Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Pteranodon
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
4,353 games: White 42.2% / Draw 4.0% / Black 53.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,7861,786 | ||
| 1,4821,482 | ||
| 364364 | ||
| 331331 | ||
| 152152 | ||
| 129129 | ||
| 4242 | ||
| 2323 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.40 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. d5 d6 6. Nf3 Nf6 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. Be2 b5 9. O-O c4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Pteranodon (ECO B06, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Modern Defense: Three Pawns Attack, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. f4 c5 4. c3 Qa5 (4 moves).
In 4,353 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.2%, Black 53.8% and 4.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Bd2, in 41% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Pteranodon
5. d5 scores best for White: 51.9%, with White winning 49.7% and Black 45.9% of 364 games. The most played answer, 5. Bd2, scores lowest: 40.8% in 1,786 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. d5.
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. “Pterodactyl Defense: Austrian, Pteranodon (B06)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/pterodactyl-defense-austrian-pteranodon