Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation
8/8
1.e4c52.Nf3g63.d4Bg74.Nc3Qa5
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation16k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
8.5%1.4k50%
5.5%90743%
1.4%22545%
0.6%9747%
0.6%9346%
Famous games in this line174 master games
Bologan, Viktor (2650) – Borg, Geoffrey (2367)Tolnai, Tibor (2490) – Dizdarevic, Emir (2505)Mogranzini, Roberto (2401) – Shengelia, Davit (2568)Mortensen, Erling (2475) – Keene, Raymond (2490)Khruschiov, Alexey (2400) – Blatny, Pavel (2547)Sax, Gyula (2600) – Bilek, Istvan (2345)Pavasovic, Dusko (2584) – Gruskovnjak, Tomislav (2339)Rasulov, Vu (2506) – Iskandarov, M. (2396)Heroes of this opening Bologan, Viktor · Shengelia, Davit · Mortensen, Erling · Khruschiov, Alexey
- Family
- Modern Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B27
- Line
- 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. Nc3 Qa5
FianchettoHypermodern
★ Read the guide: Modern DefenseExplore all 40 Modern Defense lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Pterodactyl Defense: Sicilian, Unpin5.Bd2Pterodactyl Defense: Sicilian, Anhanguera5.Be3Pterodactyl Defense: Sicilian, Benoni Gambit5.d5
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