Modern Defense
The Modern Defense starts 1.e4 g6, fianchettoing the bishop to g7 before deciding where the knights and center pawns go. White takes the center with d4 and Nc3 or Nf3, while Black keeps options for ...d6, ...c6 or ...c5 and hits the center later.
- Moves
- 1.e4 g6
- ECO
- A41, B06
- Engine
- +0.59 · a slight edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 75,350 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 51.4%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- Take the center with 2.d4 and develop with Nc3 and Nf3, the engine's main line.
- Pin with Bg5 once Black plays ...Nf6, as in the engine line, and add Qd2 for a kingside attack.
- Consider the Three Pawns Attack with f4 for a big center and a quick e5 push.
- Against slow play, add c4 for a very broad center, but keep it protected.
Black
- Play ...Bg7 early, aiming at d4, then choose between ...d6, ...c6 and ...c5.
- Delay ...Nf6 so that White's e5 does not come with tempo against the knight.
- Strike the center with ...c5 or ...e5 once White commits the pieces.
- Avoid early ...Nf6 or ...b6 before ...Bg7 and ...d6; the engine gives White a clear edge after both.
Plans and pawn structure
White builds a big center and develops calmly, often with Nc3, Nf3, Be2 or Be3, and attacks with Qd2, Bh6 and h4 when Black castles short. Black uses the g7 bishop against d4 and waits for White to overextend before striking with ...c5 or ...e5. The game often transposes to Pirc structures after ...d6 and ...Nf6, but Black can also choose ...c6 and ...b5 for queenside play.
What the Modern Defense is about
After 1.e4 g6 Black prepares ...Bg7 and keeps every other choice open. The knight can wait on g8, the pawns can go to d6, c6 or c5, and Black can still transpose to the Pirc with ...Nf6. White gets the center for free and must decide how to use it.
Across 75350 games White scored 51.4%. The engine's top line, 2.d4 d6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6, shows a typical transposition to a Pirc structure, with White keeping a clear but modest edge.
Because Black commits so little, move orders matter. White must stay flexible too, and avoid setting up a target that the g7 bishop and Black's later pawn breaks can hit.
The main variations
The Standard Line, 3.Nc3, and the Standard Defense, 3...d6, are the core of the opening. White develops the knight, Black supports the bishop with a pawn on d6.
The Two Knights Variation, 4.Nf3, is the most played line. White develops calmly and plays for a small, stable edge, often with Be2 and O-O.
The Three Pawns Attack, 3.f4, builds a center with e4, d4 and f4. It gains space and prepares e5, but it loosens the g1-a7 diagonal in front of White's king.
Geller's System, 3.Nf3 d6 4.c3, supports d4 with a pawn, blunting the g7 bishop. It is a solid, low-risk choice.
The Pseudo-Austrian Attack, 4.f4, is an aggressive version after 3.Nc3 d6, close to the Pirc's Austrian Attack.
Two second moves are dubious: the Norwegian Defense, 2...Nf6, which lets e5 hit the knight, and the Mongredien Defense, 3...b6. The engine gives White a clear edge against both.
The Modern can also arise from 1.d4 g6. In the Averbakh System, White plays c4, Nc3 and e4 for a very broad center.
Typical plans for White
White's space allows two approaches. The calm one is Nc3, Nf3, Be2 and O-O, keeping the center firm. The aggressive one is Be3, Qd2 and Bh6 to trade the g7 bishop, followed by h4 and h5 against a castled king.
- Pin with Bg5 once ...Nf6 appears, as in the engine's main line.
- Use c3 or c4 to support d4 against ...c5 and the g7 bishop.
- Push e5 when it gains time against a knight on f6 or opens lines for an attack.
Typical plans for Black
Black's play revolves around the g7 bishop and timing. After ...Bg7 and ...d6, Black chooses between ...Nf6 and short castling, a queenside setup with ...c6, ...a6 and ...b5, or a direct strike with ...c5. The move ...e5 can also challenge the center once Black has enough support.
- Delay ...Nf6 to avoid giving White e5 with tempo.
- Against the Three Pawns Attack, hit back with ...c5 to undermine d4.
- Keep the g7 bishop; trading it with Bh6 leaves dark squares weak.
Mistakes club players make
- Black playing 2...Nf6. The Norwegian lets e5 kick the knight, and the engine gives White a clear edge.
- Black playing ...b6 early. The Mongredien leaves the center to White without counterplay.
- White overextending. Pushing f4, e5 and other pawns without development lets the g7 bishop and ...c5 tear the center apart.
- Black being too passive. Without ...c5, ...e5 or ...b5, Black simply ends up cramped.
- White ignoring transpositions. After ...d6 and ...Nf6 the game becomes a Pirc; know those plans too.
A further mistake is White playing for a quick mate on f7 with Bc4 and Qf3 ideas. Black covers f7 easily, and White's pieces end up misplaced.
Who should play it
The Modern suits Black players who like flexible systems and know their typical plans, because move orders matter more than memorized lines. It is less theoretical than many main openings, but it gives White more space than usual and requires good timing. The Modern also arises after 1.d4 g6, as in the Averbakh System.
For White, a calm setup with Nc3 and Nf3 is enough to keep a small edge.
Players who also play the Pirc can use the Modern to keep one family of structures against both 1.e4 and 1.d4.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.59: a slight edge for White. Its three top choices for White:
- +0.59 2.d4 d6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 Nf6
- +0.30 2.Nf3 c5 3.c3 d5 4.e5 Bg4
- +0.30 2.Bc4 c5 3.c3 e6 4.Nf3 Bg7
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
75,350 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 51.4%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
Variations of the Modern Defense
- Norwegian Defense2.d4 · 574 games
- Two Knights Variation, Suttles Variation, Tal Gambit2.d4 · rare
- Bishop Attack, Monkey's Bum2.Bc4 · rare
- Austrian, Grand Prix Pterodactyl2.Nc3 · rare
- Western, Siroccopteryx2.Nf3 · rare
How to play against it
As White, take the center with 2.d4 and develop pieces before committing pawns. Watch for pressure on d4 from the g7 bishop and ...c5. If Black plays ...Nf6 early, the e5 push gains space with tempo.
Full guide: how to beat the Modern Defense
Other lines with this name
The lichess opening list also files these lines under the same name, though they reach a different position: 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6; 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7.
Questions
What are the moves of the Modern Defense?
The Modern Defense starts 1.e4 g6. Its ECO code is A41, B06.
Is the Modern Defense good for Black?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.59 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for White. In 75,350 lichess games from our sample, White scored 51.4%. A flexible choice for Black players who know the typical structures well and like to avoid main-line theory.
What is the main idea of the Modern Defense?
Black puts the bishop on g7 first and keeps the other pieces flexible, so White has no fixed target. White gets a broad center; Black aims to undermine it later with ...c5, ...e5 or a queenside expansion.
What should White play next?
The engine's first choice is d4, with Nf3 and Bc4 close behind. 2.d4 takes the full center, which the g7 bishop will have to fight against later.
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.