Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Polish Variation
1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qb6
The Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Polish Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO A04, reached after 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qb6. It is a line of the Modern Defense. White is to move.
This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.
Engine evaluation: +0.66 (Stockfish, depth 42; best line 5. dxc5 Qxc5 6. Be2 d6 7. O-O Bg4)
- ECO
- A04
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnb1k1nr/pp1pppbp/1q4p1/2p5/2PPP3/5N2/PP3PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qb6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
16 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 31%, Black 25%). The strongest:
- GM Boris Alterman (2603) – GM Zahar Efimenko (2641) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-ISR 2018 · 2018-02-09
- GM Alon Greenfeld (2545) – GM Andrei Istratescu (2664) 1-0 · 17th Corsican Circuit Final · 2013-10-20
- GM Anton Kovalyov (2617) – GM Mikheil Kekelidze (2461) 1-0 · 12th Foxwoods Open 2014 · 2014-01-25
- GM Anton Kovalyov (2614) – IM Bryan Smith (2441) 1/2-1/2 · COQ Invitational 2012 · 2012-07-22
- GM Nebojsa Nikcevic (2432) – GM Jozsef Horvath (2500) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-CRO 2a Liga 2013 · 2013-09-17
Comes from
Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation 1. Nf3 c5
More Modern Defense lines (all)
- 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
- Modern Defense (2. d4 Bg7) 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.