King's Indian Defense:Sämisch Variation

Named after Friedrich Sämisch: 5. f3 supports e4 and prepares Be3, Qd2 and often a pawn storm on the kingside.

It is reached after 9 moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3. It is a line of the King's Indian Defense.

Black is to move and has 34 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 1,474,427 different games. Those games reach 466,091 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 3.2 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 24 further lines after this position, such as Normal Defense (5... O-O).

The same moves can be played in 720 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. c4 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3, which starts as the English Opening.