A04 · Flank · a defense for Black
Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Polish Variation
8/8
1.Nf3c52.c4g63.d4Bg74.e4Qb6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Polish Variation3.7k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
39%1.4k50%
20%73650%
19%72249%
11%40140%
5.3%19833%
2.1%7833%
2%7541%
0.6%2243%
0.3%1267%
0.2%850%
Famous games in this line283 master games
Giri, A. (2771) – Ivanchuk, V. (2738)Kramnik, Vladimir (2751) – Topalov, Veselin (2700)Lautier, Joel (2630) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2740)Agrest, Evgenij (2591) – Nisipeanu, Liviu Dieter (2693)Grachev, Boris (2687) – Kulaots, Kaido (2586)Alterman, B. (2603) – Efimenko, Z. (2641)Gulko, Boris F (2635) – Yudasin, Leonid (2605)Delchev, Aleksander (2648) – Chatalbashev, Boris (2571)- Family
- Modern Defense
- Category
- Flank
- First move
- 1.Nf3
- ECO
- A04
- Line
- 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qb6
FianchettoHypermodern
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From the archives
Letting White build the entire center while fianchettoing quietly was considered borderline disrespectful until players like Kotov and later Suttles made it a system. The Modern is the purest hypermodern bet on the board: the big center is not an asset — it's a target.
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