Modern Defense: Gurgenidze Defense
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. f4 d5 5. e5 h5
The Modern Defense: Gurgenidze Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B06, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. f4 d5 5. e5 h5. It is a line of the Modern Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 40 times by this move order. White won 55%, 5% were drawn and Black won 40%. The most popular continuation is 6. Nf3 (48% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.55 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Be2 e6 8. Be3 Bf8)
- ECO
- B06
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
rnbqk1nr/pp2ppb1/2p3p1/3pP2p/3P1P2/2N5/PPP3PP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. f4 d5 5. e5 h5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 6 | |
| 2000+ | 34 | |
| All | 40 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Nf3 | 19 (48%) | |
| 6. Bd3 | 10 (25%) | |
| 6. Be3 | 7 (18%) | |
| 6. h3 | 3 (8%) | |
| 6. Be2 | 1 (3%) |
Master games
332 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 18%, Black 39%). The strongest:
- Ethereal14.35 (3523) – Stockfishdev-20240413-c55ae376 (3657) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-05-09
- Stockfishdev-20240413-c55ae376 (3657) – Ethereal14.35 (3523) 1-0 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-05-06
- RubiChess20240420 (3531) – LCZero0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-6147500 (3628) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-05-09
- LCZero0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-6147500 (3628) – RubiChess20240420 (3531) 1-0 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-05-06
- KomodoDragon3.3 (3592) – StoofvleesII d2 (3479) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-05-09
Search all games of the Modern Defense: Gurgenidze Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- nuitet989893 (2592) – Zenit-Champion (2693) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- forkthegovernment (2494) – IMabdo1 (2374) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- benga77 (2420) – SHTRAF_BAT (2443) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Modern Defense: Standard Line 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3
More Modern Defense lines (all)
- Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Polish Variation A04
- Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Pterodactyl Variation A04
- Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Pterodactyl Variation Accepted A04
- Modern Defense: Beefeater Variation A40
- Modern Defense: Lizard Defense, Pirc-Diemer Gambit A40
- Modern Defense (3. Nc3 d6) A41
- Modern Defense: Neo-Modern Defense A41
- Modern Defense: Averbakh System A42
- Modern Defense: Averbakh Variation, Pseudo-Sämisch A42
- Modern Defense: Kotov Variation A42
- Modern Defense: Randspringer Variation A42
- Modern Defense (1. e4 g6) B06
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.