Modern-Defense - Hypermodern chess opening

Modern Defense

Definition

The Modern Defense is a hypermodern chess opening in which Black allows White to build a broad pawn center, then strikes back from the flanks. It most commonly begins with 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7, but the name is also used when Black plays …g6 against other first moves such as 1. d4 or 1. c4. The ECO codes are B06 and (after 1.d4) A40.

Main Idea & Typical Move-Order

By fianchettoing the kingside bishop on g7 and withholding an early commitment of the king’s knight or the d-pawn, Black keeps great flexibility:

1. Invite White to occupy the center with pawns (e4, d4, c4, f4).
2. Undermine that center later with pawn thrusts such as …c5, …e5 or …d5.
3. Choose the most appropriate setup—King’s-Indian style, Pirc style, or Benoni style—according to White’s reaction.

Strategic Themes

• Hypermodern Counter-punching – Black concedes classical space but targets the central pawns from a distance.
• Flexible Piece Placement – The knight may go to f6, e7, or even h6; the queen can appear on a5, b6, or c7.
• Pawn Levers – Timely breaks with …c5 and …e5 are critical. Delaying them too long can leave Black permanently cramped; playing them too soon can create weak squares.
• Transpositional Weapon – From the Modern, Black can transpose to the Pirc, King’s Indian, Gurgenidze, or Hippopotamus formations depending on taste.

Important Variations

• Tiger Modern: 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 a6!? – popularised by GM Tiger Hillarp Persson; Black prepares …b5 or …c5 and keeps …Nf6 in reserve.
• Gurgenidze: …c6 & …d5 structure, leading to Caro-Kann-like play.
• Austrian Attack: White plays f4 early (e.g., 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.f4 d6 4.Nf3), aiming for a kingside pawn storm; Black counters in the center.
• Three-Pawns Attack: 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c4, where White grabs enormous space; Black often counters with …c5 and/or …d6–…e5.
• Averbakh Variation: 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c4 d6 4.Nc3 Nf6, soon transposing to a King’s Indian-type struggle.

Historical Notes

The line embodies the hypermodern ideas championed by Richard Réti and Aron Nimzowitsch in the 1920s. GM Savielly Tartakower was among the first to play it regularly, thereby earning the opening’s original nickname, the “Robatsch” Defense, after Austrian IM Karl Robatsch, an active proponent in the 1950s–60s. Modern-day specialists include Michael Basman (who used it to generate unbalanced positions against much higher-rated opponents), Nigel Davies, Jon Speelman, and Tiger Hillarp Persson.

Model Games

1. Fischer – Benko, Portorož Interzonal 1958

A young Bobby Fischer shows how White can seize space yet still be punished for over-extension. Benko’s timely …e5 break produced dynamic counterplay and eventually a draw from a worse position.

(After 12…Re8 the dark-squared bishop glowers at the center while Black plans …exf4 and …Nc5.)

2. Kasparov – Basman, London 1983

GM Michael Basman uncorked a provocative Modern with …a6 and …b5. Although Kasparov eventually prevailed, the game demonstrated how awkward even the world’s best can feel when confronted by an off-beat Modern setup.

3. Hillarp Persson – Landa, European Club Cup 2001

A showcase of the Tiger Modern; Black never plays …Nf6, instead hunting for breaks with …c5, …e5, and …b5.

Common Plans for Both Sides

• For White
  • Clamp down on …c5 & …e5 by advancing pawns to c4 and f4.
  • Launch a quick kingside attack with h-pawn storms (especially in the Austrian Attack).
  • Occupy the center with e4–d4–c4 and restrict Black’s pieces.
• For Black
  • Castle kingside early; the fianchettoed bishop is your pride.
  • Chip at the center—…c5 or …e5 are thematic; sometimes both.
  • Use pawn breaks on the wing—…b5, …a6—to distract White.
  • Maintain flexibility: delaying …Nf6 prevents an early e4–e5 pawn fork.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• IM Michael Basman once quipped: “The Modern Defense is perfect for players who like losing quickly—because if you make one mistake, you’re busted; but if you get it right, you’re playing chess while your opponent studies manuals on controlling the center.”
• Karl Robatsch, whose name is often attached to the opening, was also an internationally renowned botanist specializing in orchids; at tournaments he allegedly spent as much time searching for rare flowers as he did preparing openings.
• Computer engines initially disdained the Modern, yet neural-network engines like Leela and AlphaZero have revived interest, frequently delaying early knight development and emphasizing long-term piece activity.
• Because the Modern can transpose almost anywhere, many opening books list it in multiple chapters, leading to the joke that “The Modern doesn’t belong in any book—it belongs in all of them.”

Practical Tips

If you choose the Modern as Black:

1. Study pawn-break timing; the whole opening revolves around knowing when to play …c5 or …e5.
2. Watch illustrative games by Basman and Hillarp Persson—these show both the power and the pitfalls.
3. Be psychologically ready for space cramp. Patience is a virtue.

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