Semi-Closed · a defense for Black
Modern Defense: Beefeater Variation
10/10
1.d4g62.c4Bg73.Nc3c54.d5Bxc3+5.bxc3f5
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Modern Defense: Beefeater Variation81k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
30%24k44%
13%11k49%
10%8.2k46%
8.6%7.0k43%
7.5%6.1k44%
7.5%6.1k43%
6.8%5.6k49%
4.4%3.6k46%
3.8%3.1k42%
1.9%1.6k46%
Famous games in this line585 master games
Mamedyarov, S. (2747) – Rapport, R. (2754)Bartel, Mateusz (2638) – Harikrishna, Penteala (2709)Motylev, A. (2640) – Predke, A. (2676)Vassia, Elio (2610) – Burghoff, Annemarie (2609)Le Quang Liem (2706) – Leon Hoyos, M. (2512)Sarana, A. (2541) – Morozevich, A. (2676)Volkov, Sergey (2642) – Popov, Valerij (2568)Georgiev, Ki (2627) – Grigoryan, K2. (2571)Heroes of this opening Motylev, A. · Le Quang Liem · Morozevich, A. · Volkov, Sergey
- Family
- Modern Defense
- Category
- Semi-Closed
- First move
- 1.d4
- ECO
- A40
- Line
- 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 f5
FianchettoHypermodern
★ Read the guide: Modern DefenseExplore all 40 Modern Defense lines →Keep exploring
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
Letting White build the entire centre while fianchettoing quietly was considered close to disrespectful; Ufimtsev was playing it in the late 1930s, and Karl Robatsch did the theoretical work that turned it into a system — across much of Europe it is still called the Robatsch Defence. The big centre is not an asset — it's a target.
Study this opening