Modern Defense: Mongredien Defense, with Nf3
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Statistics from Lichess
1,190,010 games: White 51.4% / Draw 4.3% / Black 44.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 324,964325K | ||
| 202,757203K | ||
| 144,718145K | ||
| 127,546128K | ||
| 111,164111K | ||
| 95,24995K | ||
| 90,21390K | ||
| 20,64721K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.24 White is better
Best play: 4. Nc3 d6 5. e5 e6 6. Bf4 a6 7. exd6 cxd6 8. Ne4 Bf8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 48% under 1400, 44% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 467K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.2M | |
| 1800–2199 | 515K | |
| 2200 and up | 14K | |
| Masters, over the board | 21 |
Master games
- Leko, P. – Kamsky, G.
- Duda, J. – Maghsoodloo, P.
- Rublevsky, S. – Kamsky, G.
- Alekseev, E. – Fedoseev, V.
- Sargissian, G. – Perez Ponsa, F.
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: Mongredien Defense, with Nf3 (ECO B06, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Modern Defense, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 b6 (3 moves).
In 1,190,010 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.4%, Black 44.3% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nc3, in 27% 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: Mongredien Defense, with Nf3
4. Bc4 scores best for White: 55.0%, with White winning 53.1% and Black 43.0% of 203K games. The most played, 4. Nc3, scores 54.4% in 325K games, and 4. e5 scores lowest: 49.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Nc3.
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
Popularity by year
The Modern Defense: Mongredien Defense, with Nf3 has stayed between 0.04% and 0.048% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.045% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.044% | 15,869 |
| 2017 | 0.042% | 23,268 |
| 2018 | 0.04% | 31,789 |
| 2019 | 0.046% | 57,716 |
| 2020 | 0.043% | 126,891 |
| 2021 | 0.046% | 178,922 |
| 2022 | 0.048% | 180,018 |
| 2023 | 0.048% | 181,081 |
| 2024 | 0.048% | 171,267 |
| 2025 | 0.045% | 155,169 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.044% | 48,415 |
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: Mongredien Defense, with Nf3 (B06)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/modern-defense-mongredien-defense-with-nf3