Modern Defense: Standard Defense
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6
The Modern Defense: Standard Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B06, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6. It is a line of the Modern Defense. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 5,795 times by this move order. White won 51%, 5% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 4. Be3 (39% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.52 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 4. Be3 Nf6 5. Qd2 c6 6. Nf3 O-O)
- ECO
- B06
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnbqk1nr/ppp1ppbp/3p2p1/8/3PP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 424 | |
| 1500-1999 | 2,527 | |
| 2000+ | 2,844 | |
| All | 5,795 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Be3 | 2,251 (39%) | |
| 4. Nf3 Two Knights Variation | 1,158 (20%) | |
| 4. f4 Pseudo-Austrian Attack | 887 (15%) | |
| 4. Bg5 | 379 (7%) | |
| 4. Bc4 | 274 (5%) | |
| 4. Bf4 | 207 (4%) | |
| 4. f3 | 131 (2%) | |
| 4. h3 | 112 (2%) |
Master games
8,404 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 42%, draw 16%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) – Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-23
- Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) – LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-23
- LCZero 0.31-dag-e429eeb-BT3-2790000 (3642) – Stockfish dev-20231010-00263636 (3673) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-10-12
- Stockfish dev-20231010-00263636 (3673) – LCZero 0.31-dag-e429eeb-BT3-2790000 (3642) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-10-12
- LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) – Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-02
Search all games of the Modern Defense: Standard Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- AstorMonserrat (2695) – FM Heisenberg01 (2818) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- ReluctantCannibal (2815) – FM Brastrodamus (2659) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- jimborever (2805) – FM Brastrodamus (2656) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Modern Defense: Standard Line 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3
Continuations
- Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack B06 · 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4
- Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation B06 · 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3
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.