Black first develops his pieces, then tries to attack White's centre by means of the pawn advances ...e7–e5, ...c7–c5 or ...f7–f5, depending on circumstances.

This formation has never attracted serious interest in high-level play, although Alexander Alekhine used it three times in the 1924 New York City tournament with a score of +1−0=2.

A common-sense move with the idea of exchanging the bishop for the knight and taking the energy out of White's e5 attacking plan.

Teimour Radjabov, perhaps the leading contemporary practitioner of the King's Indian Defence, has been known to play this line.

If 6.dxc5, Black can answer with ...Qa5, effectively forking the pawns at e4 and c5, regaining the material with a stronger centre and a lead in development.