Modern Defense: Standard Line

Modern Defense: Standard Line 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. White opens with 1. e4 (the king'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. 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

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 3... d6.

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 Line course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Modern Defense (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7)
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Anti-Modern – adds 3... c6 4. Bc4 d6 5. Qe2
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Gurgenidze Defense – adds 3... c6 4. f4 d5 5. e5
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Lizard Defense, Mittenberger Gambit – adds 3... d5
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Modern Pterodactyl – adds 3... c5
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Mongredien Defense, with Nc3 – adds 3... b6
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Standard Defense – adds 3... d6
• Continues with: Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation, Suttles Variation – adds 3... c6 4. Nf3 d6
• Related line: Modern Defense: Standard Defense (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Three Pawns Attack (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. f4)
• 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: Two Knights Variation (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4)
• Related line: Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation, Suttles Variation (1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 d6)

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