- ECO code
- B06
- Moves
- 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7
- Family
- Modern Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 998
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1862–2026
Modern Defense is the opening filed under ECO code B06, reached after 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7. It belongs to the Modern Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 998 games on this line — the 110th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1862 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 556 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 38% of those games, 19% end in a draw, and Black wins 43%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 15 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 16 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3.Nc3, played in 609 games, followed by 3.Nf3 (275) and 3.c4 (45). 3.Nc3 leads into Modern Defense: Standard Line. After 3.Nc3 White scores 39% and Black 42%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Firouzja,Alireza (42 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (249).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Modern Defense: Standard Line.
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Results in master games
- White 38% (381)
- Draws 19% (194)
- Black 43% (423)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.Nc3 | 609 | 39/19/42 | Modern Defense: Standard Line |
| 3.Nf3 | 275 | 37/22/41 | — |
| 3.c4 | 45 | 42/16/42 | — |
| 3.c3 | 33 | 27/21/52 | — |
| 3.Be3 | 21 | 24/10/66 | — |
| 3.h4 | 7 | 57/0/43 | — |
| 3.f4 | 4 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 3.Bc4 | 2 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Standard Line · 3.Nc3 · 609 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- Modern Defense · 1.e4 g6 · 1,323 games
Played most often by
As White
- Firouzja,Alireza 42
- Grischuk,A 36
- Vachier Lagrave,M 36
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 249
- Firouzja,Alireza 38
- Shirov, Alexei 30
Games per decade
- 1860s 2
- 1890s 1
- 1900s 1
- 1920s 1
- 1930s 1
- 1940s 2
- 1950s 3
- 1960s 51
- 1970s 44
- 1980s 25
- 1990s 86
- 2000s 75
- 2010s 150
- 2020s 556
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shuvalova,Polina | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Taher,Yoseph Theolifus | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 5th Feb 2026 |
| Cieslak,Patryk | Nakamura,Hi | 1-0 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 12th Feb 2026 |
| Giri,A | Escobar Medina,A | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool C |
| Karpenko,Anton | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 5th May 2026 |
| Gunduz,Umut Erdem | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Modern Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code B06, reached after 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7. It belongs to the Modern Defense family.
Is the Modern Defense good for White or for Black?
In 998 master games on this line White wins 38%, 19% are drawn and Black wins 43%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Modern Defense?
3.Nc3 — played in 609 of the master games on this line, which leads into Modern Defense: Standard Line.
Which grandmasters play the Modern Defense?
On the White side Firouzja,Alireza (42), Grischuk,A (36), Vachier Lagrave,M (36); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (249), Firouzja,Alireza (38), Shirov, Alexei (30).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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