Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation
7/7
1.e4g62.d4Bg73.Nc3d64.Nf3
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation4.0M games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
11%448k50%
11%447k48%
11%422k47%
7.3%294k52%
3.5%139k45%
2%78k46%
1.2%49k39%
1.1%44k46%
Famous games in this line5.5k master games
Carlsen, Magnus (2863) – Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2784)Tomashevsky, E. (2694) – Carlsen, M. (2859)Anand, V. (2759) – Nakamura, Hi (2769)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2723) – Nakamura, Hi (2802)Dominguez Perez, L. (2739) – Vachier Lagrave, M. (2779)So, W. (2780) – Duda, J. (2737)Nepomniachtchi, I. (2767) – Wei Yi (2725)Solak, D. (2635) – Carlsen, M. (2857)Heroes of this opening Carlsen, Magnus · Nakamura, Hi · Vachier Lagrave, M. · So, W.
- Family
- Modern Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B06
- Line
- 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3
FianchettoHypermodern
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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