Modern Defense
Black prepares the long-diagonal bishop before deciding where the kingside knight belongs. White gains central space; compare Black's flexibility with the need to challenge that space before it becomes overwhelming.
Your plan as White
Occupy the center and develop without chasing the bishop unnecessarily.
The opponent’s plan
Use the bishop on g7 to pressure the center; the flexible knight development depends on White's setup.
Watch out: Confusing flexibility with passivity can allow an uncontested central advance.
Opening game…
Practice this line as White.
Play three moves from the line you watched. Hints draw an arrow on the board. Complete a fresh attempt without hints or retries to pass.
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Name, background and sources
The Modern describes a flexible early kingside fianchetto. It is closely related to the Pirc, but can delay the kingside knight; this lesson does not assign it a single inventor.
Read the opening background on Chess.com ↗Lichess opening names and reference lines (CC0)
ChessSum provides original explanatory notes. Related lines are labeled separately. Reference lines illustrate ideas; they are not a claim that every other legal move is wrong.
Watch how the center and piece development change. Each arrow previews the next move.