Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation, Suttles Variation
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 d6
The Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation, Suttles Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B06, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 d6. 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 74 times by this move order. White won 50%, 8% were drawn and Black won 42%. The most popular continuation is 5. Bc4 (23% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.53 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 5. a4 Nf6 6. h3 O-O 7. Be3 b6)
- ECO
- B06
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqk1nr/pp2ppbp/2pp2p1/8/3PP3/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 d6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 2 | |
| 1500-1999 | 35 | |
| 2000+ | 37 | |
| All | 74 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Bc4 | 17 (23%) | |
| 5. h3 | 16 (22%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 15 (20%) | |
| 5. Bd3 | 12 (16%) | |
| 5. Be2 | 5 (7%) | |
| 5. Bf4 | 2 (3%) | |
| 5. h4 | 2 (3%) | |
| 5. a4 | 2 (3%) |
Master games
757 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 31%, draw 27%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- GM Arkadij Naiditsch (2705) – GM Levon Aronian (2815) 1/2-1/2 · FIDE World Rapid 2014 · 2014-06-17
- GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2780) – GM Dmitry Andreikin (2724) 1/2-1/2 · Jerusalem FIDE Grand Prix · 2019-12-16
- GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2780) – GM Dmitry Andreikin (2725) 1/2-1/2 · PRO League Group Stage · 2019-02-19
- GM Peter Svidler (2749) – GM Victor Bologan (2732) 1-0 · World Blitz Final · 2012-07-09
- GM Gadir Guseinov (2645) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2832) 0-1 · chess.com Speed 3m+2spm 2017 · 2017-10-04
Highest-rated Lichess games
- InvadedDorms (2630) – NM Marohzevich (2526) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- AMRULLAH_MF (2442) – melgabry (2474) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
- FM Smirnov_Alexandr (2506) – Serzh1105 (2319) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 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.