Last updated: August 2026
The best King’s Indian Defense books, matched to how you play it: Andrew Martin’s First Steps: The King’s Indian Defence to learn the ideas, Victor Bologan’s Bologan’s King’s Indian as a club-level repertoire, and the five-volume Kotronias on the King’s Indian for exhaustive advanced theory — all available on Forward Chess.
For White, Squeezing the King’s Indian Defence (Semkov & Krykun, Chess Stars) is a dedicated anti-King’s-Indian repertoire, while Boris Avrukh’s Grandmaster Repertoire 2A meets it inside a complete 1.d4 repertoire. Every recommendation is a real, in-print book with a free sample chapter on Forward Chess.
Best King’s Indian Defense books at a glance
| Book | Author | Publisher | Year | Side | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Steps: The King’s Indian Defence | Andrew Martin | Everyman Chess | 2019 | Black | Beginners learning the ideas |
| Bologan’s King’s Indian: A Modern Repertoire for Black | Victor Bologan | New In Chess | 2017 | Black | Club players wanting one repertoire |
| Kotronias on the King’s Indian (5 vols) | Vassilios Kotronias | Quality Chess | 2013–2017 | Black | Advanced players / deep theory |
| The King’s Indian According to Tigran Petrosian | Igor Yanvarjov | Russell Enterprises | 2019 | Both | Study through master games |
| Squeezing the King’s Indian Defence | Semko Semkov & Yuriy Krykun | Chess Stars | 2020 | White | Advanced: a dedicated anti-KID repertoire |
| Grandmaster Repertoire 2A: 1.d4 King’s Indian and Grünfeld | Boris Avrukh | Quality Chess | 2018 | White | Advanced: facing it within a full 1.d4 repertoire |
What is the King’s Indian Defense?
The King’s Indian Defense arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6, with Black fianchettoing the king’s bishop and preparing to challenge White’s center.
Because the King’s Indian is a Black opening that White must be prepared to meet, this guide is split into two parts: Playing the King’s Indian (repertoire and study books for Black) and Facing the King’s Indian (how White meets it).
Playing the King’s Indian: the best books for Black
Which King’s Indian book is best for beginners?
For a first book on the King’s Indian, First Steps: The King’s Indian Defence by Andrew Martin (Everyman Chess, 2019) is the one to start with — it is written as an introductory primer, and reviewers describe it as “easy to read” and a route to “a good general understanding” of the opening (British Chess News; The Caissa Kid). Part of Everyman’s First Steps series, it teaches the plans and pawn structures rather than a memorized move-by-move repertoire, which makes it the natural entry point before the heavier repertoire books below. It is available on Forward Chess with a free sample chapter.
Which King’s Indian repertoire is best for club players?
For a single, modern King’s Indian repertoire, Bologan’s King’s Indian: A Modern Repertoire for Black by Victor Bologan (New In Chess, 2017) is the club-level pick — GM Glenn Flear and Chess Life‘s John Hartmann praised it as more than a repertoire textbook for club players, and the reviews note it offers more line choices than the multi-volume alternatives (reviews via the New In Chess product page). It gathers a complete Black repertoire into one volume, which is why it suits players who want to cover the whole opening without buying a five-book series. It is available on Forward Chess with a free sample chapter.
Which King’s Indian book is best for advanced players?
| Vol. | Book Name | Author | Variation Covered | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fianchetto Systems | Vassilios Kotronias | The g3 Fianchetto System | Feb 1, 2015 |
| 2 | Mar del Plata I | Vassilios Kotronias | Mar del Plata, main line with 9.Ne1 | Jan 28, 2015 |
| 3 | Mar del Plata II | Vassilios Kotronias | Mar del Plata, 9.b4 / 9.Nd2 and other alternatives to 9.Ne1 | Jan 28, 2015 |
| 4 | Classical Systems | Vassilios Kotronias | White’s other tries after 4.e4 d6, outside Mar del Plata and Fianchetto | Apr 6, 2016 |
| 5 | Sämisch and the Rest | Vassilios Kotronias | 3.f3, the Sämisch System, Four Pawns Attack and remaining lines | May 31, 2017 |
For the deepest theoretical coverage, Kotronias on the King’s Indian by Vassilios Kotronias (Quality Chess) is the advanced reference — a five-volume series (Fianchetto Systems, Mar del Plata I and II, Classical Systems, and Sämisch and the Rest, published 2013–2017), by an author Wikipedia describes as “particularly renowned for his work on the King’s Indian Defence.” Forum readers are impressed by its depth, while also calling the full five-volume set “daunting” — this is a serious, exhaustive repertoire aimed at players willing to work through heavy theory, not a first book.
All five volumes are available individually on Forward Chess, each with a free sample chapter.
How can I learn the King’s Indian through master games?
To absorb the King’s Indian through games rather than a repertoire, The King’s Indian According to Tigran Petrosian by Igor Yanvarjov (Russell Enterprises, 2019) is a strong study companion — it collects deeply annotated games (with a preface by Levon Aronian), and readers praise its “sheer volume of high quality King’s Indian games” (Chess.com forum). Because it covers the opening from both sides of the board, it works as a games-based supplement alongside any of the repertoire books above rather than as a playable repertoire itself. It is available on Forward Chess with a free sample chapter.
Facing the King’s Indian: the best books for White
What is the best book for White against the King’s Indian?
For a dedicated White repertoire against the King’s Indian, Squeezing the King’s Indian Defence by Semko Semkov and Yuriy Krykun (Chess Stars, 2020) is the focused pick — it builds White’s play around the Gligorić System, and carries the editorial track record of Chess Stars, whose chief editor Semko Semkov is co-author. It is pitched at advanced level and rates 4.7 out of 5 on Forward Chess, where it is available with a free sample chapter.
How do I face the King’s Indian within a full 1.d4 repertoire?
If you would rather meet the King’s Indian as one part of a complete White system, Grandmaster Repertoire 2A: 1.d4 King’s Indian and Grünfeld by Boris Avrukh (Quality Chess, 2018) is the repertoire-builder’s choice — it answers the King’s Indian and the Grünfeld with a fianchetto (g3) approach, as the King’s-Indian-and-Grünfeld volume of Avrukh’s well-known Grandmaster Repertoire 1.d4 series (a series praised by GM Michael Adams). Some forum readers flag that a few lines are covered briefly, so it rewards a player who will fill in details, but it remains the standard advanced 1.d4 answer to the King’s Indian. It is available on Forward Chess with a free sample chapter. (Building a whole White repertoire? A dedicated 1.d4 repertoire guide covers this ground in full.)
Frequently asked questions
What is the best King’s Indian book overall?
There is no single best book — it depends on your level. Beginners should start with Martin’s First Steps: The King's Indian Defence; club players wanting one repertoire are well served by Bologan's King's Indian; advanced players who want exhaustive theory should look at the five-volume Kotronias on the King's Indian.
Is the King’s Indian good for club players?
Club players are the core audience for Bologan's King's Indian, which packages a complete Black repertoire into a single volume — see the club-level recommendation above.
What should I read to face the King’s Indian as White?
For a dedicated anti-King’s-Indian repertoire, see Squeezing the King's Indian Defence (Chess Stars); to meet it inside a full 1.d4 repertoire, see Grandmaster Repertoire 2A by Boris Avrukh.
Are these King’s Indian books available as ebooks?
Yes — every book recommended here is available on Forward Chess, each with a free sample chapter you can read before buying.
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