- ECO code
- A40
- Moves
- 1.d4 g6
- Family
- Queen's Pawn Game
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 899
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1892–2026
Queen's Pawn Game: Modern Defense is the opening filed under ECO code A40, reached after 1.d4 g6. It belongs to the Queen's Pawn Game family and is known as the Modern Defense; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 899 games on this line — the 118th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1892 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 593 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 27% of those games, 19% end in a draw, and Black wins 54%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 26 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 16 points.
From this position the most popular move is 2.e4, played in 348 games, followed by 2.c4 (347) and 2.Nf3 (150). After 2.e4 White scores 34% and Black 47%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (29 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (357).
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Results in master games
- White 27% (240)
- Draws 19% (171)
- Black 54% (488)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.e4 | 348 | 34/19/47 | — |
| 2.c4 | 347 | 23/19/58 | — |
| 2.Nf3 | 150 | 19/22/59 | — |
| 2.g3 | 22 | 36/14/50 | — |
| 2.Nc3 | 14 | 21/7/72 | — |
| 2.Bf4 | 5 | 20/0/80 | — |
| 2.Bg5 | 4 | 25/0/75 | — |
| 2.c3 | 4 | 25/0/75 | — |
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 29
- Erigaisi,Arjun 18
- Giri,A 16
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 357
- Carlsen,M 56
- Mamedyarov,S 37
Games per decade
- 1890s 2
- 1900s 1
- 1920s 1
- 1950s 1
- 1960s 35
- 1970s 37
- 1980s 22
- 1990s 36
- 2000s 66
- 2010s 105
- 2020s 593
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambartsumova,K | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Ivanchuk,V | Dimitrov,R | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Grand Prix Bucharest 2026 |
| Papasimakopoulos,Alexandros | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 11th Jun 2026 |
| Korchynskyi,Mykola | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Tsydypov,Z | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 14th Apr 2026 |
| Lazavik,Denis | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 11th Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Modern Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code A40, reached after 1.d4 g6. It belongs to the Queen's Pawn Game family.
Is the Queen's Pawn Game: Modern Defense good for White or for Black?
In 899 master games on this line White wins 27%, 19% are drawn and Black wins 54%. 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 Queen's Pawn Game: Modern Defense?
2.e4 — played in 348 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Pawn Game: Modern Defense?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (29), Erigaisi,Arjun (18), Giri,A (16); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (357), Carlsen,M (56), Mamedyarov,S (37).
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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