Modern Defense: Standard Defense

Modern Defense: Standard Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code B06, part of the Modern Defense family. It goes 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... g6. After 6 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
• 3. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
• 3... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 4. Be3.

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: Standard Defense course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Modern Defense: Standard Line (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3)
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack – adds 4. f4
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation – adds 4. Nf3
• Related line: Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Pterodactyl Variation Declined (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 c5 4. Nf3 d6 5. Be2 Qa5+)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Three Pawns Attack (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. f4)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Norwegian Defense, Norwegian Gambit (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Nf6 3. e5 Nh5 4. Be2 d6)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Norwegian Defense (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Nf6)

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