Modern Defense: Beefeater Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
131,244 games: White 42.9% / Draw 5.1% / Black 52.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 31,49631K | ||
| 27,66128K | ||
| 15,14915K | ||
| 11,04911K | ||
| 9,0539,053 | ||
| 8,1758,175 | ||
| 7,9417,941 | ||
| 4,8444,844 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.87 White is better
Best play: 6. h4 Nf6 7. h5 Rg8 8. hxg6 hxg6 9. d6 Nc6 10. Nh3 Qa5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Modern Defense: Beefeater Variation (ECO A40, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Queen's Pawn Game: Modern Defense, reached after 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 f5 (5 moves).
In 131,244 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.9%, Black 52.0% and 5.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nf3, in 24% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Modern Defense: Beefeater Variation
6. e4 scores best for White: 50.4%, with White winning 47.6% and Black 46.7% of 28K games. The most played, 6. Nf3, scores 44.2% in 31K games, and 6. Bg5 scores lowest: 42.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. h4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Modern Defense: Beefeater Variation (A40)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/modern-defense-beefeater-variation