Current setup
Move ideas
Claims the center with a pawn and opens lines for the queen and king’s bishop.
Idea: Build quick development and make early castling possible.
Advances the g-pawn to gain kingside space and control new squares.
Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.
Advances to d4 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.
Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.
Develops the knight to h6, bringing it into the game.
Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.
Develops the knight to c3, bringing it into the game.
Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.
Advances the f-pawn to gain kingside space and control new squares.
Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.
Captures the knight on h6 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Captures the bishop on h6 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Captures the pawn on f5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Open lines in the kingside and reshape the center for the next phase.
Tucks the king away and activates the rook in a single move.
Idea: Finish kingside development so the central pieces can coordinate safely.
Waiting for Lichess game popularity.
Each line below is an indexed entry under Modern Defense. Open one to load it on the board and keep exploring from that position.
13 more named lines sit inside this family — the tree above walks all of them.
ECO groups openings by the structures they lead to, so these families tend to share plans with the Modern Defense.