Pirc Defense

The idea

After 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6, Black puts the bishop on g7, castles and waits for the right moment to strike with ...e5 or ...c5. The knight on f6 keeps pressure on e4, and the bishop on g7 aims through the center.

White chooses how to use the extra space. The Austrian Attack, 4.f4, builds a huge center and threatens e5. The Classical, 4.Nf3 with Be2, is calmer. Setups with Be3 and Qd2, such as the 150 Attack, aim to trade Black's bishop with Bh6 and storm the kingside with h4.

Counter-attacking and flexible. Black gives White space and trusts that the center can be broken later. The positions are less forcing than in the Sicilian, but White has many ways to attack. The opening is named after the Slovenian player Vasja Pirc.

Players who like to let the opponent come forward and hit back. It suits those who enjoy fianchetto setups and are comfortable under some pressure.

Against the Austrian Attack, do not let White push e5 for free. Be ready with ...c5 or ...e5 before the center rolls over you.

The main line, move by move

1. 1.e4 · White claims the center with a pawn and opens lines for the queen and the bishop on f1. It is the most direct way to start a game.
2. 1...d6 · Black holds back with a small pawn move instead of meeting e4 in the center. The pawn on d6 controls e5 and frees the bishop on c8; ...Nf6 and ...g6 come next in the Pirc Defense.
3. 2.d4 · White takes the whole center with two pawns, since nothing stops it. The plan is to use that space and develop behind the pawns.
4. 2...Nf6 · Black develops the knight to its best square and attacks the pawn on e4. White has to guard it, and the way it is guarded shapes the whole setup.
5. 3.Nc3 · White guards e4 with the knight, the most natural way, and develops a piece at the same time.
6. 3...g6 · Black prepares ...Bg7, where the bishop will guard the king after castling and press on d4 once the knight on f6 moves. In the Pirc, White gets a big center and Black strikes at it later with ...c5 or ...e5.
7. 4.f4 · White adds a third pawn to the center and gets ready for e5 to push the knight away. This is the Austrian Attack, the most aggressive answer, and Black must strike back with ...c5 in time.

Next moves in book

• 2.d4 · Pirc Defense
• 2.f4 · Rat Defense: Harmonist
• 2.g4 · Rat Defense: Spike Attack
• 2.h4 · Rat Defense: Petruccioli Attack

A famous game

• Kasparov's Immortal Hoogovens, Wijk aan Zee, 1999

Related openings

• Sicilian Defense B20–B99 · 327 named lines
• French Defense C00–C19 · 171 named lines
• Caro-Kann Defense B10–B19 · 92 named lines
• Alekhine Defense B02–B05 · 53 named lines