The Beefeater Variation is a variation of the Modern Defense, catalogued as ECO A40. The line runs 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 f5, reaching the position shown below after 10 half-moves.
White holds the centre with pawns on d5. Development is level at one minor pieces each. It is White to move after five moves. White has doubled pawns on the c-file; White’s a-file pawn is isolated; White has the bishop pair.
On the Modern Defense generally: Similar to the Pirc but more flexible. Black fianchettoes the king's bishop early.
You can play through this variation move by move in your browser — Learn mode walks the line with an explanation at each step, and Drill mode replays it from memory so you find out whether you actually know it. No account is required.
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The Beefeater Variation goes 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 f5. It is a variation of the Modern Defense and is catalogued as ECO A40.
The Beefeater Variation is ECO A40. ECO codes group openings by their move order, so nearby codes cover closely related lines of the Modern Defense.
Stockfish evaluates the position after 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 f5 at +0.57 at depth 18, which is a slight pull for White, within normal opening margins. Engine evaluation is only a starting point — at club level the practical value of a line is mostly about whether you know its plans better than your opponent does.
White holds the centre with pawns on d5. Development is level at one minor pieces each. It is White to move. White has doubled pawns on the c-file; White’s a-file pawn is isolated; White has the bishop pair.