Modern Defense and Pterodactyl Defense
Modern Defense
Definition
The Modern Defense is a family of hyper-modern openings in which Black allows White to occupy the centre with pawns, then strikes back with fianchettoed bishops and pawn breaks. After 1. e4 or 1. d4, Black typically answers 1…g6, 1…d6, and 1…Bg7, postponing the development of the king’s knight and queen’s bishop in favour of rapid kingside safety and long-range pressure on the light-squares.
Main Move-Orders
- 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 (or 3…c6, 3…a6, 3…e6)
- 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 transposing to the same structures.
Strategic Ideas
- Delayed central contest: Black refrains from immediate occupation of the centre, instead preparing pawn breaks …c5, …e5 or …d5 to undermine White’s pawn phalanx.
- Fianchetto pressure: The bishop on g7 targets e5, d4 and sometimes b2, creating tactical resources such as …Qb6, …Nc6–d4, or …Bg4.
- Flexible piece placement: The knight can reach f6, e7, or even h6, adapting to White’s formation.
Historical Significance
The idea of inviting the centre and then attacking it was championed by the hyper-modern school (Nimzowitsch, Réti) in the 1920s. While the Pirc (which usually involves an early …Nf6) became more popular, the Modern Defense’s pure form—delaying …Nf6—gained traction in the 1970s thanks to players like John-Lionel Watson and Duncan Suttles. Grandmasters such as Tiger Hillarp Persson, Richard Rapport, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave have used it as an occasional surprise weapon.
Illustrative Mini-Game
After 13…Qxb2! the bishop on g7 rakes the long diagonal demonstrating typical Modern tactics.
Interesting Facts
- In 1999, Michael Adams used the Modern to upset Garry Kasparov in a rapid exhibition, showing its value as a surprise weapon against even the very best.
- Some databases label the pure Modern as “Robatsch Defense” after Austrian GM Karl Robatsch, who pioneered 1…g6 in the 1960s.
- The opening fits well with blitz and bullet where flexibility and unfamiliar structures can yield quick dividends.
Pterodactyl Defense (Modern Defense, Pterodactyl Variation)
Definition
The Pterodactyl Defense is a sharp, less-common branch of the Modern in which Black combines the kingside fianchetto (…g6, …Bg7) with an early queenside fianchetto of the queen (…Qb6 or …Qa5) after advancing the c-pawn. The name—coined whimsically by American IM Bill Hartston in the 1970s—reflects the way Black’s piece configuration “spreads its wings” across both long diagonals like a prehistoric creature.
Typical Move-Order
One of the purest sequences runs:
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. dxc5 Qa5
When after 5. Bd2 Qxc5, Black’s queen is already active, eyeing both flanks.
Key Ideas
- Double-fianchetto firepower: The bishop on g7 and the queen on a5/b6 work together to attack the central pawn on d4 and pressure b2/e4.
- Rapid unbalancing: By provoking early pawn exchanges (…c5 & dxc5), Black sidesteps many slow positional lines typical of the standard Modern.
- Flexible transpositions: The Pterodactyl can arise from the English Opening (1. c4), the Benoni, or even the Scandinavian after 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 g6 4. c4 Bg7 5. Nc3 c5.
Strategic & Tactical Themes
- Queen mobility: The early queen excursion is safe because White’s minor pieces take time to reach c3 and d2.
- Central plugs: Black often follows up with …Nc6, …Nf6, and …d6, cementing control of e5 and d4.
- Pawn sacrifices: Gambits such as 5…Bxc3+ 6. Bxc3 Qxc5 give Black open lines and development in return for a pawn.
Historical & Practical Usage
Although never mainstream, the Pterodactyl has been a favourite of creative players seeking offbeat weaponry. IM Mike Basman was one of its loudest advocates, publishing pamphlets under titles like “The Killer Pterodactyl.” More recently, GM Vadim Milov and GM Richard Rapport have essayed it in rapid events.
Model Game
The following miniature illustrates typical tactics (black pieces handled by its chief evangelist):
Black’s queen and bishop swarm the queenside like a Pterodactyl swooping on prey.
Interesting Tidbits
- Because the queen often lands on b6 after …Qa5-b6, some playful authors nickname this line the “Flying Queenslander.”
- The ECO code for the Pterodactyl via 1. e4 g6 is B06, yet when it arises from the English it is catalogued as A13—testament to its chameleonic nature.
- Grandmaster Simon Williams featured the variation in his video series “Chess for Cavemen,” calling it “so crazy it just might work.”