Pterodactyl Defense: Queen Pterodactyl, Quiet Line
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Statistics from Lichess
243,787 games: White 45.9% / Draw 5.5% / Black 48.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 154,729155K | ||
| 40,56341K | ||
| 21,10821K | ||
| 7,8017,801 | ||
| 4,4944,494 | ||
| 3,9903,990 | ||
| 2,7612,761 | ||
| 2,6062,606 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.18 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... cxd4 5. exd4 Nf6 6. d5 O-O 7. Be2 d6 8. Nf3 e5 9. O-O
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 50% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 9,720 | |
| 1400–1799 | 71K | |
| 1800–2199 | 162K | |
| 2200 and up | 33K | |
| Masters, over the board | 159 |
Master games
- Morozevich, A. – Kramnik, V.
- Aronian, L. – Le Quang Liem
- Liang, A. – Mishra, A.
- Fedoseev, V. – Shankland, S.
- Kortschnoj, V. – Morozevich, A.
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: Queen Pterodactyl, Quiet Line (ECO A40, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Queen's Pawn Game: Modern Defense, reached after 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. e3 (4 moves).
In 243,787 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.9%, Black 48.6% and 5.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…cxd4, in 63% 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: Queen Pterodactyl, Quiet Line
4…Nf6 scores best for Black: 56.1%, with Black winning 52.9% and White 40.6% of 41K games. The most played, 4…cxd4, scores 51.3% in 155K games, and 4…Nc6 scores lowest: 47.2%. 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: Queen Pterodactyl, Quiet Line has lost ground since 2016: 0.0082% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.011% (its peak: 0.014% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.011% | 3,984 |
| 2017 | 0.013% | 7,287 |
| 2018 | 0.014% | 10,735 |
| 2019 | 0.012% | 15,320 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 31,137 |
| 2021 | 0.0092% | 36,132 |
| 2022 | 0.009% | 33,911 |
| 2023 | 0.0088% | 33,020 |
| 2024 | 0.0085% | 30,513 |
| 2025 | 0.0082% | 28,420 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0082% | 8,991 |
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: Queen Pterodactyl, Quiet Line (A40)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/pterodactyl-defense-queen-pterodactyl-quiet-line