Modern Defense: Masur Gambit is a chess opening with the ECO code B06, part of the Modern Defense family. It goes 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Nh6 3. Nc3 f5 4. Bxh6 Bxh6 5. exf5 O-O. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... g6. After 10 moves it is White to move. After the last move White is a pawn ahead in material. 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... Nh6 – Black plays the knight to h6
3. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
3... f5 – Black plays the pawn to f5
4. Bxh6 – White takes on h6 with the bishop
4... Bxh6 – Black takes on h6 with the bishop
5. exf5 – White captures on f5 with the e-pawn
5... O-O – Black castles kingside
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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