- ECO code
- B06
- Moves
- 1.e4 g6
- Family
- Modern Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,323
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1862–2026
Modern Defense is the opening filed under ECO code B06, reached after 1.e4 g6. 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 1,323 games on this line — the 90th 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 787 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 35% of those games, 19% end in a draw, and Black wins 46%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 18 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 16 points.
From this position the most popular move is 2.d4, played in 1,225 games, followed by 2.Nf3 (33) and 2.Nc3 (30). After 2.d4 White scores 36% and Black 45%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Firouzja,Alireza (43 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (389).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Modern Defense (B06); Modern Defense: Standard Line.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 35% (457)
- Draws 19% (251)
- Black 46% (615)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.d4 | 1,225 | 36/19/45 | — |
| 2.Nf3 | 33 | 12/33/55 | — |
| 2.Nc3 | 30 | 17/20/63 | — |
| 2.h4 | 22 | 27/14/59 | — |
| 2.f4 | 4 | 25/25/50 | — |
| 2.c4 | 3 | 33/0/67 | — |
| 2.Be2 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 2.g3 | 2 | 0/0/100 | — |
Variations from this position
- Modern Defense (B06) · 2.d4 Bg7 · 998 games
- Standard Line · 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 · 609 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
Played most often by
As White
- Firouzja,Alireza 43
- Grischuk,A 43
- Vachier Lagrave,M 43
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 389
- Carlsen,M 90
- Firouzja,Alireza 42
Games per decade
- 1860s 2
- 1890s 2
- 1900s 1
- 1920s 3
- 1930s 1
- 1940s 2
- 1950s 3
- 1960s 54
- 1970s 56
- 1980s 27
- 1990s 95
- 2000s 89
- 2010s 201
- 2020s 787
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. It belongs to the Modern Defense family.
Is the Modern Defense good for White or for Black?
In 1,323 master games on this line White wins 35%, 19% are drawn and Black wins 46%. 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?
2.d4 — played in 1,225 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Modern Defense?
On the White side Firouzja,Alireza (43), Grischuk,A (43), Vachier Lagrave,M (43); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (389), Carlsen,M (90), Firouzja,Alireza (42).
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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