Chessy
How to Play Against the Modern Defense
After 1.e4, the Modern Defense (1...g6) defers everything — Black plans to fianchetto the bishop and strike the center later from a distance. Stockfish gives White a healthy +0.62 and the data confirms a real edge. Try holding that advantage in the drill below.
Practice playing against the Modern Defense
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Create a free account →What the Modern is waiting for
1...g6 makes no immediate central commitment. Black's plan is ...Bg7, ...d6, ...Nf6 — setting up a fianchettoed bishop that controls the long diagonal and waits for White to open the center. It's a patient, flexible strategy: Black aims to counterattack rather than establish early. White leads 48.9% to 47.1% across 45 million Lichess games — a genuine edge, though narrower than the +0.62 engine evaluation suggests.
How to respond as White
- d4 — recommended — Stockfish's top choice, played in 18.0M games; White scores 49.8%. Build the full center immediately.
- f4 — the aggressive option; actually the highest-scoring try at 50.1% in 2.1M games, but requires more tactical alertness than d4.
- Nf3 — flexible (13.2M games), but scores only 48.5% — below the d4 options.
- Bc4 — the longest reach; 48.6% in 4.7M games, nearly matching Nf3.
- Nc3 — 49.0% in 2.8M games; solid but a half-step below d4.
- d3 — the passive retreat at 47.0% in 1.2M games; surrenders most of the space advantage.
Building a solid White setup
Play d4 and follow with Nc3 (the engine's recommended sequence). The goal is a classical center with pawns on e4 and d4, developed pieces, and kingside castling — exactly what the Modern tries to undermine. Don't rush f4 or g4 without proper preparation; premature kingside advances give Black the very counterplay they're waiting for. The disciplined d4/Nc3 plan holds the center and outscores d3 by nearly three points.
Engine vs. practical scorelines
Stockfish calls d4 the best move (line: d4 Bg7 Nc3 d6), and d4 scores 49.8% in practice — good alignment between engine and data. Interestingly, f4 (50.1%) edges d4 by a fraction in the practical scoreline, though it's played in far fewer games (2.1M vs 18.0M). White's overall +0.62 is the largest engine edge across your assigned slugs, meaning the position is genuinely promising — but only if you occupy the center rather than drift with d3 (47.0%).
Results across 45,345,547 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| d4 | 18,026,025 | 49.8% |
| Nf3 | 13,234,439 | 48.5% |
| Bc4 | 4,659,828 | 48.6% |
| Nc3 | 2,775,738 | 49.0% |
| f4 | 2,059,037 | 50.1% |
| d3 | 1,172,029 | 47.0% |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best reply to the Modern Defense?
d4, followed by Nc3. It's Stockfish's recommendation and scores 49.8% across 18 million Lichess games. f4 scores fractionally higher (50.1%) but demands sharper play.
Is the Modern Defense the same as the Pirc?
Close cousins — both involve g6 and a fianchettoed bishop — but the Modern keeps more flexibility by not committing the d-pawn early (1...g6 vs 1...d6 in the Pirc). White's edge and best responses are similar in both.
Why is d3 so bad against the Modern?
d3 scores only 47.0% for White — below the overall White average and nearly three points below d4. It hands the entire positional initiative to Black, whose fianchettoed bishop becomes dominant when White has no d4 challenge.
Should I try to attack quickly with f4 and f5 against the Modern?
f4 scores 50.1%, so it works — but only with proper preparation (d4 and Nc3 first). Pushing f4 before establishing the center tends to backfire. The engine starts with d4 for that reason.
How many games feature the Modern Defense?
Over 45 million Lichess games have reached the Modern Defense position. White wins 48.9%, Black wins 47.1%, with 4.0% draws — based on real rated games.