Modern Defense

Why the Modern Defense is worth training

The Modern Defense starts with 1.e4 g6. Black fianchettoes the bishop with 2.d4 Bg7 and lets White build a broad center. Black keeps the knight on g8 at home, so it can later choose f6, h6, or e7. The center is challenged later with breaks like ...c5 and ...e5, or with queenside expansion.

Chessmate has a Modern Defense course for White and a Modern Defense course for Black. The White course has eleven lines built around 3.Nf3 and 4.Bc4, and the Black course has twelve lines built around the Tiger setup with ...a6 and ...b5.

The Bc4 sample line for White

In the White sample line, White develops with 3.Nf3 and meets 3...d6 with 4.Bc4, aiming at f7. After 4...Nf6 5.Qe2 O-O, the queen supports e4 and White gains space with 6.e5. The knight on f6 has to retreat to an awkward square with 6...Ne8.

After 7.Nbd2, Black hits back with 7...c5, and White releases the tension with 8.dxc5. Black spends time recovering the pawn with 8...d5 9.Bd3 Qc7 10.O-O Nd7 11.Re1 Nxc5. After 12.h3, White keeps the bishop on c8 away from g4, and the pawn on e5 still gives White more space.

The Tiger sample line for Black

The Black sample line meets 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 with the Tiger setup 4...a6, preparing ...b5. White chooses the aggressive Austrian setup with 5.f4, and after 5...b5 6.Bd3 Bb7 both of Black's bishops aim at the center from the long diagonals.

Black develops with 7.Nf3 Nd7, and after 8.e5 the knight goes to h6 with 8...Nh6, heading for f5. Following 9.Qe2, Black strikes at the base of the chain with 9...c5. After 10.dxc5 dxe5, White's pawn chain is gone and Black's pieces have open lines. The course also shows how to answer the premature 10.e6.

The Averbakh System and other White setups

Against 3.c4, Black stays in Modern territory with 3...d6 4.Nc3 e5 instead of transposing to the King's Indian with ...Nf6. In the main plan, Black pins with 5.Nf3 Bg4, and after 6.d5 Nd7 7.Be2 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 White has lost the knight that guarded the center. Black claims kingside space with 8...h5, restrains White's queenside with 9.O-O a5, and walks the king to f8 with 10.a3 Kf8. After 11.Bd2 Bh6, the center stays closed and Black offers to trade White's good bishop.

The course also covers 5.d5 with a closed center and ...f6, and the queen trade 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8, where Black's king stays active in the center. Other White setups get their own lines: the Qd2 and h4 attack, 4.Bg5 with queenside castling, the Three Pawns Attack 3.f4, met by 3...c5, and quiet tries like 3.c3 and 3.Bc4.

White's answers to other Black setups

Black does not always play 3...d6. The White course covers the Chameleon 3...c6, the immediate 3...d5, met by 4.e5, and the Sniper 3...c5. Against the Sniper, White takes with 4.dxc5, and after 4...Qa5+ 5.Nc3 Qxc5 6.Be3 Qa5 7.Qd2, White castles long with 8.O-O-O and offers the bishop trade with 9.Bh6.

Two tactical lines punish loose moves around f7. Against 4...Nd7, White plays 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ng5+, and after 6...Ke8 7.Ne6 the knight attacks the trapped queen on d8. Against 5...Bg4, 6.e5 dxe5 7.Bxf7+ forces simplification. The course also handles the Hippopotamus and the Mongredien 3...b6, where White plays c3 and reroutes a knight to g3.

What to train first

Pick the course for the color you play.

• If you face the Modern Defense as White, start with the Modern Defense course for White. Learn the Bc4 sample line first, then the Sniper 3...c5 and the two tactics on f7.
• If you play the Modern Defense as Black, start with the Modern Defense course for Black. Learn the Tiger sample line first, then the Averbakh System with 3.c4 and the Three Pawns Attack.
• Whichever side you play, watch the pawn on d4. Black's breaks with ...c5 and ...e5 both aim at it, and much of White's space depends on keeping it.

The Modern Defense gives Black flexibility and gives White a big center. Train the lines until you know which break fits each White setup.