ECO family guide

Modern Defense — all variations and ECO codes

39 named lines across 7 ECO codes (A04–B27), spanning ECO volumes A, B. Source: the CC0-licensed lichess.org opening database.

The main line

Position after 1.e4 g6 (B06). Open this line on Lichess → · Modern Defense on Lichess

How the main line scores at your rating

Real Lichess win rates for 1.e4 g6, playing as black — the family's other variations are not separately tracked for win rate yet, main line only.

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Win/draw/loss rate by rating band
Rating band	Games	White / draw / Black	Score for black
1400-1600	16,075,844	48.7% / 4.0% / 47.3%	49.3%
1600-1800	19,718,619	49.1% / 4.2% / 46.7%	48.8%
1800-2000	16,420,049	49.3% / 4.5% / 46.2%	48.5%
2000+	11,034,503	48.4% / 5.4% / 46.3%	49.0%

All 39 named variations

Every named line in the Modern Defense family, from the CC0-licensed ECO classification — not separately tracked for win rate, but every ECO code and move sequence is real, sourced data.

A41Modern Defense (main line) — 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6
B06Modern Defense (main line) — 1.e4 g6
B06Modern Defense (main line) — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7
Semi-Averbakh Variation
- A04Polish Variation — 1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.e4 Qb6
- A04Pterodactyl Variation — 1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.e4 Qa5+
- A04Pterodactyl Variation Accepted — 1.Nf3 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.e4 d6 4.c4 c5 5.dxc5 Qa5+
- B06Pterodactyl Variation Declined — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c4 c5 4.Nf3 d6 5.Be2 Qa5+
A40Beefeater Variation — 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 f5
Lizard Defense
- A40Pirc-Diemer Gambit — 1.d4 g6 2.h4 Nf6 3.h5
- B06Mittenberger Gambit — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d5
A41Neo-Modern Defense — 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 e5
A42Averbakh System — 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4
Averbakh Variation
- A42Pseudo-Sämisch — 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 d6 4.Be3 Nf6 5.f3
A42Kotov Variation — 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 Nc6
A42Randspringer Variation — 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 f5
B06Anti-Modern — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.Bc4 d6 5.Qe2
B06Bishop Attack — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Bc4
- B06Bücker Gambit — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Bc4 b5
- B06Monkey's Bum — 1.e4 g6 2.Bc4 Bg7 3.Qf3 e6 4.d4 Bxd4
B06Dunworthy Variation — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c4 d5 4.exd5 c6 5.dxc6 Bxd4
B06Fianchetto Gambit — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 f5
B06Gurgenidze Defense — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4 d5 5.e5 h5
B06Masur Gambit — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nh6 3.Nc3 f5 4.Bxh6 Bxh6 5.exf5 O-O
B06Modern Pterodactyl — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5
Mongredien Defense
- B06with Nc3 — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 b6
- B06with Nf3 — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 b6
B06Norwegian Defense — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6
- B06Norwegian Gambit — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6 3.e5 Nh5 4.Be2 d6
B06Pseudo-Austrian Attack — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4
B06Standard Defense — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6
B06Standard Line — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3
B06Three Pawns Attack — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.f4
B06Two Knights Variation — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Nf3
- B06Suttles Variation — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 d6
  - B06Tal Gambit — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Nf3 c6 5.Bg5 Qb6 6.Qd2 Qxb2
B06Westermann Gambit — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Bd2
B06Wind Gambit — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Bd3
B07Geller's System — 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.c3
B27Pterodactyl Variation — 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.Nc3 Qa5