Modern Defense: Pseudo-Austrian Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
982,021 games: White 52.8% / Draw 4.9% / Black 42.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 383,966384K | ||
| 144,567145K | ||
| 133,010133K | ||
| 100,906101K | ||
| 79,00079K | ||
| 49,37049K | ||
| 26,34026K | ||
| 15,41215K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.45 White is slightly better
Best play: 4... Nf6 5. Bd3 O-O 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O e5 8. d5 Nd4 9. f5
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 54% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 55% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 36K | |
| 1400–1799 | 205K | |
| 1800–2199 | 583K | |
| 2200 and up | 258K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5,422 |
Master games
- Anand, V. – Caruana, F.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Anand, V. – Caruana, F.
- Aronian, L. – Svidler, P.
- Karjakin, S. – Kramnik, V.
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: Pseudo-Austrian Attack (ECO B06, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Modern Defense: Standard Defense, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4 (4 moves).
In 982,021 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.8%, Black 42.2% and 4.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Nf6, in 39% 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: Pseudo-Austrian Attack
4…a6 scores best for Black: 49.6%, with Black winning 46.9% and White 47.7% of 133K games. The most played, 4…Nf6, scores 44.3% in 384K games, and 4…e6 scores lowest: 41.5%. 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: Pseudo-Austrian Attack peaked in 2018 at 0.049% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.037% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.035% | 12,500 |
| 2017 | 0.046% | 25,478 |
| 2018 | 0.049% | 38,285 |
| 2019 | 0.044% | 55,161 |
| 2020 | 0.043% | 125,961 |
| 2021 | 0.036% | 141,194 |
| 2022 | 0.035% | 132,356 |
| 2023 | 0.036% | 134,672 |
| 2024 | 0.037% | 131,431 |
| 2025 | 0.037% | 127,059 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.038% | 42,042 |
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: Pseudo-Austrian Attack (B06)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/modern-defense-pseudo-austrian-attack