Modern Origins
The Kingston Defence emerged out of dissatisfaction with many of Black's positions that resulted from Owen's Defence, as played in the 1970s. For example, after 1.e4 b6 2.d4 e6 3.c4 Bb7 4.Bd3, Black would often try 4..f5?! to tempt White into an all-out kingside assault with 5.exf5 and 6.Qh5+, while Black tried to mop up material starting with 5..Bxg2.
One alternative being tried at the time by English players such as Mike Basman was another form of general-purpose fianchetto defence based on ...a6 and ...b5, or ...h6 and ...g5, or both. Another line of reasoning proposed that Black was committing his queenside bishop too early to b7 in Owen's Defence. The idea behind 2...f5?! in the Kingston Defence, besides the immediate challenge to the White centre, is that it avoids committing the queenside bishop to a square where it might get blocked.
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