Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Pterodactyl Variation
1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qa5+
The Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Pterodactyl Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO A04, reached after 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qa5+. It is a line of the Modern Defense. White is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.
Engine evaluation: +0.44 (Stockfish, depth 53; best line 5. Nc3 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nc6 7. Be3 d6)
- ECO
- A04
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnb1k1nr/pp1pppbp/6p1/q1p5/2PPP3/5N2/PP3PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qa5+
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
21 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 48%, draw 23%, Black 29%). The strongest:
- GM Levan Pantsulaia (2573) – GM Denis Khismatullin (2682) 1-0 · Nakhchivan Open 2014 · 2014-05-11
- GM Naroditsky, D. (2646) – GM Vladimir Belous (2564) 0-1 · PRO League Pacific 2017 · 2017-01-25
- GM Anton Kovalyov (2617) – GM Eugene Perelshteyn (2499) 1-0 · 12th Foxwoods Open 2014 · 2014-01-24
- GM Pawel Czarnota (2545) – GM Lukasz Cyborowski (2560) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-POL Ekstraliga 2012 · 2012-09-15
- IM Marcel Kanarek (2508) – GM Tomasz Markowski (2574) 0-1 · Najdorf Mem Open A 2015 · 2015-07-13
Comes from
Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation 1. Nf3 c5
Continuations
- Pterodactyl Defense A42 · 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 Qa5+ 5. Nc3 d6
More Modern Defense lines (all)
- Modern Defense: Semi-Averbakh Variation, Polish 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.