systems — the 5...Bg4 lines, the Saemisch, the Makogonov, and the 7...Na6 setup — while this installment turns to the one system they left open: the Fianchetto.
Premium Course Features
This is a Modern Chess Premium course, built as a complete training system:
- 15 theory chapters with video explanations
- 30 test positions — critical moments with tactical and strategic solutions
- 5 training positions for interactive computer practice
- To-Go Version of every chapter — condensed files for pre-game review
- Memory Booster — for long-term recall of key ideas
- Multilingual PGN files — English, German, French, and Spanish
- Full download access — all materials are yours to keep
If the Fianchetto has always been the line you least wanted to see, this is the course that turns it into the one you're best prepared for — with a plan ready for every move order White can try.