Modern Defense: Geller's System
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Statistics from Lichess
1,608,415 games: White 46.2% / Draw 5.1% / Black 48.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 721,004721K | ||
| 199,626200K | ||
| 178,435178K | ||
| 162,966163K | ||
| 86,46086K | ||
| 70,96371K | ||
| 53,10153K | ||
| 35,15635K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 3, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.45 White is slightly better
Best play: 4... Nf6 5. Bd3 Nbd7 6. O-O O-O 7. h3 e5 8. Re1 a5 9. a4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 49% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 55% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 273K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1M | |
| 1800–2199 | 893K | |
| 2200 and up | 81K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,310 |
Master games
- Aronian, L. – Grischuk, A.
- Karjakin, S. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Aronian, L. – Wei Yi
- Aronian, L. – Artemiev, V.
- Karjakin, S. – Svidler, P.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Modern Defense: Geller's System (ECO B07, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Modern Defense, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. c3 (4 moves).
In 1,608,415 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.2%, Black 48.6% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Nf6, in 45% 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: Geller's System
4…Nc6 scores best for Black: 52.6%, with Black winning 50.1% and White 44.8% of 178K games. The most played, 4…Nf6, scores 52.6% in 721K games, and 4…Bg4 scores lowest: 47.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…Nf6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Modern Defense: Geller's System has gained ground since 2016: 0.064% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.051%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.051% | 18,194 |
| 2017 | 0.059% | 32,413 |
| 2018 | 0.058% | 45,451 |
| 2019 | 0.059% | 73,719 |
| 2020 | 0.059% | 173,543 |
| 2021 | 0.059% | 231,823 |
| 2022 | 0.063% | 235,308 |
| 2023 | 0.064% | 242,485 |
| 2024 | 0.065% | 234,702 |
| 2025 | 0.064% | 222,778 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.065% | 71,166 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Modern Defense: Geller's System (B07)”. Lichess data as of 3 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/modern-defense-gellers-system