Pterodactyl Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code A42. It goes 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qa5+ 5. Nc3 d6. White opens with 1. Nf3 (the Zukertort/Réti knight move) and Black answers 1... c5. After 10 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. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
1... c5 – Black plays the pawn to c5
2. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
2... g6 – Black plays the pawn to g6
3. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
3... Bg7 – Black plays the bishop to g7
4. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
4... Qa5+ – Black plays the queen to a5, giving check
5. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
5... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6
About the Pterodactyl Defense
An offbeat system with ...g6, ...Bg7, ...c5 and an early ...Qa5. Black hits the dark squares and the c3 knight.
The g7 bishop and the queen on a5 both pressure c3.
Black sometimes gives up the bishop with ...Bxc3+ to damage White's pawns.
Without the dark-squared bishop, Black's king can be weak, so be careful.
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