Modern Defense

We got so enamored with openings and caught up in all the glitz and glamor of intricate variations, but at their essence, openings are about reaching a playable middlegame. That is why many chess players are looking for more straightforward yet reliable openings. Openings that do not require learning lengthy variations and sub-variations are becoming more appealing to many chess players. The Modern Defense is an opening you can use with confidence at the board and reduce time spent learning opening theory away from the chess board.

Three Great Games in the Modern Defense

Wil van Lankveld - John van der Wiel, 2000.07.30, 0-1, HZ Open Round 3, Vlissingen NED GAME 1 Stephane Guedon - Margeir Petursson, 1991, 0-1, Clichy op Round 9, Clichy FRA GAME 2 Lev Polugaevsky - Johannes Eising, 1974, 0-1, Solingen SN Round 3, Solingen FRG GAME 3

Ideas and Strategies in the Modern Defense

1.e4 g6

In true hypermodern style, Black allows White to establish as broad or modest a center as they desire. The center White creates will become an object of Black’s counterattack. You can play 1…g6 against both 1.e4 and 1.d4, but you must play with greater caution against 1.b3 because White gets the bishop to b2 ahead of Black’s bishop on g7. This is an instance where the first move is an advantage. By starting with the Modern Defense, you can often transpose into variations of the Pirc Defense of your choosing. Flexibility is crucial in chess openings, and a wait-and-see approach fits well with a counterattacking strategy. Against 1.d4, you can play the Modern Defense in Benoni-style with a knight on e7 instead of f6. The knight on e7 applies pressure on d5, as it does on f6, but on e7, it aids your defense by making it harder for White to play f5. On e7, the knight does not block the diagonal of the g7 bishop. Giving a space advantage to your opponent can take some getting used to, but always remember you have sufficient defensive resources. It is not unusual for White to over-extend while attacking in terms of material or weak squares behind their lines. As in many openings, you can safely use variations from the 60s and 70s that have gone out of fashion. Unfashionable does not always mean a line is refuted; if it remains sound, you can use it to take your opponent into unfamiliar territory. Above all, choosing variations that lead to positions you are comfortable playing is vital.

Modern Defense: Standard Defense Variation

One of the advantages of playing the Modern Defense is how often you get to play the same moves. Understanding the ideas behind your piece placement is easier than learning lines of theory. In the Standard Defense …Nd7-b6 after …b5 is a typical maneuver, and the queen often goes to c7 to avoid getting exchanged while supporting …e5. After pawn exchanges on e5, you need not fear Bxg7 since your bishop was staring at its own pawn. If White does not play Bxg7, look to bring your bishop back into play via f8. 1.e4 g6 2.d4 d6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 Nd7

In the Modern Defense, there is no need to rush castling. Even after playing …b5, the king can sometimes find a haven on the queenside. The king is exceptionally safe if the queenside pawns become locked. Delaying castling allows you to make the game even more exciting by castling on opposite sides or to play it safe with same-side castling. 6.Nf3 b5 7.Bd3 Nb6 8.h3 Qc7 9.0-0 Nf6 10.Bh6 0-0

Defending the bishop by castling is a vital resource. Although Black has already started to advance the queenside pawns and gained space there, it is essential not to neglect the center. Fighting for the central squares and gaining control of the center is vital in all phases of a chess game. Gaining control of the center often allows you to launch decisive attacks, and if you can close the center, it makes defending much easier. Before you can attack, you must gain an advantage, which is only done after you achieve an equal position. Although very positional, there is every reason for both sides to play for a win. Black has a good position with excellently placed pieces and can always look to fianchetto, the other bishop as well. Gerhard Lorscheid chose the double-fianchetto option and used excellent tactics in the endgame to defeat Edwin Riefner. Riefner, Edwin - Lorscheid, Gerhard, 2003.01.26, 0-1, BL2-Sued 0203 Round 5.4, Germany GAME 4

