Modern Defense
ECO B06, A41 · 1. e4 g6
The Modern Defense, 1.e4 g6, fianchettoes the dark-squared bishop before committing other pawns. It is even more flexible than the Pirc and can transpose to many structures.
Plans for White
White builds a center with d4, Nc3 and either Be3, Qd2 and f3 or the Austrian-style f4, aiming for space and a kingside attack. Some players prefer c4, transposing to King's Indian-like structures with an extra option for White.
Plans for Black
Black can delay ...Nf6, play ...d6 and ...c6 or ...a6 with ...b5, and challenge the center with ...c5 or ...e5. The g7 bishop pressures d4, and by delaying the knight Black avoids e4-e5 tempo gains.
Typical pawn structures
Similar to the Pirc: White's broad center versus Black's compact pawns on d6 and g6.
Who it suits
Players who like flexible systems and want to play the same setup against many first moves.
Common traps
Black must not delay development too long: an early e5 can drive pieces back and leave Black cramped, and in the Be3/Qd2 lines the Bh6 exchange of dark-squared bishops weakens Black's king.
Variations
- Modern Defense: Bishop Attack — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Bc4
- Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3
- Modern Defense: Norwegian Defense — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Nf6
- Modern Defense: Fianchetto Gambit — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 f5
- Modern Defense: Lizard Defense, Pirc-Diemer Gambit — 1. d4 g6 2. h4 Nf6 3. h5
- Modern Defense: Standard Line — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3
- Modern Defense: Three Pawns Attack — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. f4
- Modern Defense: Westermann Gambit — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Bd2
- Modern Defense: Wind Gambit — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Bd3
- Modern Defense: Lizard Defense, Mittenberger Gambit — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d5
- Modern Defense: Modern Pterodactyl — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5
- Modern Defense: Mongredien Defense, with Nc3 — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 b6
- Modern Defense: Mongredien Defense, with Nf3 — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 b6
- Modern Defense: Neo-Modern Defense — 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. e4 e5
- Modern Defense: Standard Defense — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6
- Modern Defense: Averbakh System — 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4
- Modern Defense: Geller's System — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. c3
- Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4
- Modern Defense: Kotov Variation — 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 Nc6
- Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation — 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. Nc3 Qa5
- Modern Defense: Randspringer Variation — 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 f5
- Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Polish Variation — 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qb6
- Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Pterodactyl Variation — 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qa5+
- Modern Defense: Anti-Modern — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. Bc4 d6 5. Qe2
- Modern Defense: Averbakh Variation, Pseudo-Sämisch — 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. e4 d6 4. Be3 Nf6 5. f3
- Modern Defense: Beefeater Variation — 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 f5
- Modern Defense: Dunworthy Variation — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 d5 4. exd5 c6 5. dxc6 Bxd4
- Modern Defense: Gurgenidze Defense — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. f4 d5 5. e5 h5
- Modern Defense: Masur Gambit — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Nh6 3. Nc3 f5 4. Bxh6 Bxh6 5. exf5 O-O
- Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Pterodactyl Variation Accepted — 1. Nf3 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. e4 d6 4. c4 c5 5. dxc5 Qa5+
- Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Pterodactyl Variation Declined — 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 c5 4. Nf3 d6 5. Be2 Qa5+