Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Anhanguera
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Statistics from Lichess
231,171 games: White 48.0% / Draw 4.7% / Black 47.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 142,889143K | ||
| 38,41038K | ||
| 20,87721K | ||
| 19,51420K | ||
| 3,7343,734 | ||
| 1,8931,893 | ||
| 1,4421,442 | ||
| 1,0331,033 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.84 White is better
Best play: 4... cxd4 5. Bxd4 Bxd4 6. Qxd4 Nf6 7. O-O-O Nc6 8. Qe3 d6 9. a3
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 White: White scores 53% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 2,803 | |
| 1400–1799 | 29K | |
| 1800–2199 | 152K | |
| 2200 and up | 57K | |
| Masters, over the board | 87 |
Master games
- Sutovsky, E. – Kasimdzhanov, R.
- Harikrishna, P. – Ehlvest, J.
- Van den Doel, E. – Adianto, U.
- Mrva, M. – Azmaiparashvili, Z.
- Vallejo Pons, F. – Dinstuhl, 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
Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Anhanguera (ECO B06, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Modern Defense: Modern Pterodactyl, reached after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. Be3 (4 moves).
In 231,171 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.0%, Black 47.3% and 4.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…cxd4, in 62% 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 Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Anhanguera
4…Qb6 scores best for Black: 55.9%, with Black winning 54.2% and White 42.4% of 21K games. The most played answer, 4…cxd4, scores lowest: 48.5% in 143K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4…cxd4.
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 Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Anhanguera has gained ground since 2016: 0.0088% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0072% (its peak: 0.011% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0072% | 2,565 |
| 2017 | 0.0095% | 5,202 |
| 2018 | 0.011% | 8,401 |
| 2019 | 0.0099% | 12,313 |
| 2020 | 0.0094% | 27,418 |
| 2021 | 0.0087% | 34,128 |
| 2022 | 0.0086% | 32,235 |
| 2023 | 0.0088% | 33,030 |
| 2024 | 0.0089% | 31,741 |
| 2025 | 0.0088% | 30,642 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0089% | 9,811 |
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. “Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Anhanguera (B06)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/pterodactyl-defense-eastern-anhanguera