Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...g6/2. d4/2...Bg7/3. Nc3/3...c5

With 3...c5!?, Black enters the rare and sharp Pterodactyl Defense, delaying ...Nf6 to strike at the center with pawns and the fianchettoed bishop. If White captures with 4. dxc5, then after Bxc3+ 5. bxc3, White is left with doubled c-pawns and must work hard to defend both c3 and c5.

Named for its "prehistoric" flair in modern opening theory, the Pterodactyl aims to catch opponents off guard with early pressure and queenside activity like ...Qa5 and ...Nc6, often leading to dynamic, imbalanced play.

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5