Semi-Closed · a defense for Black
Modern Defense: Kotov Variation
8/8
1.d4g62.c4Bg73.Nc3d64.e4Nc6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Modern Defense: Kotov Variation651k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
47%304k49%
31%202k47%
11%71k52%
4.3%28k52%
2.4%15k42%
2.3%15k44%
1%6.5k41%
0.6%3.8k41%
0.3%1.9k41%
0.2%1.2k42%
Famous games in this line1.8k master games
Nakamura, Hi (2777) – Vachier Lagrave, M. (2779)Grischuk, A. (2766) – Nepomniachtchi, I. (2757)Gelfand, Boris (2719) – Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (2731)Radjabov, T. (2713) – Nepomniachtchi, I. (2721)Tomashevsky, E. (2714) – Inarkiev, E. (2688)Vallejo Pons, F. (2711) – Mamedov, Rau (2688)Sargissian, G. (2689) – Mamedov, Rau (2703)Tomashevsky, E. (2728) – Mamedov, Rau (2650)Heroes of this opening Nakamura, Hi · Grischuk, A. · Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar · Radjabov, T.
- Family
- Modern Defense
- Category
- Semi-Closed
- First move
- 1.d4
- ECO
- A42
- Line
- 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 Nc6
FianchettoHypermodern
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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