The Modern Defense is a popular alternative to the main line of the King’s Gambit Accepted (3…g5), but it shouldn’t pose a serious threat to white if he is prepared for it.
Main lines exist for a reason; they are objectively the best. The same goes for the King’s Gambit, in which, after Nf3, black should go for one of the two main moves – g5 or d6, which both lead to favorable positions for him.
The Modern Defense (3…d5) is slightly less good, and it often lets white to regain his material or to compensate for it with ample piece activity or a huge lead in development. That’s why the defense should be used as an extra weapon or a hidden ace up your sleeve. If white isn’t prepared for it, it could be lethal.
White is the one who chooses which variation will be played. On move 5, white has five options (and all are perfectly playable). They mainly differ in one thing – whether white wants to defend his d5 pawn actively or not.
For an active King’s Gambit played, learning and adopting one of the variations is a must. This will mean that you are well prepared for the Modern Defense (which is likely to come up in at least 2/10 games).
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