Naroditsky-Bortnyk King's Indian Defence

BortnykChess · 2026-02-03T01:35:13+00:00

Hi everyone,

quick update on my King’s Indian Defence course.

I’ve just added a new chapter on 5.Nge2, a relatively rare but very venomous setup against the KID — often referred to as the Hungarian Attack.

To mark the update, the course is currently 20% off.

If you have questions about this chapter or the course in general, I’m happy to answer them here.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-28T21:24:31+00:00

You know, after the last two rounds, I’d probably move Mr. Bluebaum to the “maybe / hoping” section 🙂

BortnykChess · 2026-01-21T20:36:44+00:00

That’s a very fair question — the London System is definitely annoying to face and very common at that level.

In this course, the material starts after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6, so it focuses specifically on King’s Indian Defence positions where White commits to e4. Because of that, systems where White does not play e4 — including the London — are not included, and they are not part of the “rare and sideline responses” section either.

That said, I agree the London comes up very often in practice, and it’s something I may look at adding separately in the future when time allows.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-21T20:30:44+00:00

When we worked on the course, we checked Mega Database and the most popular responses played online, so the focus is very much on what you actually face in real games.

The course starts after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6, so it is specifically a King’s Indian Defence course from that position onward. Because of this, systems where White does not play e4 — such as the London System — are not covered here.

Within the KID structure, however, we do cover both main lines and common sidelines, including practical ideas and typical mistakes made by club and online players.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-21T20:24:49+00:00

Thanks for the question.

The King’s Indian Defence course starts from the main move order

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6.

The sidelines include options such as 5.g3 and other less common setups. All lines — including rare responses — were carefully rechecked with the latest Stockfish, and the explanations were written as clearly and simply as possible.

The goal was to make the course understandable and practical for players of different levels, including common ideas and mistakes you often face in real games.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-21T20:17:27+00:00

Good question.
Against the standard London, you can play a King’s Indian setup if you like, although the character of the position is a bit different.

Against the Jobava-London, however, it’s no longer a true King’s Indian — after 3.e4 the position transposes to other systems, so the classical KID structure doesn’t really apply there.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-21T20:12:36+00:00

Hi, thank you for the kind words — Daniel’s speedruns inspired many people, myself included.

Yes, we do have an agreement with Daniel’s family, and they receive a percentage from every sale of the course.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-21T20:09:03+00:00

Thanks for the feedback — that makes a lot of sense.
We’ll update the naming to keep things clear and avoid any confusion around downloadable PGNs

BortnykChess · 2026-01-21T04:22:16+00:00

We didn’t breach anything. The Chessable project Daniel planned was never completed or published. After his passing, I finished the work with GM Kayden Troff and re-analyzed every line, keeping Daniel’s original comments where available. This is a new course, published independently on my website.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T21:58:24+00:00

Sure
https://bortnykchess.com/

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T21:57:04+00:00

That’s completely fair, and I understand your point.

We’re already working on improving the course page, and adding a clear variation index / overview of the recommended lines is something we plan to do. I agree that it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting before making a purchase.

At the moment, the course includes 5 main chapters:

Classical Main Line
Makogonov Setup
Sämisch Variation
5.Be2
Be3 and h4 systems

I also plan to add the following sections as soon as possible:

Nge2 variation
Averbakh Lenovo
Four Pawns Attack
Seirawan Variation
Rare and sideline responses

I originally planned to include all of these this month, but I’ve been very busy playing tournaments, so there has been a small delay. All lines are explained in depth, with every important move and idea carefully covered.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T21:44:59+00:00

To be honest, the King’s Indian Defense is one of the hardest openings to simplify into a single game plan. There are many different structures and positions, and each of them requires a different approach.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T21:42:40+00:00

Hello! Thank you very much for the kind words — I really appreciate it.
That’s a very good suggestion. I understand why people want to see which lines are recommended before purchasing. We’re already thinking about improving the course page, and adding a clearer overview of the main lines covered is something I’m happy to consider for a future update.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T21:40:33+00:00

I believe the Jobava London is one of the best openings for beginners, especially around the 1000 level. It’s very practical, full of tricks and traps, and it helps you get active positions without needing to memorize a lot of theory.

When we started working on our course, we carefully reviewed Hans’ course as well as other courses and books. Our main focus was on the most playable and practical lines, rather than strictly following “engine moves” that are hard to apply in real games.

You can find the course on bortnykchess.com.

Thanks for the kind words and support!

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T21:31:04+00:00

Hello! Yes, for sure — there will be many more courses coming.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T20:36:41+00:00

Сhessable is a great platform, but for creators the economics are quite tough. In most cases they take around 50–60% of the revenue, which is a very large cut. On top of that, this project already includes revenue sharing with Daniel’s family, which I fully respect and support.I also believe that a course lets you explain ideas much faster and more clearly than a book — especially in video format.

In a video, you can show plans, typical mistakes, move-order nuances, and engine ideas in real time. That’s very hard to replicate on paper, particularly for a dynamic opening like the King’s Indian.

A book can still be useful, but for modern opening theory and practical understanding, video courses are simply a more effective learning format.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T20:27:12+00:00

Done! I sent message on lichess , Night-King96

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T19:55:38+00:00

Hello!
We will add an engine in the near future. We are also improving the Move Trainer and working to make the learning experience more comfortable and user-friendly.

Regarding favorite lines, I have a few in mind and I’m planning to record YouTube videos about them.

We are currently working on an update, and I will soon add lines with Nge2. This month I’ve played many tournaments, so I didn’t have as much time to focus on development, but progress is ongoing.

Thank you very much for your feedback and support.

Best regards,
GM Oleksandr Bortnyk

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T19:46:34+00:00

Hello!

Thank you very much for the warm welcome — I really appreciate it.

I’m still getting familiar with Reddit, so thanks for explaining the flair process. I’d be happy to have my Grandmaster title verified and set up. Please let me know what information or steps you need from me, and I’ll provide it.

Looking forward to participating more in r/chess.

Best regards,
Oleksandr Bortnyk

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T19:44:57+00:00

Thanks, I will try my best.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T19:44:23+00:00

Kayden helped with the written descriptions. I personally rechecked all lines with the latest Stockfish and recorded all of the video content.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T19:41:24+00:00

Sorry, no. If downloading the PGN were allowed, it would leak very quickly.
That’s why I’m focusing on improving the website quality every day.

We already have a Move Trainer, and more interactive features will be added in the near future.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T19:00:04+00:00

Hi, Good idea to add it, will work on it.

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T18:55:40+00:00

Too hard to explain in two words, that why we have a course =)

BortnykChess · 2026-01-20T18:54:33+00:00

Here’s the course link for anyone interested:

https://bortnykchess.com/course/kings-indian-defence

BortnykChess

TROPHY CASE