The Hungarian Opening: Myers Defense — Your Guide as Black

By playing 1...g5, you step away from standard opening principles to claim early space on the kingside. This is not a passive system — you intend to fight for control of the centre and the f4-square in particular. The engine evaluates the position after 1.g3 g5 at +1.14, a clear advantage for White. That means you are clearly worse here objectively, but the position remains sharp and full of chances for counterplay. Most club opponents will not know how to handle the Myers Defense, and the statistics show that Black still scores a respectable 38.2% win rate across almost sixty thousand games. You are playing for an imbalanced middlegame where your opponent can easily go wrong.

Stockfish's top choice in this position is d4. That move alone tells you something important: White wants to seize the centre immediately, ignoring your g5-pawn for the moment. The engine's planned continuation runs d4 h6 h4 g4 — White will chase your g-pawn and open lines on the kingside. When you face a player who knows theory, expect this precise sequence. Your task is not to prevent d4, but to anticipate it and keep your position flexible. The g4-square may become a weakness later, so be ready to defend without overextending.

By far the most common reply is Bg2 (45,937 games, White scores 57.6%). Fianchettoing the bishop looks natural, and it wins more than half the time — but it is not the engine's first choice. The second most popular move, b3 (2,768 games, White scores 55.5%), is actually a mistake according to Stockfish, losing roughly 1.2 pawns of advantage. If you see b3, the position is now closer to equal than it should be. e3 (1,173 games, White scores 49.8%) is an inaccuracy, losing about 0.6 pawns compared to the best move d4. White is not punished severely for these moves at the board, but every small edge you can claw back makes a difference in a sharp opening like this one.

The FACTS list two concrete errors White can make in this position. The first is b3, which Stockfish marks as a mistake. If your opponent plays b3, be encouraged — they have dropped roughly 1.2 pawns of their starting advantage. The second is e3, an inaccuracy that costs about 0.6 pawns. Against b3 or e3, Black's prospects improve significantly. Your best response in either case is to continue developing naturally while keeping an eye on the centre. The engine recommends d4 as White's best move; if your opponent chooses anything else, you are getting a better deal than the raw eval suggests.

The Hungarian Opening: Myers Defense is not for every game. It is a surprise weapon, best used when you want to avoid theory and create early imbalances. The statistics show a 55.9% White win rate and only 5.9% draws — meaning games are sharp and decisive. The low draw rate is a clue: this opening leads to fighting chess where both sides have clear targets. If you enjoy positions where your opponent can hang on to an objective advantage on paper but frequently misplay it in practice, the Myers Defense is a fine addition to your repertoire. Just remember that after your opponent's most accurate reply (d4), the engine says you are clearly worse — so be ready to defend accurately and wait for your chance to counter.