Modern Defense: Lizard Defense, Pirc-Diemer Gambit
Modern Defense: Lizard Defense, Pirc-Diemer Gambit is a chess opening with the ECO code A40, part of the Modern Defense family. It goes 1. d4 g6 2. h4 Nf6 3. h5. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... g6. After 5 moves it is Black 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. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
1... g6 – Black plays the pawn to g6
2. h4 – White plays the pawn to h4
2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
3. h5 – White plays the pawn to h5
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.
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