Pirc Defense

Why the Pirc Defense is worth training

The Pirc Defense starts with 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6. Black lets White build a big center, fianchettoes the bishop on g7, and waits to hit that center with ...c5, ...e5, or a queenside pawn advance. White has many ways to set up, from quiet development to an all-out attack, so both sides need a clear plan.

Chessmate has a Pirc Defense course for White and a Pirc Defense course for Black. The White course builds the Be3 and Qd2 system. The Black course meets the Austrian Attack with ...c5 and covers White's other main systems.

The White sample line: Be3, Qd2, and the e5 break

In the White sample line, White develops with 4.Nf3, 5.Be3, and 6.Qd2. The usual plan is Bh6 to trade off Black's strong bishop on g7. When Black hits the bishop with 6...Ng4, White steps to 7.Bg5 and keeps it, and after 7...h6 8.Bh4 the bishop is still active.

White castles long and does not wait for ...b5 and ...b4 to reach the king. 10.e5 opens the center at once. After 10...dxe5 11.h3, White gains time on the knight, 12.Na4 saves the knight from ...b4, and 13.Nxe5 wins the pawn back with active pieces.

The course also covers the direct 5...Ng4, the plans with 6...a6 or 6...c6 followed by ...b5, and 6...c5, where White takes on c5 and plays in the open center. Early 5...a6, 5...c6, 5...Nc6, and 5...h6 each get a short branch. Against 5...Nc6, White meets ...e5 with d5 and takes space.

Sharp tries for Black and how White meets them

Some Black players chase the bishop with ...h6 and ...g5. In the White course, after 8...g5 9.Bg3 Nf6 10.O-O-O c6 11.h4 g4 12.Bf4 gxf3 13.Bxh6, White lets the g-pawn take the knight, takes on h6, and wins the piece back with 14.gxf3. After the bishops are traded on h6, the queen lands there, the g-file is open, and Black's king has little pawn cover left.

The Bacrot line is quieter but still concrete. After 6...c6 7.Bh6 d5 8.e5 Ne4 9.Nxe4 dxe4 10.Bxg7 Kxg7, White hits the e4-pawn with 11.Ng5. After 11...Qd5 12.c4 Qd8 13.Nxe4, White has won it.

The Black sample line: ...c5 against the Austrian Attack

The Austrian Attack with 4.f4 is White's most aggressive try. The Black course answers it with one move, 5...c5, which hits d4 before White's pawns can roll forward.

In the sample line, White closes the center with 6.d5. Black castles and plays 7...e6, hitting the base of d5 and opening the e-file after 8...exd5 9.exd5. The knight goes from a6 to c7, where it eyes d5 and supports ...b5. 11...b6 stops White from fixing the queenside with a5, and 12...Ba6 challenges the bishop on c4 so White has less pressure on f7.

The course also trains White's other sixth moves. Against 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.e5 Ng4 8.e6, Black takes the bishop with 8...Bxb5. Against 6.dxc5, Black recaptures with ...Qa5. Against 6.e5 Nfd7 7.exd6, Black castles and leaves the pawn for a moment.

Other systems and two attacking traps

The Black course also covers the Classical with 4.Nf3 and 5.Be2, where Black plays ...a6 and ...b5, then meets 7.a4 with ...b6 and ...e5. It has a branch each for the Be3 and Qd2 system, the 4.Bc4 Kholmov system, the 4.Be3 and 5.f3 setup, 4.Bg5, 4.Bf4, 4.g3, 3.f3, and 3.Bd3.

Two branches train attacks on the h-file. Against the immediate 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Nf3 O-O 7.h4, Black strikes back with 7...c5. After 8.h5 cxd4 9.hxg6 dxc3 10.gxf7+ Rxf7, White's h-pawn has taken two pawns, but Black has taken the knight. Against 4.h4 Bg7 5.h5, Black takes with 5...Nxh5. After 6.Rxh5 gxh5 7.Qxh5 Bxd4 8.Bc4 e6, Black is up the exchange and a pawn, and ...e6 covers f7.

What to train first

Pick the course that matches the side you play.

• If you face the Pirc with White, start with the Pirc Defense course for White. Learn the Be3 and Qd2 sample line, then the branches with ...a6, ...c6, and ...c5.
• If you play the Pirc with Black, start with the Pirc Defense course for Black. Learn the 5...c5 sample line against the Austrian Attack, then the Classical with ...a6.
• With either color, review the sharp lines early. The ...g5 chase, 5.e5, and 4.h4 all decide the game quickly if one side forgets the moves.

The Pirc gives White space and asks Black to prove that the center can be attacked. Train each system until you know which pawn break belongs to it.