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Since the modern defence is a hypermodern opening, it focuses on controlling the center through pieces not pawns. Therefore, I find it an advantage to block these pieces by pawns. So, I defend against the modern defence like this ..

[fen ""]
1. e4 g6 2. e5

The idea is to block the bishop that is coming to g7 with 2...Bg7, and to prevent the knight from going to f6 and thus prevents castling kingside.

Now, if Black tries to attack the pawn, this happens ..

[fen ""]
1. e4 g6 2. e5 f6 3. d4 fxe5 4. dxe5 d6 5. Nf3

If Black takes the pawn, then white is clearly ahead in development. If he doesn't, then he can't deploy his pieces effectively.

Anything wrong with this plan ?

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11
  • 3
    What if black plays 3…d6 instead of fxe5? With the idea to take dxe5 in the next move and possibly Qxd1+ down the line.
    – BlindKungFuMaster
    Commented Sep 21, 2015 at 13:46
  • 3
    After 2... d6 it looks like a very good version of Alekhine's defense for black.
    – Dag Oskar Madsen
    Commented Sep 21, 2015 at 16:01
  • 1
    Or, as a different view on the last 2 comments, e5 before black has played Nf6 doesn't gain a tempo by kicking the knight, all other things being equal, so now Black can play a version of their favourite hyper-modern defence a tempo up. It's sort of why the Pirc is both more immediately dangerous for both black AND white than the modern.
    – Ian Bush
    Commented Sep 21, 2015 at 16:45
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    @AmrAyman But no modern, Pirc or similar player would play 5 ... dxc5. Qa5+ regains the pawn with advantage to black.
    – Ian Bush
    Commented Sep 21, 2015 at 17:28
  • 1
    1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8 is a kind of Alekhine's which is not popular but is playable, e.g., Petrosian has played it. Now give Black two extra tempi: 3. "pass" g6 4. "pass" and we transpose into your line.
    – bof
    Commented Sep 21, 2015 at 22:49

2 Answers 2

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5

OK, not really an answer as it's looking entirely at what I, a complete Pirc addict, would play, there may well be better lines. But unfortunately you can't stick a pgn in a comment, so here's a few minutes work with Fritz to see what it thinks - after all it's a much better player than I. Numbers are in units of pawns, negative numbers mean advantage to black. Note the numbers appear in the box below the board once the last move of the line is played. Lines quoted are from the top 4 selected by Fritz, biased where appropriate by the comments above, and in each case I left it a few minutes for the evaluation to settle down.

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.09.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "????"]
[Black "????"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B06"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[FEN ""]

1. e4 g6 2. e5 Bg7 3. d4 d6 4. f4 c5 5. Nf3 (5. dxc5 Qa5+ 6. Qd2 {-0.21}) (5.
c3 dxe5 6. fxe5 cxd4 7. cxd4 {-0.32}) (5. d5 dxe5 6. fxe5 Bxe5 {-0.48}) 5...
cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nh6 (6... Nc6 7. Qd2 {-0.70}) 7. Bb5+ {-0.77} *

So not disastrous for white but according to Fritz at least he has thrown away his first move advantage.

Oh, and the point about the tempo is that by playing e5 before black has played Nf6 is that the knight can wait snuggly at home, thinking about where to go. If you wait until after Nf6 has happened black has to "waste" a move, after which you can further your evil plan. Compare the above with

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.09.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "????"]
[Black "????"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B09"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[TimeControl "1"]
[FEN ""]

 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3
d6 4. f4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. e5 {+0.07} Ng4 *
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2
  • Well, I admit 2...e5 is not a brilliancy or anything, but it results in a position (as in the first figure) where I personally feel more comfortable to play compared to the main line (as in the second figure).
    – Amr Ayman
    Commented Sep 21, 2015 at 19:03
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    As a modern player I feel that Ian's approach is thematic. I generally hope for White to play e5 as it not a good use of tempo for a pawn that will probably be exchanged anyway. On the other hand, I have lost many a game where White first prepared e5 and then played it with devastating timing. I think the weakest part of e5 early is that you give away this future attack.
    – Michael West
    Commented Nov 12, 2020 at 20:51
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I am old enough to remember when the Pirc and Modern were new and controversial. At that time, when explaining them to beginners, one talked about "luring the White Pawns forward to where they can be attacked". With 2.e5, White voluntarily sticks his head above the parapet. The reply ..f6 does not meaningfully attack the Pawn, but creates a weakness and impedes the development of two pieces. I like 2..c5, to followed by ..Nc6 ..Bg7 and ..d6. White is then definitely on the defensive (but probably not yet lost)

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