- ECO code
- B06
- Moves
- 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3
- Family
- Modern Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 609
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1933–2026
Modern Defense: Standard Line is the opening filed under ECO code B06, reached after 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3. It belongs to the Modern Defense family and is known as the Standard Line; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 609 games on this line — the 181st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1933 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 331 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 39% of those games, 19% end in a draw, and Black wins 42%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 14 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 16 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3...d6, played in 286 games, followed by 3...c6 (148) and 3...a6 (145). After 3...d6 White scores 44% and Black 33%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Firouzja,Alireza (35 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (153).
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Results in master games
- White 39% (237)
- Draws 19% (117)
- Black 42% (255)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...d6 | 286 | 44/23/33 | — |
| 3...c6 | 148 | 46/24/30 | — |
| 3...a6 | 145 | 20/7/73 | — |
| 3...c5 | 21 | 48/14/38 | — |
| 3...d5 | 7 | 57/29/14 | — |
| 3...b6 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
| 3...Nc6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- Modern Defense · 1.e4 g6 · 1,323 games
- Modern Defense · 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 · 998 games
Played most often by
As White
- Firouzja,Alireza 35
- Shirov,A 32
- Caruana,F 18
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 153
- Firouzja,Alireza 29
- Shirov, Alexei 18
Games per decade
- 1930s 1
- 1960s 23
- 1970s 17
- 1980s 13
- 1990s 59
- 2000s 56
- 2010s 109
- 2020s 331
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 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Tsydypov,Z | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 14th Apr 2026 |
| Bharath,Subramaniyam H | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Zharas,Aldiyar | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Modern Defense: Standard Line?
It is the opening with ECO code B06, reached after 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3. It belongs to the Modern Defense family.
Is the Modern Defense: Standard Line good for White or for Black?
In 609 master games on this line White wins 39%, 19% are drawn and Black wins 42%. 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: Standard Line?
3...d6 — played in 286 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Modern Defense: Standard Line?
On the White side Firouzja,Alireza (35), Shirov,A (32), Caruana,F (18); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (153), Firouzja,Alireza (29), Shirov, Alexei (18).
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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