King's Indian 1 by Gawain Jones

This King's Indian 1 by Gawain Jones is an English-language chess book that gives Black a first-volume repertoire against 1.d4, built around the King's Indian Defence.

What this book covers

The King's Indian Defence has long been one of the most important answers to 1.d4, and this volume shows how to build a practical repertoire from the standard move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6. It covers White's main tries, including the Mar del Plata variation, early h2-h3 lines and the Sämisch (5.f3).

The emphasis is not only on memorising moves. The book is aimed at players who want to understand typical plans, pawn structures and the moments when Black can switch into counterplay.

Why choose this volume?

Written by Gawain Jones, the book draws on a repertoire he has used in serious play and presents the material in a clear, study-friendly format. It was expanded and edited from a Chessable course and published by Quality Chess, making it a structured resource for self-study and repertoire building.

This is the first volume in the series. The continuation, King's Indian 2, covers less common White tries after 1.d4 Nf6, as well as the King's Indian Defence against the English Opening, the Réti and other openings outside 1.e4.

Key details

• Product type: chess book
• Author: Gawain Jones
• Opening: King's Indian Defence
• Repertoire side: Black
• Volume: first volume
• Language: English
• Pages: 688
• Publication date: 23 March 2022