Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3
The Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B06, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3. It is a line of the Modern Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,158 times by this move order. White won 50%, 5% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 4… Nf6 (38% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.52 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 4… Nf6 5. Be3 O-O 6. Qd2 Nbd7 7. h3)
- ECO
- B06
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
rnbqk1nr/ppp1ppbp/3p2p1/8/3PP3/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 1 4- PGN
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 201 | |
| 1500-1999 | 580 | |
| 2000+ | 377 | |
| All | 1,158 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… Nf6 | 435 (38%) | |
| 4… a6 | 160 (14%) | |
| 4… Nc6 | 157 (14%) | |
| 4… Nd7 | 137 (12%) | |
| 4… Bg4 | 81 (7%) | |
| 4… c6 | 63 (5%) | |
| 4… e6 | 43 (4%) | |
| 4… b6 | 15 (1%) |
Master games
1,796 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 37%, draw 20%, Black 43%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.28-dev+_69626 (3623) – Stockfish 14_202107131735 (3639) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Superfinal 2021 · 2021-07-26
- Stockfish 14_202107131735 (3639) – LCZero 0.28-dev+_69626 (3623) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Superfinal 2021 · 2021-07-26
- GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2784) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2862) 1-0 · chess.com Speed 2020 · 2020-12-12
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2859) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2766) 1-0 · chess.com SpeedChess 2022 · 2022-12-13
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2862) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2749) 1-0 · Magnus-Alireza 27th Feb · 2021-02-27
Search all games of the Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- AstorMonserrat (2695) – FM Heisenberg01 (2818) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- Barry_Lindon (2612) – bombokobombo123456 (2734) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- NeuroChess-Academie (2690) – stepbyestep (2608) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Modern Defense: Standard Defense 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6
Continuations
- Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation, Suttles Variation, Tal Gambit B06 · 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 c6 5. Bg5 Qb6 6. Qd2 Qxb2
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.