The Modern Defense (1.e4 g6) is the most flexible hypermodern reply to 1.e4. Black fianchettoes immediately without committing to ...Nf6 - keeping the option to transpose into a Pirc, an Accelerated Dragon Sicilian, or stay in pure Modern territory. The opening flourished in the 1960s-70s as players like Suttles and Norwood used it to confuse classical opponents.
Main line: Standard (2.d4 Bg7)
White builds a classical centre with 2.d4. Black completes the fianchetto with 2...Bg7, and the game often transposes to Pirc territory after ...d6 and ...Nf6 - but Black has the option to play ...d6 then ...a6 and ...b5 (the Tiger's Modern), or ...c6 and ...d5 (Caro-style), or ...Nc6 and ...e5 (Modern with central counterplay).
- 1.e4g6
- 2.d4Bg7
- 3.Nc3d6
- 4.f4a6
Variations
Tiger's Modern (...a6 + ...b5)
Tiger Hillarp Persson's signature line. Black delays ...Nf6 entirely and plays ...a6, ...b5, ...Nd7, ...Bb7 - a queenside expansion that makes the fianchettoed bishop on g7 even stronger. Avoids most Pirc theory and gets a position where Black has clear plans. Probably the most theoretically respectable Modern line today.
Averbakh System (2.d4 Bg7 3.c4)
White treats the Modern like a King's Indian, taking maximum central space. After 3.c4, Black can play 3...d6 transposing to KID, or 3...Nc6 with a flexible Modern setup, or even 3...c5 with a Benoni structure. The position becomes more positional and less hypermodern.
Austrian Attack (2.d4 + 3.Nc3 + 4.f4)
Just like in the Pirc, White can launch an early kingside pawn storm with f4 and e5. Black must counter quickly with ...c5 or ...Nc6 hitting the centre. Sharp, risky, and a Modern player's biggest challenge.
Common traps
Don't let White push e5 unchallenged: the Modern's pieces are aimed at the centre but the king is undefended. If White plays e5 and Black hasn't prepared ...d5 or ...c5 to counter, the bishop on g7 gets shut out and the king's position becomes terrible. Always have a central break ready.
Watch the long diagonal: this is the Modern player's main weapon and most common loss. The h8-a1 diagonal is the bishop's life, and any move that blocks it (like ...e5 at the wrong time) effectively trades your best piece for nothing.
Typical plans for Black
Modern players have several distinct plans depending on which structure they choose. The Tiger plan: ...a6, ...b5, ...Nd7, ...Bb7, ...c5 - queenside expansion with the fianchetto bishop dominating the long diagonal. The Hippopotamus plan: ...d6, ...e6, ...b6, ...Ne7, ...Bb7 - a passive crouch that waits for White to overextend. The Sniper plan: ...c5 quickly, transposing to Sicilian structures. The Modern is what you make of it - which is its strength and its weakness.
If you want maximum transposition options and a way to confuse 1.e4 players, the Modern is the broadest opening of all. The drills below cover the Tiger Modern, Averbakh, and Austrian.