Modern defence

The Modern defence

								[[Image:chess rd d44.png|22px|alt=h8 black rook]]
								[[Image:chess pd l44.png|22px|alt=h7 black pawn]]
								[[Image:chess __ d44.png|22px|alt=h6 __|link=]]
								[[Image:chess __ l44.png|22px|alt=h5 __|link=]]
								[[Image:chess __ d44.png|22px|alt=h4 __|link=]]
								[[Image:chess __ l44.png|22px|alt=h3 __|link=]]
								[[Image:chess pl d44.png|22px|alt=h2 white pawn]]
								[[Image:chess rl l44.png|22px|alt=h1 white rook]]

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The Modern defence is a chess opening. It is almost the only defence which can be played against any opening move; and it may be played as an opening move itself. It consists in the immediate fianchetto of the king's bishop (KB). The first moves might be:

1.e4 g6

2.d4 Bg7

The opening is hypermodern. Instead of occupying the center, Black counter-attacks the center built up by White. The system is extremely flexible, and there are many transpositions. There are players, including a few grandmasters, who play almost nothing but the Modern with white and black.