Pterodactyl Defense: Central, Benoni Quetzalcoatlus
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
9,301 games: White 53.9% / Draw 3.6% / Black 42.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,0057,005 | ||
| 1,1581,158 | ||
| 286286 | ||
| 209209 | ||
| 170170 | ||
| 124124 | ||
| 114114 | ||
| 8888 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 23, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.18 White is better
Best play: 6. Bd2 Nf6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. h3 e6 9. Bd3 Qd8 10. O-O b6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Pterodactyl Defense: Central, Benoni Quetzalcoatlus (ECO B06, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Modern Defense, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 c5 4. d5 d6 5. Nc3 Qa5 (5 moves).
In 9,301 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.9%, Black 42.5% and 3.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bd2, in 75% 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: Central, Benoni Quetzalcoatlus
The most played answer, 6. Bd2, also scores best for White: 56.9%, with White winning 55.2% and Black 41.4% of 7,005 games. Of the main answers, 6. Qc2 scores lowest: 55.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Bd2.
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: Central, Benoni Quetzalcoatlus (B06)”. Lichess data as of 23 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/pterodactyl-defense-central-benoni-quetzalcoatlus