Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Central Benoni Variation
Modern Defense
Definition
The Modern Defense is a family of openings that begins with the move 1…g6 against either 1.e4 or 1.d4. Black immediately fianchettoes the king-side bishop (…Bg7) and postpones occupying the center with pawns, aiming instead to undermine White’s pawn center later with …c5, …d5, or …e5. In ECO it is classified mainly under B06 (with 1.e4) and A40-A42 (with 1.d4).
How it is used in play
- Black allows White to build a broad pawn center and then strikes back with timely pawn breaks.
- The development scheme is flexible; Black can transpose into a King’s Indian, a Pirc, a Benoni, or remain in pure “Modern” waters.
- Typical piece placement: Bg7, Nf6 (sometimes Ne7), d6, Nd7, c5, e5.
Strategic & historical significance
Popularized in the 1950s by Austrian GM Karl Robatsch—hence the alternative name “Robatsch Defense”—the Modern appealed to players who liked hypermodern ideas. Its flexibility makes it attractive to club players and professionals alike; GMs such as Tiger Hillarp-Persson, Hikaru Nakamura, and Richard Rapport have all employed it.
Illustrative miniature
.Although messy, this blitz skirmish shows the Modern’s hallmark: Black delays central occupation, but piece activity and pawn breaks create dynamic chances.
Interesting facts
- Because of its shape-shifting potential, correspondence databases show over 30 distinct ECO codes reachable from an initial Modern move order.
- Grandmaster Tiger Hillarp-Persson once quipped, “The Modern is an attitude, not an opening.”
Pterodactyl Variation (of the Modern Defense)
Definition
The Pterodactyl Variation is an aggressive branch of the Modern Defense in which Black combines the fianchettoed king-side bishop with an early …c5 and …Qa5 to exert pressure on the center from two 45-degree angles—like the wingspan of a (mythical) flying reptile. A main move order versus 1.e4 is:
- e4 g6
- d4 Bg7
- Nc3 c5 (striking at d4)
- dxc5 Qa5 (hitting c3 and exploiting the loose pawn on c5)
ECO: B06 (codes B06-B07 cover many branch lines).
Typical ideas
- …Qa5 or …Qb6 appears early, attacking c3 or b2.
- If White defends passively, Black recovers the pawn and often lands a check on c3 (…Bxc3+) to damage White’s structure.
- The set-up can transpose into Sicilian-type positions, Benoni structures, or remain a unique “Pterodactyl.”
Strategic & tactical themes
The variation is double-edged. Black risks falling behind in development, but in return gains an open game with rapid queen and bishop activity. White may aim for a quick cxd6 “poisoned pawn” or simply ignore the gambit and accelerate development.
Historical notes
The colorful name is credited to American theoretician FM Owen Janssen in the 1970s, who felt that the bishop on g7 and queen on a5 resembled a Pterodactyl’s head and wings. The line was later championed in the 1990s by IM Tim Taylor, whose book “Slaying the Dragon Reloaded” devotes an entire chapter to it.
Example fragment
.Black eventually castles long and points all heavy pieces at the center and kingside—a hallmark Pterodactyl plan.
Interesting facts
- Some practitioners annotate their scoresheets with small doodles of dinosaurs when adopting the line.
- In 2018, GM Richard Rapport used a Pterodactyl transposition to defeat GM Wang Hao at Biel, one of the few top-level sightings of the creature.
Central Benoni Variation (within the Pterodactyl/Modern)
Definition
The Central Benoni Variation occurs when the Pterodactyl move order is directed against 1.d4 and White advances the d-pawn to d5, locking a Benoni-style pawn structure in the center. A model sequence is:
- d4 g6
- c4 Bg7
- Nc3 c5
- d5 Bxc3+ (the signature Pterodactyl capture)
- bxc3 f5 or …Nf6, transposing to Benoni structures
The resulting pawn skeleton—White pawns on c4-d5-e4 versus Black pawns on d6-e7-c5—is pure Benoni, but reached via Modern/Pterodactyl channels. It is sometimes catalogued under ECO A43 (“Benoni, other lines”).
How it is used
- Black hopes the doubled c-pawns hamper White’s queenside expansion with b4-a4.
- The fianchettoed bishop on g7 remains the strongest piece, eyeing the d4/d5 complex.
- Typical breaks: …e6 (undermining d5) and …b5 (counterplay on the queenside).
Strategic significance
This variation blends the hypermodern spirit of the Modern with the dynamic pawn asymmetry of the Benoni. Because the “Ptero-Benoni” arises from an off-beat move order, many White players are caught without specific preparation.
Sample game
Meijers – Hillarp Persson, Riga 1999
.Despite Black’s doubled c-pawns, the fianchettoed bishop and dark-square pressure gave him sufficient compensation and eventually a full point.
Interesting tidbits
- The line is sometimes called the “Flying Benoni” because the bishop on g7 (the Pterodactyl’s right wing) soars over the locked center.
- IM Tim Taylor stated that he first played it “by accident” after mis-remembering Benoni theory—and kept it because he won in 21 moves!