Pirc Defense: Classical Variation

Pirc Defense: Classical Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code B08, part of the Pirc Defense family. It goes 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... d6. After 8 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
• 4. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
• 4... Bg7 – Black plays the bishop to g7

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 5. Be2.

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: Classical Variation course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Pirc Defense: Classical Variation (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3)
• Continues with: Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System – adds 5. Be2
• Continues with: Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Schlechter Variation – adds 5. h3
• Related line: Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2)
• Related line: Pirc Defense: Sveshnikov System (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. g3)
• Related line: Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Chigorin Line (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Nc6)
• Related line: Pirc Defense: Kholmov System (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bc4)
• Related line: Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Czech Defense (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O c6)
• Related line: Pirc Defense: Chinese Variation (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be2 Bg7 5. g4)

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