The Modern Defense Fianchetto Variation

Of course, adopting a positional approach is not only a viable option for Black but an excellent system for White. Many chess players choose to learn the fianchetto variation with White against various openings. After all, if it can help Black cut down on the opening theory, this approach will work well for White. One of the biggest dangers you face when White plays the fianchetto variation is underestimating the dangers. An author seldom mentions the fianchetto variation in the list of the most dangerous options for White against the Modern Defense or other defenses. The good news is that a well-prepared player seldom has difficulty equalizing in the Modern Defense Fianchetto Variation. 1.e4 g6 2.d4 d6 3.Nc3 c6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 Nf6

This variation begins as a Modern Defense before transposing early to a Pirc Defense. In the Lichess database, this particular set of moves is known as the Rat Defense. 6.Nge2 0-0 7.0-0 e5 8.h3 b5 9.Be3 Nbd7 10.dxe5 dxe5

An excellent defensive resource for Black is to play …h6 when White advances the g-pawn. This move allows for a pawn exchange on g5, which leaves White with a weakened pawn structure on the kingside. White might play Qd6 to attack the c6 pawn, but the pawn is easily defended with …Bb7 when the bishop can aim at the e4 pawn after the c-pawn advances. The fianchetto system allows both sides many different move orders. In this game, White began with 1.g3, but Hikaru Nakamura could use the Modern Defense setup to defeat an opponent rated 155 Elo higher. Socko, Bartosz (2585), Nakamura, Hikaru (2430), 2002.01.23, 0-1, Bermuda-A Round 3, Bermuda GAME 5 Get a Taste of the Benoni 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 e6 6.Nf3 Ne7

The knight might appear misplaced to many of your opponents, but from e7, the knight fulfills many duties. Apart from making f5 harder for White to play, the knight can support …f5 if White plays cxd5, or it can go to f5 and d4 if White captures with exd5. Developing the knight to e7 gives the bishop on g7 full access to the h8-a1 diagonal! It is important to remember that we are playing the Modern Defense with a Benoni setup and not the Benoni Defense. This opening choice gives us more freedom about where to place the pieces. 7.Be2 0-0 8.0-0 a6 9.a4 h6 10.Ne1 exd5 11.exd5 Nf5

The Modern Defense makes playing the opening simpler. In this Benoni Structure, you only need to remember a few rules for your pieces to reach their ideal squares. All you need is to play through some master games to get a good feel of where your pieces go. Here is an excellent game by Black to get your journey started. Paschall, W. - Kovalenko, I. 2017.05.18, 36th Zalakaros Open 2017 Round 1.4, Zalakaros HUN GAME 6

Need a Defense to the English Opening?

It will not surprise you to learn you can play the Modern Defense against the English Opening as well as 1.e4, 1.d4, and 1.Nf3. That is all of the main opening moves covered with one stout defense. When playing the Modern defense against the English Opening, it will help you immensely if you take a look at the strategies for white in the Closed Sicilian. These strategies will help you because the Modern Defense against 1.c4 lends itself exceptionally well to a Reversed Closed Sicilian. 1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. g3 e5 4. Bg2 d6 5. d3 f5

Seldom does Black get a space advantage in the Modern Defense, but when you have it, be sure to enjoy it and get the most from it. Remember to meet exf5 with …gxf5 and enjoy attacking White’s kingside. The black king can find safety on h8, and Black can attack along the half-open g-file. 6.e4 Nf6 7.Nge2 0-0 8.0-0 9 exf5 gxf5 10.d4 Na6

The knight is headed for either c5 or c7, depending on what White does with the d-pawn. You can meet d5 with c5 and use the knight on c7 to support the b5 advance. Playing …e4 blocks the long diagonal and severely restricts the bishop on g2, but it does provide White with access to e6 with Nf4-e6. Fortunately, Black can use the c8 bishop and a knight on c7 to cover the e6-square. There is the option of an exchange sacrifice on e6 in certain positions. Be sure to evaluate and calculate variations before giving up material. Once again, it is essential to remember that the Modern Defense allows for much flexibility in move order. The next game begins with 1…f5. Kokarev, Dmitry - Kovalenko, Igor, 2011.11.14, RUS Cup final Round 1.4, Magnitogorsk RUS GAME 7

In Conclusion

Seldom are we granted the opportunity to simplify our opening repertoire to a single defense against almost every opening move. The Modern Defense does not only allow us this luxury, but we get a tried and tested defense that holds its own against titled players.