modern defense and Owen defense.

Hello, have you ever played modern defense or Owen defense?

I found these two openings interesting,the Owen defense seems more positional.and modern defense seems more aggressive(Correct me if I'm wrong).

do you think these two openings are good or bad?

I wanted to know what you think of this two opening of your point of view.

I think that the Modern Defense is very playable! It can also transpose to multiple other defenses, including the Pirc and KID (as you mentioned). Both of which, I am relatively new to, myself.

The Owen Defense, on the other hand, is a little bit more shaky, as it cannot castle Black’s King as swiftly as in the Modern. Additionally, Black would lose kingside safety if he were to play a mirrored f2-f4, which corresponds with the c2-c4 that is often seen in the Modern defenses. It does not enjoy the same popularity at high levels as the Modern, partly because of these two reasons. That being said, I still believe that it is an okay defense, and will not immediately lose Black the game, though it is significantly harder to play than it’s kingside cousin (1...g6). Additionally, if one is to play this defense, they will need to be pretty skilled at maneuvering pieces through tight (even cramped) setups where Black does not have much space at all. To my frustration, it even seemed impossible to get counterplay at times. (There might still be a way though!)

I hope this helps! =D

Personally, I like using the Matinovsky gambit (1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Bd3 f5) after the Owens Defense on beginners, because you can win a free rook and pawn. However, you are likely to lose against a more advanced player with this gambit, as they may see the move Qh5+

im a pretty big advocate for the owen's defense, so if you have any questions on it, you can ask me.

The Modern is a well-established opening that leads to various positional approaches and surprising attack combinations.

The Owen's is a bit unconventional and it always reminds me of the NLA in that, once you fianchetto that queenside bishop, you really have to know your stuff for things not to fall apart.

But if you know the lines, it can be a great system. By clamping down on e4 you can gain enough initiative to develop a strong attacking configuration on the queenside, for example with the DSB on c5 for a Horwitz bishop pair directly aiming for the enemy kingside.

Modern Defense :

a : 1) e4-g6 2) d4-Bg7 3) Nc3-d6 4) f4-Nf6 we are going to play Pirc Defense

b : 1) e4-g6 2) d4-Bg7 3) c4-c5 4) Nf3-cxd4 5) Nxd4-d6 6) Nc3-Nf6 Sicilian Maroczy system

c : 1) e4-g6 2) d4-Bg7 3) c4-c5 4) d5-d6 5) Nc3-Nf6 we are going to play Benoni Defense

d : 1) e4-g6 2) d4-Bg7 3) c4-d6 4) Nc3-Nf6 we are going to play KID

In the end it is difficult to give an opinion on the Modern Defense since it is an opening that can or will deviate into other openings. 

 

Owen Defense :  1) e4-b6 2) d4-Bb7 here chess program can also play 3. Nc3, 3. Nd2, 3. d5, 3. f3 but in practice it seems to me that human plays almost all the time or very frequently 3. Bd3  so if the Owen Defense player doesn't play against bot in theory he doesn't face as many variants.

Owen Defense : 1) e4-b6 2) d4-Bb7 3) Bd3 (in fact as White we encounter it so infrequently that we treat the position as a "newborn" and it is often "a noob" who plays it which reinforces us in the idea of not studying anything about this opening) We are encouraged not to play the natural move 3.Nc3 because we figure there will be one x)...c5 and we prefer to have one x) c3.

a : 3...f5 4) exf5-Bxg2 5) Qh5+_g6 6) fxg6-Bg7 to be explored surely winning for White

b : 3...Nf6 4) Qe2-e6 5) Nf3-d5 6) e5- Nfd7 of the same kind as a French Defense Advance Variation

c : 3...Nf6 4) Qe2-e6 5) Nf3-d5 6) e5-Ne4 the move that chess programs like to play 

 

Hi! I think both defenses are playable -I do play them myself. In theory the Modern is more solid than the Owen's - at least in the opening books they will tell you that the Owen defense is a little odd and inferior while the Modern is a respectable defense- but I have scored generally better with the Owen instead!

Normally these are defenses recommended for advanced players -as normally are all the "hypermodern-tpye" defenses. Hypermodern defenses are those where Black strategy is to develop first their pieces, allow White to have a central pawn formation, and then try to demolish it. To be good at them you need to have some experience and theoretical background, as well as a taste for somewhat cramped positions.

That's why in general, I would suggest for players still in the Beginner stage (say blitz rating less than 1300) a more conventional reply like 1...e5 that leads to open games, where you can apply general and classical opening principles, fight right from the beginning for a stake in the center, and in the end learn and practice basic chess concepts.

Good luck!

I don't agree. That's like saying it's hard to place the Queen's Gambit because it can and will transition into different openings. That factor alone makes it a really strong opening. Pirc, Maroczy Sicilian, KID, and Benoni are all really strong, versatile openings, so all the Modern really does is combine the perks of all of them without committing to any of them too early.

 

What I want to say is that as in simplified we talk about an opening that is going to deviate in another and in the end it is too complicated to give an opinion because our opinion is going to be different towards KID, Benoni Defense, Pirc Defense or Maroczy Sicilian.

 

After you are right in a way if we talk about the Queen's Gambit, there are many variants and it is better to be more precise because it is not the same thing to talk about 1) d4-d5 2) c4-e6 3) Nc3-Nf6 4) cxd5-exd5 or 1) d4-d5 2) c4-e6 3) Nc3-Nf6 4) Nf3-c6

 

 

That's definitely true. I personally enjoy the modern (flank openings and transitional openings) style of play (my move order in the modern is usually KID: Orthodox until I transition into the Benoni: Modern, Classical because I feel that that is the strongest and simplest continuation as Black), but most or all of the variations of the Modern Defense are very solid, tested openings, and if you want to play a Sicilian against 1. d4 or a Benoni against 1. e4, this is one of the best (or the best) ways to do it, making this opening very, very powerful. All in all, the Modern Defense remains a very solid opening that Black can either play very simply or with insane complexity due to just how many openings it can transpose into and even how many variations of the actual "Modern Defense" there are.