Anna Ali: Level 56 Chess Rival (2098 ELO)

Rook tier · Counter-attacker · plays the King's Indian Defense

• Level: 56 of 100
• Tier: Rook
• Rating: 2098 ELO
• Opening: King's Indian Defense
• Style: Counter-attacker
• From: United Kingdom
• Age: 49
• Plays: Black (you have White)

How Anna plays

Anna is a counter-attacker: she lets you come forward, absorbs the pressure, and then strikes back where you have overextended. At 49 she has the experience to play the King's Indian the way it was designed, giving White the centre in the opening and waiting for the right moment to hit it with ...e5 or ...c5.

She is at her best when White commits early to an aggressive plan, because every pawn advance becomes a target for her. Her pieces work well together behind a solid pawn chain, and she reacts quickly to loose squares. What makes her uncomfortable is a calm, flexible White setup that leaves her nothing to counter. If your pawns stay compact and you keep the option of several different plans, she has to take the initiative herself, and that is not how she prefers to play.

At 2098 ELO, Anna rarely gives material away for nothing. She is held to that rating by the engine, so you will see the occasional inaccuracy in quiet positions, but tactics are usually spotted. Games are won by building a better position over many moves and converting it carefully.

King's Indian Defense: the line Anna plays

Anna plays the King's Indian Defense: ...Nf6, ...g6, ...Bg7, ...d6 and castling, letting White build a big centre and then striking at it with ...e5. In the main Mar del Plata line the centre closes after d5 and both sides attack on opposite wings, Black with ...f5 on the kingside.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.Nd3 f5

• 2...g6: ...g6 prepares the fianchetto. Black lets you take the centre.
• 5...O-O: Castled already: the KID king tucks away before the fight starts.
• 6...e5: ...e5 is the key break, hitting your d4 pawn.
• 10...f5: ...f5 starts the kingside attack. You need to be faster on the queenside.

Learn it move by move: King's Indian Defense walkthrough

How to beat Anna

1. Try the Fianchetto setup with g3, Bg2 and Nf3. It keeps your king safe and denies her the classic kingside attack, which forces her to find active play somewhere less comfortable.
2. When she plays ...e5, consider dxe5 dxe5 with a queen trade. A symmetrical queenless position takes away her counter-attacking chances and rewards your more harmonious development.
3. Avoid overextending in the centre with f4 or e5 before your king is safe. Every pawn you push is a new target for her pieces.
4. If the centre locks with d5, play on the queenside where you are stronger: b4, c5 and a rook to the c-file. Do it quickly, because their ...f5-f4 and ...g5 attack is aimed at your king. Against the KID, being a tempo slow is how White loses.
5. The book answers 1.d4 (and the Modern move order 1...g6). Open 1.e4 and she is out of book immediately.

What beating Anna teaches you

Anna's games train you to play flexibly against a reactive opponent, delaying commitments so her counterplay has nothing to bite on.

Neighbours on the ladder

• Kenji Park: level 55
• Marco Romano: level 57