Pirc Defense
Initial Moves: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6
Strategic Summary & Main Idea
The Pirc Defence lets White build the full centre with e4 and d4 and only then attacks it, with the bishop on g7 and the ...e5 and ...c5 breaks. It is a counter-attacking defence, and the measurement shows the cost of conceding the centre: after 3...g6 the position is +0.73, the same level as the Alekhine and the Modern. The more useful figure is another one. The Austrian Attack, 4.f4, reputed to be the refutation, measures +0.60, less than the starting position; the two lowest-rated White lines are the most modest ones, the 150 Attack (+0.30) and the fianchetto (+0.28).
The pawn structure this opening produces
The Pirc structure is asymmetrical from birth: White has pawns on e4 and d4, and Black answers with d6 and g6, with no pawn on the fourth rank. Everything that follows is a fight between that centre and the three ways of attacking it. The first is ...e5, which exchanges or closes the centre; if White answers d5, the structure becomes a King's Indian without the c4 pawn, and Black gains c5 for a knight. The second is ...c5, which opens the long diagonal for the g7 bishop and targets d4 — the typical break against the Austrian Attack, because f4 weakened the g1-a7 diagonal. The third is ...b5, with ...c6 and ...a6, against set-ups in which White castles long and attacks with h4. Black's structural risk is waiting too long: if White achieves e5 while the f6 knight has no good square, the d6 pawn is pinned down, the g7 bishop bites on a blocked pawn and Black loses the space it never had. White's risk is the reverse: a centre pushed too early becomes a target, and every advanced pawn leaves a square behind.
Typical Plans for White
- Set up the Austrian Attack with f4, Nf3 and Bd3, and push e5 only when the f6 knight has no good square
- In the 150 Attack, play Be3, Qd2, f3 and castle long, then launch h4-h5 against the castled king
- With Bg5 and Qd2 (Byrne Variation), exchange the g7 bishop with Bh6 before it bites on d4
- Against ...c5 in the Austrian, take with dxc5 and accept the open game instead of holding the centre
- Do not follow the h4-h5 and hxg6 sacrifice against 6...Nfd7: the famous line ends at −5.59
Typical Plans for Black
- Castle first and only then choose the break: ...e5 against the classical set-up, ...c5 against f4
- Against the 150 Attack, play ...c6 and ...b5 before castling and use the pawn as a queenside lever
- Keep a retreat square for the f6 knight before inviting e5: 6...Nd5 loses a piece
- Exchange the c8 bishop for the f3 knight when it supports e5, since that piece holds the centre
- Against White's fianchetto, play ...e5 early: the position measures only +0.28
Main Variations of the Pirc Defense
| Variation | Move Sequence | Evaluation | Style / Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austrian Attack (4.f4) | 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 |
+0.60 | White's most ambitious plan; it measures less than the starting position |
| Austrian with 5...c5 | 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5 6.dxc5 Qa5 |
+0.48 | The counter-attacking reply: opens the g7 diagonal before castling |
| Austrian with 6.e5 Nfd7 | 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.e5 Nfd7 |
+0.35 | The immediate push drives the knight back, but the edge drops to a third of a pawn |
| Classical System (4.Nf3) | 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 O-O 6.O-O c6 |
+0.63 | Non-committal development; Black chooses between ...e5 and ...b5 |
| Byrne Variation (4.Bg5) | 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bg5 Bg7 5.Qd2 |
+0.71 | The bishop prepares Bh6 to trade the piece that holds the defence |
| 150 Attack (4.Be3) | 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 b5 6.f3 |
+0.30 | Long castling and h4 against ...b5; its aggressive reputation does not show in the number |
| h4 Attack (4.Be2 and 5.h4) | 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 5.h4 h5 |
+0.41 | The h-pawn attacks before Black castles; ...h5 closes the wing and holds |
| Fianchetto (4.g3) | 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 O-O 6.Nge2 e5 |
+0.28 | White's quietest line and the lowest evaluation in the entry |
Evaluations measured by us with Stockfish 19, depth 22, on 15/09/2026.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Austrian Attack refute the Pirc?
Not by the measurement. After 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 the position is +0.60, which is less than the +0.73 after 3...g6. The Austrian is the sharpest plan and the one that punishes mistakes hardest, as 6.e5 Nd5? shows, but against correct defence it gives no more than the quiet set-ups.
What is Black's best answer to the 150 Attack?
The set-up with ...c6 and ...b5 before castling, which measures +0.30 after 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 b5 6.f3. The idea is to give White's attack no target: with the king still in the centre, h4-h5 has nothing to open, and the b5 pawn threatens ...b4 against the c3 knight.
What is the difference between the Pirc and the Modern?
Move order. In the Pirc Black plays ...d6 and ...Nf6 before ...g6, which pressures e4 early and puts the knight on f6; in the Modern the bishop goes to g7 first, and the knight can stay home or go to d7. The structures overlap, but the Pirc accepts the Austrian with the knight already on f6, and the Modern avoids that.
Common Mistakes & Where Most Amateurs Go Wrong
- 01 Answering 6.e5 with 6...Nd5?, centralising the knight. The square looks strong, but nothing defends it: 7.Nxd5 wins the piece, because the d6 pawn blocks the queen. The position goes from +0.60 to +6.67. The line:
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.e5 Nd5+6.67 - 02 Following the trap that circulates against 6...Nfd7: 7.h4 c5 8.h5 cxd4 9.hxg6 dxc3 10.gxh7+ Kh8. Up to the knight sacrifice with 9.hxg6 the line holds and measures 0.00; the mistake is 10.gxh7+, which trades the attack for a pawn and leaves White a piece down: −5.59. The line:
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.e5 Nfd7 7.h4 c5 8.h5 cxd4 9.hxg6 dxc3 10.gxh7+ Kh8−5.59
Practice the Pirc Defense on the Interactive Board
Play the moves against the Stockfish 18 engine in real time and get tips from the AI Coach on every move.
Play this line now