The Saemisch King's Indian

I have played the Saemisch, characterized by White's 5 f3, for many years, and have seen no reason to switch to anything else.  Here is a game played in 1996 against player "raizel", at a time when we both were rated in the high 1700s.  It is an internet blitz game, played at 2, 10.

1 d4 d6 2 c4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 e4 Bg7 5 f3 Nc6  This is a legitimate system, although played only 3% of the time, compared to 83% for 5...0-0.

6 Be3 e5 7 d5 Ne7 8 Qd2 c6 9 Bd3 cd 10 cd a6  Black needs to play this, otherwise his pawn on a7 will be hanging whenever he moves his queen's rook.

11 Nge2 0-0 12 0-0 Ne8  This is a common move, which allows the push of black's f-pawn.  However, look how cramped blacks position now is.  He now has two minor pieces on his back rank, and the other two on his second rank.  By contrast, white has three minor pieces on the third rank, and the other on his second.  Plus, his queen is developed, so that white's rooks are now connected and ready to double on the c-file, while black's rooks are three moves away from being connected.

13 Rfc1 f5 14 Rc2 f4 15 Bf2 b5 16 Rac1  Proceeding according to plan.  White is not worried about 16...b4, as the knight can effectively go to a4.

16...g4 17 b4 Rf7 18 a4 ba 19 Nxa4 Rb8 20 Ba7 Ra8 21 Bb6 Qd7 22 Nb2 Ng6 23 Bf2 Bf8 24 Nc4 Qd8 25 Nb6!  This wins at least the exchange.

25...Bb7 26 NxR BxN 27 Rc8  And now I will go up a whole rook.

27...Qe7 28 RxB g4  With his position being hopeless on the queen-side, black's only hope is a desperation king-side attack.

29 Rcc8  I calmly respond by doubling rooks on his back rank, confident that my back rank pressure trumps his king-side pressure.

29...gf 30 gf Nh4 31 BxN QxB 32 RxN Rg7+ 33 Kh1 Qf2 34 RxB

This game illustrates typical Saemisch play.  Black expects white to castle queen-side and mount an all-out king-side attack.  In combatting this expected attack, black ignores his queen-side and allows white to build up strong queen-side pressure, characterized by doubling rooks on the c-file and making some well-timed pushes of the a- and b-pawns.