Pterodactyl Defense: Central
1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 c5 4.d5 Qa5+
Central
1.2.3.4.
What Is The Central?
The Central Pterodactyl arises after 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 c5 4.d5 Qa5+, where Black checks instead of developing. The queen joins the g7 bishop on the a1-h8 diagonal and takes c3 from White's knight. A knight on c3 is pinned against e1, so ...Bxc3+ and ...Qxc3+ wreck White's queenside pawns. White blocks with Bd2 or Nd2, or offers the pawns as a gambit for a development lead.
Black follows with ...d6, ...a6 and ...b5 to break the c4 and d5 chain, and the queen swings to b6 to keep b2 under fire. White uses the space, develops with Nf3 and Be2, and castles before c3 is safe. The b5 break decides it: land it and the wedge collapses, meet it with a4 and Black stays cramped.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| d6 | 62% | 34 | |
| Nf6 | 15% | 8 | |
| e6 | 9% | 5 | |
| Qa5+ | 5% | 3 |
The Named Lines Of The Central
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Benoni Pterodactyl | 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 c5 4.d5 Qa5+ |
| Benoni Quetzalcoatlus | 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c4 c5 4.d5 d6 5.Nc3 Qa5 |
| Anhanguera | 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c4 c5 4.Nc3 d6 5.Be3 Qa5 |
| Bogolubovia | 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 d6 4.Nc3 c5 5.Nge2 Qa5 |
| Quetzalcoatlus Gambit | 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c4 c5 4.Nc3 d6 5.dxc5 Qa5 |
| Benoni Beefeater Pterodactyl | 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 |