Mtal wrote on 06/14/20 at 04:45:07:
Hi all,
I was wondering, is the modern a good try vs say d4 and c4, or other queen pawn openings? I guess as black you could probably play either a dinzi indian or an Averbach (or maybe some kind of benoni). I was also thinking some kid like positions (but not actually the kid so it is less theory). Was also thinking I could play f5 too or a hippo.. Well if any one does play g6 vs d4, please let me know any tips on how to play it. Thanks.
Unfortunately, after 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 (or 1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.c4), the strong Modern Defense players believe that black should transpose to the King's Indian with 3...d6 4.Nc3 Nf6. So says GM Hillarp Persson in the first edition of his book (I don't have the second edition), so says IM Vigorito who handles the King's Indian for chesspublishing, and so say all the strong Modern Defense players of my acquaintance. Anything else is taking a big risk.
1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 is already an Averbakh -- the Averbakh is a system for white! In this move order, for black there's no Dzindzhi, there's no ...f5, and the hippo is not great at all when white has played c4. You can try a Benoni, but if white plays classically it's likely to be just a King's Indian (...c5 flavor) after all.
You might want to investigate a move order 1.d4 d6!? when 2.c4 e5 avoids King's Indian territory. Or if 1.d4 d6 2.e4 g6 3.c4 e5!? is still playable for black. Against anything except 3.c4 you get a playable non-King's Indian Modern. It's no panacea though, because 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.Nf3 and 3.Nc3 are good moves which require some effort for black to play well. And 1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 might also require a creative solution, if black is not satisfied to transpose to a King's Indian.
It might seem that 1.d4 g6 2.c4 d6 accomplishes the same thing as 1.d4 d6, but white can cross you up with 3.Nc3. There's still no Dzindzhi, 3...f5 I just do not trust, the hippo has the same objection as before. That leaves 3...Bg7 4.e4 and now what?
There is one final option. In
Tiger's Modern, even though he doesn't believe in it himself, Hillarp Persson offers a line with 4...e5. To recap, it's 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 d6 4.Nc3 e5. He gives some analysis based on Morozevich. I took a look and found some improvements for white, such that I also don't believe in it. But you might find a way to make this or some other pure Modern line work, at least in practical over-the-board play. Again, it all depends on your tolerance for risk.