How to Combat Modern Defense

There are certain openings that, by their very nature, provoke you.
They invite you to “come and prove something,” to grab the center, to test whether your opponent’s calm setup is really as universal as they claim. The Modern Defense (and its close cousin, the Pirc) is one of those provocations. Black sits back with ...g6, ...Bg7, ...d6 and says: “Do your worst.”
And the Austrian Attack — beginning with 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 — is White’s way of saying: “Gladly.”

The Spirit of the Austrian

The Austrian Attack isn’t about subtlety. It’s about space, initiative, and psychological discomfort.
By playing f4, White takes immediate control of the center, denying Black easy counterplay and preparing a kingside storm. It’s one of the few systems where White gets to have both: a big pawn center and attacking chances — without having to overextend positionally.
From a practical point of view, it’s ideal for OTB play: you don’t need to know a hundred moves of theory, you just need to understand a few key ideas — and then you can play chess.

Let's Get to Business

So for analysis I'd encourage you to look at these three studies:

Let's Summarize: What's Good About It

The Austrian Attack works not because it’s the most “objective” line, but because it’s human.
It exploits what real players do over the board:

• They underestimate space.
• They delay counterplay.
• They forget how fast a kingside can collapse once h4–h5 lands.

If you want an opening that’s aggressive yet logical, sound yet venomous, and — above all — gives you the initiative from move four, then the Austrian Attack might be the best way to fight back against the Modern.

The OTB Advantage

What makes the Austrian Attack such a powerful OTB weapon is simply the clarity.
You know exactly what you’re doing.
You’re not relying on an engine-approved move order or memorized nuance, instead you’re following principles that create pressure:

• Claim the center.
• Limit counterplay.
• Open the h-file.
• Attack the king.

Meanwhile, your opponent, even if he is prepared, has to make multiple defensive decisions without clear plans.
And that’s where psychology becomes very important: in fast or tense games, players hate feeling cramped.