Modern Defense

Modern Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code B06. It goes 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... g6. After 4 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

• 1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
• 1... g6 – Black plays the pawn to g6
• 2. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
• 2... Bg7 – Black plays the bishop to g7

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 3. Nc3.

About the Modern Defense

Black plays ...g6 and ...Bg7 early, letting White take the centre and attacking it later. It is flexible and hypermodern.

• The g7 bishop pressures d4 along the long diagonal.
• Black strikes with ...d6 and ...c5 or ...e5 at the right time.
• If Black waits too long, White's big centre and Be3, Qd2, h4 attack can crush.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Modern Defense course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Modern Defense (1. e4 g6)
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Bishop Attack – adds 3. Bc4
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Dunworthy Variation – adds 3. c4 d5 4. exd5 c6
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Mongredien Defense, with Nf3 – adds 3. Nf3 b6
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Pterodactyl Variation Declined – adds 3. c4 c5 4. Nf3 d6
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Standard Line – adds 3. Nc3
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Three Pawns Attack – adds 3. f4
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Westermann Gambit – adds 3. Bd2
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Wind Gambit – adds 3. Bd3
• Related line: Modern Defense: Anti-Modern (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. Bc4 d6 5. Qe2)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Randspringer Variation (1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 f5)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Bishop Attack (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Bc4)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Kotov Variation (1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 Nc6)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Bishop Attack, Bücker Gambit (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Bc4 b5)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Averbakh Variation, Pseudo-Sämisch (1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. e4 d6 4. Be3 Nf6 5. f3)

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