how did the king`s indian defence get its name?
how did the king`s indian defence get its name?
Does it imply something about the British occupation of India?In a word no.
The first Indian that appeared in chess was Old Indian defence. King's Indian defence was an updated version of Old Indian with a kings side fianchetto since Old Indian's main drawback was the entrapped f8 bishop. The f name was first King's fianchetto Indian defence but Sascha Konstantinopolsky named it King's Indian defence. Averbakh says that he did that because the name was too long and the name was soon adopted by most theorists of the era.
Queen's Indian defence appeared as a Nimzo Indian counter; it largely followed the steps of King's Indian defence and instead of named Queen's fianchetto Indian defence it was named Queen's Indian defence.
Other lines followed suit as a mnemonic aid by convention.
The Orthodox queen's fianchetto defence in Queen's gambit declined was renamed Orthodox fianchetto defence so it wasn’t ridiculously long. Most “defences” are black replies to standard white openings of d4 and e5.
Why the old Indian got its name I have never been able to discover but it may go back to Staunton as you imply. His ornately illustrated magazine entries like “the Sphinx” whites 11 move mate for example all had exotic Eastern names as did most of the Edwardian and Victorian English fashions of the period.
Perhaps it was not too long after the Battle of the Sweet grass at Little Bighorn River and was a “Circle your wagons type name” as Chess always implies Battle as if western inspired industrial mass murder is an art form; Marina Abramovich takes the prize for minor bloodshed in the root of the cause Goofy golfer division with her predilections for cannibalistic lunches drenched in blood at $5000 bucks a head where they all must pretend to enjoy the farce; in spite of almost having their lunch nearly hurled right back at them due to gory excuses for insanity called performance art. Fancy selling expensive tickets to a lunch fund raiser then turning everyone’s stomachs!? What a bunch of screwballs with no pocket to hide in. All the stars dancing around in their underwear as if it’s grown up to be an imbecile pander to this misanthrope as does Lord Pindar the nuts.
