Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 Qa5
The Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon is a chess opening classified as ECO B06, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 Qa5. It is a line of the Pterodactyl 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: +1.40 (Stockfish, depth 31; best line 6. Bd2 Nf6 7. f3 d6 8. a4 e5)
- ECO
- B06
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
rnb1k1nr/pp1ppp1p/6p1/q1pP4/4P3/2P5/P1P2PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 Qa5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
3 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 100%, draw 0%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- IM Vardges Tovmasian (2358) – FM Charles H Storey (2095) 1-0 · Abu Dhabi Masters Online · 2025-08-18
- FM Artem Bardyk (2268) – FM Charles H Storey (2159) 1-0 · Titled Tue 11th Jun Late · 2024-06-11
- FM Alimzhan Zhauynbay (2070) – FM Charles H Storey (2095) 1-0 · Abu Dhabi Masters Online · 2025-08-18
Search all games of the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon and its sub-variations
Comes from
Modern Defense: Modern Pterodactyl 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5
More Pterodactyl Defense lines (all)
- Pterodactyl Defense: Central, Benoni Beefeater Pterodactyl A40
- Pterodactyl Defense: Central, Benoni Pterodactyl A40
- Pterodactyl Defense: Fianchetto, Queen Benoni Pterodactyl A40
- Pterodactyl Defense: Fianchetto, Queen Pteranodon A40
- Pterodactyl Defense: Fianchetto, Queen Pterodactyl A40
- Pterodactyl Defense: Queen Pterodactyl, Quiet Line A40
- Pterodactyl Defense A42
- Pterodactyl Defense: Central, Bogolubovia A42
- Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Austriadactylus Western B06
- Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Grand Prix Pterodactyl B06
- Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Pteranodon B06
- Pterodactyl Defense: Central, Anhanguera 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.