Chess Openings Lab
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

King's Indian Attack: Yugoslav Variation

The Yugoslav Variation of the King's Indian Attack arises after 4.O-O Bg4, when Black pins nothing yet but eyes the f3 knight with a light-squared bishop built on ...c6 and ...d5. White wants to question that bishop with h3 or hit b7 with c4 and Qb3, while Black aims for a solid ...e6 setup.

Moves
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.O-O Bg4
ECO
A07
Engine
+0.30 · a slight edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
366 games in our lichess sample
White scores
53.7%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Ask the bishop at once with h3; after ...Bxf3 recapture exf3 and use the extra f-pawn to push f4 later.
  • Play c4 and Qb3, as in the second engine line, so the queen hits b7 and the d5 pawn together.
  • If Black keeps the bishop with ...Bf5 after d4, chase it with Nh4 and f3 to win time.
  • Keep the g2 bishop as a long-range piece; d3 and e4 later open its diagonal toward Black's queenside.

Black

  • Answer with ...e6 next, building a solid triangle on c6, d5 and e6 behind the g4 bishop.
  • Do not fear ...Bxf3: giving the bishop for the knight doubles White's f-pawns and leaves a calm, healthy game.
  • Meet c4 and Qb3 with ...Qb6, offering a queen trade that leaves White with doubled b-pawns.
  • Put the dark bishop on d6 and castle short, as the top engine line shows after f4.

Plans and pawn structure

The main question is the g4 bishop. If Black takes on f3, White gets the bishop pair and doubled f-pawns, and plays f4, d3 and maybe Nd2 to use the half-open e-file. If Black keeps it, the bishop often retreats to f5 or h5, and White gains space with d4, Nh4 and f3. Black's pawns on c6, d5 and e6 are hard to crack, so play revolves around piece activity, the c4 break and pressure on b7.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.30: a slight edge for White. Its three top choices for White:

  1. +0.30 5.h3 Bxf3 6.exf3 e6 7.f4 Bd6
  2. +0.21 5.c4 e6 6.Qb3 Qb6 7.h3 Qxb3
  3. +0.14 5.d4 e6 6.h3 Bf5 7.Nh4 Be4

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

366 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 53.7%.

1200–159945.3%
1600–199951.6%
2000 and up55.7%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

How to play against it

With White, play h3 or c4 right away rather than slow d3 moves, which let Black finish ...e6, ...Nbd7 and ...Bd6 comfortably. After ...Bxf3 recapture with the e-pawn to keep lines open. Avoid allowing ...Qb6 pressure on b2 before your queen has a good square.

Other lines with this name

The lichess opening list also files this line under the same name, though it reaches a different position: 1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 b6 5.O-O.

Questions

What are the moves of the King's Indian Attack: Yugoslav Variation?

The King's Indian Attack: Yugoslav Variation starts 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.O-O Bg4. Its ECO code is A07.

Is the King's Indian Attack: Yugoslav Variation good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.30 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for White. In 366 lichess games from our sample, White scored 53.7%. A tidy, low-risk system for Black players who like solid pawns, while White needs active play with h3 or c4 to make anything of the opening.

What is the main idea of the King's Indian Attack: Yugoslav Variation?

Black develops the light-squared bishop to g4 before playing ...e6, so it does not get locked in. White responds with h3 or a quick c4 and Qb3 to exploit the missing bishop on the queenside.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is h3, with c4 and d4 close behind. h3 forces a decision from the g4 bishop, and after ...Bxf3 exf3 White owns the two bishops and an f4 push.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.