As grandmasters began to appreciate the advantages of playing the King's Indian Defence as Black, the use of the same system as White, with an extra move in hand, inevitably became attractive.

Prominent players who have employed the King's Indian Attack include Bobby Fischer (mostly in his early career), Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, Tigran Petrosian, Leonid Stein, Rafael Vaganian, Ljubomir Ljubojevic, Gregory Kaidanov, Igor Glek, Alexander Morozevich, Victor Bologan, and Levon Aronian.

The KIA is popular at the club level, however, because of its system-like elements, repeatable middlegame plans, and the ability to launch a kingside attack from a stable position.

For example, after 1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Re1 (see diagram) Black is playing the White side of a very tame line of the King's Indian Defence where the queen's bishop on c8 is trapped behind the pawn chain.

If Black were to attempt to resolve this situation by playing a subsequent e6-e5 they would then find themselves two moves down in a standard mainline position from the King's Indian Defence.

Some practitioners at club level, determined to use the KIA as a system, may even use the setup after 1.e4 e5 (giving a reversed Pirc Defence), although this cannot be regarded as a genuine attempt to secure an advantage from the opening.