Modern Defense: Standard, Two Knights, Suttles Variation
Modern Defense
Definition
The Modern Defense is a hyper-modern chess opening in which Black allows White to occupy the centre with pawns and then attacks that centre from afar with pieces and well-timed pawn thrusts. The baseline position arises after 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7, although the opening can also be reached from diverse move orders beginning with 1…g6 against virtually any first move by White. In the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO) it is primarily catalogued under B06.
Typical Move Order
After 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 the most common continuations are:
- 3.Nc3 d6 (the Standard Line) or 3…c6 (the Gurgenidze System)
- 3.Nf3 d6 4.Nc3 (the Two Knights Variation)
- 3.c4 d6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Nf3 O-O (transposing to a King’s Indian set-up)
Black often follows up with …d6, …Nf6, …O-O, and pawn breaks such as …c5, …e5, or …b5.
Strategic Themes
- Hyper-modern centre control. Black attacks the white centre with pieces (…Bg7, …Nf6), pawn breaks (…c5, …e5), and sometimes the thematic exchange …Bxc3 to undermine e4 and d4.
- Flexible pawn structure. Black keeps the central pawns at home for a while, making it hard for White to decide on the best setup.
- Unbalanced positions. Because Black delays claiming space, a game often becomes double-edged quickly, rewarding good understanding over rote memorisation.
Historical and Practical Significance
The Modern Defense was a favourite of Aron Nimzowitsch in the 1920s, but it fell out of top-level use until the 1960s when Canadian GM Duncan Suttles revived and refined it. Later, grandmasters such as Tiger Hillarp Persson, Jon Speelman, and Richard Rapport employed it as a fighting weapon, contributing many modern theoretical ideas.
Illustrative Mini-Game
After 8…Rb8 Black is ready for a queenside expansion with …b5 while the fianchettoed bishop and knight on f6 pressure the e4–pawn—themes that appear again and again in the opening.
Interesting Facts
- The Modern Defense can transpose into the Pirc, King’s Indian, or even certain English Defence structures depending on White’s setup.
- It is one of the few major openings in which Black can delay occupying the centre almost indefinitely, sometimes playing …a6, …b5, and …Bb7 before touching the d- or e-pawns.
- World Champion Magnus Carlsen has experimented with the Modern in rapid and blitz to avoid theory and reach fresh positions.
Standard (Modern Defense: Standard Line)
Definition
“Standard” is an ECO sub-label indicating the main or classical line of a given opening. In the context of the Modern Defense it refers to the sequence 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6, after which Black usually continues …Nf6 and …O-O. The ECO code for this tabiya is B06.
Key Position
After 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 O-O the position below is regarded as the critical test of the Standard Line:
Black combines solid central control with latent kingside counterplay (…e5, …c5) and queenside expansion (…a6, …b5).
Strategic Ideas for Both Sides
- White tries to exploit the space advantage with f4–f5 or Be3–Qd2–0-0-0 and a pawn storm.
- Black plays a flexible, reactive game:
- …c5 against a white centre on d4/e4/f4
- …e5 when the timing is right, often exchanging on d4 first
- …a6 and …b5 to undermine from the flank
Notable Games
- Svidler – Hillarp Persson, Gothenburg 2005: an instructive illustration of Black’s …c5 break leading to an endgame win.
- Kasparov – Speelman, Brussels 1986 (rapid): Kasparov sacrificed a pawn for an initiative, only to see Speelman’s resilient kingside hold out for the full point.
Trivia
- The label “Standard” helps players quickly identify the baseline position in databases and online opening references such as Lichess or Chess.com.
- Compared to sharper sidelines (e.g., Modern Defense: Averbakh System with 3…e5), the Standard Line is considered the most theoretically sound and is the line Duncan Suttles preferred in critical games.
Two Knights (Modern/Pirc: Two Knights Variation)
Definition
The “Two Knights Variation” arises when White develops both knights before committing the c- or f-pawns, typically after the moves 1.e4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.Nf3 (or with colours reversed in some Pirc move orders). The name simply reflects the symmetrical development of White’s two knights to c3 and f3.
Canonical Move Order
- 1.e4 g6
- 2.Nc3 Bg7
- 3.Nf3 d6 (or 3…c5)
- 4.d4 Nf6 5.Be2 O-O, etc.
Strategic Motifs
- Attacking e5. White often aims for an early e4–e5 thrust, leveraging the knights to support the advance.
- Piece play over pawn grabs. Because White’s c-pawn is still at c2, lines with …c5 may leave d5 weak, prompting piece-based manoeuvring.
- Flexibility for Black. Black can transpose into Pirc structures with …d6 …Nf6 …O-O or stay in pure Modern waters with quick …c6 and …d5.
Sample Tactical Idea
In the sharp line 1.e4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.Nf3 c5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6, an in-form White sometimes essays 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4, eyeing the f7–square. Black must tread carefully to avoid nasty sacrifices.
Historical Note
The variation gained popularity in the 1970s when players wanted to sidestep the heavily analysed Austrian Attack (f4) and lines with an early Bg5. GMs Ljubomir Ljubojević and Bent Larsen were early adopters.
Interesting Facts
- The same “Two Knights” name is used in several unrelated openings (e.g., the Two Knights Defence in the Italian Game, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6). Context is crucial!
- In blitz, many Modern-fans play 3…c5 instantly against the Two Knights, gambling on the element of surprise.
Suttles Variation
Definition
The Suttles Variation is a branch of the Modern Defense named after Canadian GM Duncan Suttles, whose unorthodox style and consistent use of 1…g6 lines in the 1960s–70s put the Modern back on the theoretical map. In its most common form it features an early …c6 by Black, often reached via:
- 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 (Suttles Variation)
Black’s idea is to prepare …d5 in one move, discouraging lines where White plays f4 and e5 or obtains a large pawn centre.
Key Concepts
- Delayed king’s knight. By holding back …Nf6, Black keeps the g7–bishop’s diagonal unobstructed for as long as possible.
- Quick …d5. After 4.Nf3 d5 or 4.f4 d5 Black immediately challenges the centre, often leading to French-like structures without c7–c5 weaknesses.
- Queenside expansion. The move …Qb6 (hitting d4 and b2) often dovetails with …dxe4 and …Bg4, causing White coordination problems.
Model Game
Duncanson – Suttles, Vancouver 1972
Suttles soon played …Qb6, …O-O-O, and stormed the kingside pawns—an archetypal demonstration of the variation’s dynamic potential.
Why It Works
- The early …c6 creates a solid shelter for the queen on b6 and restrains d4–d5 pushes.
- White’s favoured Austrian Attack setup (f4, e4, d4, Nc3, Nf3) is rendered less effective because …d5 challenges the e4-pawn before White is fully developed.
- Black can choose French-style structures (…e6) or Caro-Kann-like structures (…c6 & …d5) depending on White’s reaction.
Legacy and Anecdotes
- Duncan Suttles once quipped, “If the board starts to look symmetrical, I feel I’ve done something wrong.” His variation embodies that fighting spirit by creating imbalanced pawn structures from move three.
- The Suttles Variation inspired many later systems with an early …c6 against e4-d4—a precursor to the Gurgenidze System (…d6, …c6, …a6).
- Although relatively rare at elite level, it enjoys a cult following in correspondence and engine-assisted play, where concrete calculation validates its strategic boldness.