Chess: Understanding the Pirc Defense

1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 Line



What's the game plan for Black?



Black aims to undermine and disrupt
White's center via a timely ... c5. In some
scenarios, however, ... e5, or, ... c6 followed
by ... b5, is preferable to ... c5. Black also
wants to establish the latent power of the
fianchettoed king's bishop.

What's the game plan for White?



White has divers weapons, but the toughest
questions are posed by the Austrian Attack
(3 Nc3 g6 4 f4). White tries to effectuate
a central clamp, followed by direct kingside
hostilities. More subtle but no less menacing
is the Classical Variation (3 Nc3 g6 4 Nf3 Bg7
5 Be2). Its motivation is to ensure that White's
space advantage endures. Other attempts
(4 Bc4, 4 Bg5, 4 Be3) carry their own brand of
trouble but are less likely to obtain a pull
against precise defense.

1 e4



1 ... d6



Inaugurating the Pirc Defense.

2 d4



2 Nc3
2 Nf3
2 f4
2 g3
2 c4
2 d3
2 Bc4

2 ... Nf6



2 ... g6
2 ... e5
2 ... c6
2 ... Nd7
2 ... Nc6
2 ... c5
2 ... e6
2 ... f5

3 Nc3



3 f3
3 Bd3
3 Nd2
3 Be3

3 ... g6



3 ... e5
3 ... c6
3 ... Nbd7
3 ... Nc6
3 ... e6

4 f4



4 Nf3
4 Be3
4 Bg5
4 g3
4 Be2
4 f3
4 h3
4 Bc4
4 Nge2
4 Bf4
4 h4
4 Bd3

4 ... Bg7



4 ... c6
4 ... Bh6

5 Nf3



5 e5
5 Bc4
5 Bd3
5 Be2
5 a3
5 Be3

5 ... O-O



5 ... c5
5 ... c6
5 ... Na6
5 ... Nc6
5 ... Nbd7
5 ... Bg4
5 ... d5

6 Bd3



6 Be3
6 e5
6 Be2
6 a3
6 Bc4

6 ... c5



6 ... Nc6
6 ... Na6
6 ... c6
6 ... Bg4
6 ... Nbd7
6 ... Nfd7
6 ... Nh5
6 ... d5

7 d5



7 dxc5

7 ... e6



7 ... Qb6
7 ... Na6
7 ... Qa5
7 ... Qc7

8 O-O



8 dxe6

8 ... exd5



8 ... Nbd7

9 exd5



9 Nxd5

9 ... a6



9 ... Na6
9 ... Qb6

10 a4



10 f5
10 Re1

10 ... b6



10 ... Nbd7
10 ... Qc7

11 f5



11 Re1

11 ... Qc7



11 ... Re8
11 ... Ra7

12 Nd2



12 fxg6
12 Kh1

12 ... Nbd7



12 ... Bb7

13 Nc4



13 g4
13 Be2

13 ... Bb7



13 ... Rb8
13 ... Ne5

14 Qf3



14 Be2

14 ... Nh5



14 ... Rae8

By ChessCoach@care2.com

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