Modern Defense
Move Sequence
e4— King's pawn.g6— Modern Defense: fianchetto without ...Nf6 — maximum flexibility.
The Modern Defence begins with 1.e4 g6 — even more hypermodern than the Pirc, because Black initially plays no pawn into the centre at all. After 2.d4 ♝g7 3.♞c3 d6 4.♞f3 ♞c6 a position arises that combines elements of the Pirc and the King's Indian but with more flexibility for Black. The Modern Defence is popular at amateur level because it requires little theory.
A common continuation is 5.♝e3 e5 6.d5 ♞de7 with a Benoni-like setup.
Strategy
Black sets up with maximum flexibility: the fianchettoed bishop on g7 watches the long diagonal, and Black only decides where to place the pawns after a few moves. This strategy prevents White from falling back on well-known opening theory early on. The player risk is that White often has good freedom of choice and can play actively if Black becomes too passive.
Typical Continuation
After 3.♞c3 d6 4.♞f3 ♞c6 5.♝e3 e5 6.d5 ♞de7 a Benoni-like structure arises. Alternatively Black plays a6 and b5 for queenside counterplay. The Modern is also known for the Hippopotamus system, in which Black places both knights on d7 and e7 in a very passive setup. At amateur level this works well as a surprise weapon.
Suitable for: Positional / flexible — for players who want to learn little theory and react flexibly to any White setup.