Modern Defense

Black fianchettoes immediately and delays committing the knights, inviting White to overextend in the centre. It is highly flexible and transpositional, letting Black steer toward Pirc-like or independent structures.

• Fianchetto the dark-squared bishop and stay flexible
• Provoke White forward, then strike with ...c5, ...d5 or ...e5
• Keep move-order options open to reach favourable structures
• Counterattack the centre with pieces from a hypermodern setup