Modern with 3..c6

Hello gents, what is this version called please?

I don't think it has a name.

what do you guys think of it?

In general, an early ...c6 in the Modern is called the Gurgenidze (named after Buhkuti Gurgenidze, who seems to have employed the kingside fianchetto in the Caro-Kann, so strictly speaking, it is a subvariation of the Caro-Kann defense). It has a certain old-fashioned reputation, but this doesn't mean it's all bad. In some Modern mainlines, ...c6 is played a little later (TMT recommends it in some lines of the "Flexible Dragon"), and I have recently found that it works well against certain Bc4 setups.

Generally speaking though Black aims rather at a d6/c5 or d6/e5 pawn structure, given that the Modern is sort of a combined offspring of the Najdorf Sicilian and the KID.

If you want to read more about the ...c6 Modern, I recommend the good old Speelman&McDonald. However, I think that move 3 is a tad early to play it in any case.

My point was that 3...d6 does not have a name and I don't think 3...c6 does either.

3...c6 was pretty much the standard way the Modern was played in earlier times. 4...d5 would be a Gurgenidze, but just as often Black plays 4...d6, which would not be called a Gurgenidze. (At least I don't think so.)

I haven't had much luck trying to convince people to play 3...c6 in our club's VC games. In 10 years we have played it only 3 times and only twice did we follow with 4...d5. The last time was in 2014. I think the biggest objection to 3...c6 from our members was the Gurgenidze's similarity to Caro-Kann.

We just started a new VC game, so maybe we could persuade people to vote for 3...c6. 

I'll vote for it.  

If you look in the Books section, year 2000 and earlier, you will find many examples of 3...c6.

https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/the-modern-by-the-book2

thank you very much to you both, I will look into it.

In this recent game, Eric Hansen plays this opening vs Caruana. Can anyone provide any insight as to why Eric plays and early ...a5?