Chess opening · ECO B06
Modern Defense
1...g6 gives White a free hand in the center. Black prepares ...Bg7, where the bishop looks down the long diagonal at d4, and holds back the king knight. That restraint is the point. With the knight still on g8, the f-pawn stays free, and the queenside pawns are uncommitted, so ...c5, ...c6 with ...b5, or ...e5 can all come later depending on how White sets up.
- Rank by weighted share
- #30 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 g6
- 1... g6Opens g7 for the dark-squared bishop and commits nothing in the center. Black does not contest e4 or d4 with a pawn yet. The bet is that a broad white center can be undermined once Black's pieces are in place.
How it differs from the Pirc
Both openings put a bishop on g7 and a pawn on d6. In the Pirc, Black plays ...Nf6 early and hits e4 at once. In the Modern, the knight waits, so White has less pressure to answer but Black keeps more pawn breaks open. The two often merge if Black later plays ...Nf6.
The bishop on g7 and the d4 pawn
Once White plays d4, the g7 bishop and the d4 pawn stare at each other along the long diagonal. Black adds pressure with ...c5 or ...e5, or with a knight to c6. If White ever loses control of d4, that bishop wakes up all the way to b2 and a1.
White often chooses a setup with Be3 and Qd2, planning Bh6 to trade off the g7 bishop. Black can answer by grabbing queenside space with ...c6 and ...b5.
A queenside reply to Be3 and Qd2
2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Be3 c6 5. Qd2 b5
White lines up Be3 and Qd2, ready for Bh6. Black skips quick castling and expands with ...b5, preparing ...Bb7 and ...Nd7, and later perhaps ...b4 to push the c3 knight away from e4.
Top replies by rating
d4 leads every band, and its lead widens as ratings climb. Nf3 holds second place throughout, while Bc4 drops out of the top three from 1800 up.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1200 | d4 29% | Nf3 23% | Bc4 16% |
| 1200–1399 | d4 35% | Nf3 24% | Bc4 12% |
| 1400–1599 | d4 39% | Nf3 26% | Bc4 12% |
| 1600–1799 | d4 52% | Nf3 22% | Bc4 9% |
| 1800–1999 | d4 64% | Nf3 16% | f4 8% |
| 2000 and up | d4 82% | Nf3 9% | Nc3 3% |
Questions
Can White just play anything against 1...g6?
White has wide choice, but the main plans start with d4 and a piece to c3 or f3. A pawn to f4 is a sharper try that takes more space. The common thread is that Black lets White build first.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.