Pirc Defense

Pirc Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code B07. It goes 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... d6. After 6 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

• 1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
• 1... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6
• 2. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
• 2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 3. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
• 3... g6 – Black plays the pawn to g6

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 4. Be3, 4. Nf3, 4. f4.

About the Pirc Defense

Black answers 1.e4 with 1...d6, then ...Nf6, ...g6 and ...Bg7. Black lets White build a centre and counterattacks it later.

• Black breaks with ...e5 or ...c5 after castling.
• White's sharpest try is the Austrian Attack with f4 and e5.
• Another plan is Be3, Qd2 and Bh6 to trade Black's strong bishop.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Pirc Defense course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Pirc Defense (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6)
• Continues with: Pirc Defense: 150 Attack – adds 4. Be3 c6 5. Qd2
• Continues with: Pirc Defense: 150 Attack, Sveshnikov-Jansa Attack – adds 4. Be3 c6 5. h3
• Continues with: Pirc Defense: Bayonet Attack – adds 4. Be2 Bg7 5. h4
• Continues with: Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation – adds 4. Bg5
• Continues with: Pirc Defense: Chinese Variation – adds 4. Be2 Bg7 5. g4
• Continues with: Pirc Defense: Kholmov System – adds 4. Bc4
• Continues with: Pirc Defense: Sveshnikov System – adds 4. g3
• Continues with: Pirc Defense: Classical Variation – adds 4. Nf3
• Related line: Pirc Defense: Roscher Gambit (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nf3)
• Related line: Pirc Defense: 150 Attack (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 c6 5. Qd2)
• Related line: Pirc Defense: 150 Attack, Inner Doll Defense (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 c6 5. Qd2 Bg4)
• Related line: Pirc Defense (1. e4 d6 2. d4)
• Related line: Pirc Defense: 150 Attack, Sveshnikov-Jansa Attack (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 c6 5. h3)
• Related line: Pirc Defense (1. e4 d6)

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