Michael Ayton wrote on 06/29/17 at 11:16:04:
After 4 f4, personally I'd retreat to Pirc lines!
Well, that's of course a perfectly sound option, but playing the Modern against the Austrian should be fun as well!
JhF wrote on 05/13/10 at 17:17:27:
This is the mainline of the modern Austrian attack:
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4 a6 5. Nf3 b5 6. Bd3 Nd7 7. e5 c5 8. Be4 Rb8 9.0-0 cxd4 10.Nxd4 dxe5 11.Nc6 Qb6+ 12.Kh1
Quite an interesting and sharp line, which is covered in-depth in The Modern Tiger.
First of all, Black has an alternative along the way in 9...Nh6 intending 10.exd6 0-0!? with unclear play. In the position after 9...cxd4 and finally 12.Kh1, Tiger (p.33) briefly discusses 12...b4 (appearently a specialty by V. Nithander), but after 13.Na4! Qc7 (13...Qb5 14.c4!) 14. Nxb8 Qxb8 15.fxe5! (the engine likes this move best) Black's compensation seems dubious.
I remember a game played by Carlsen (Black) last year vs. Wei,Yi, which continued differently (but nevertheless just as exciting) with 8.Be3 Bb7 9.Be4 Bxe4 10.Nxe4 Nh6 11.dxc5 dxe5 and Carlsen went on to win.
I don't know about the current evaluation of this line (and the Modern Austrian in general!), but would be great to see more of these high-level examples!