Pirc Defense

ECO B07-B09beginner

The Pirc, 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6, is a true hypermodern defense: Black invites White to occupy the full center, then attacks it with pieces and the timed pawn breaks ...e5 or ...c5. The fianchettoed g7 bishop is Black's pride, raking the long diagonal once the center opens. White must choose a temperament — the all-out Austrian Attack (4.f4), the flexible Classical (4.Nf3), or the blunt 150 Attack (Be3 and Qd2) — and each defines a completely different game.

Train as Black Train as White Explore all variations

Main line

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

What a brave first step! The pawn marches up to e4 and plants its flag right in the middle of the board. Grabbing the center early like this gives your other pieces lots of room to come out and play. Great start!
Black moves a pawn from its starting square at d7 forward to d6. This opens a path for the bishop and queen behind it.
Now the other center pawn marches up to d4, a dark square beside its friend on e4. Together these two pawns build a strong wall across the middle, giving White lots of room and a happy, roomy home for the pieces.
Black moves their knight from g8 to f6. This is a great developing move, bringing a piece out from the corner and closer to the middle of the board.
You moved your knight from b1 to c3. This is a great developing move, which means you're getting a piece into the game and ready for action!
Black moves a pawn from g7 to g6. This opens a path for the bishop to come out later. It's a good start to get your pieces ready!
You move your pawn from f2 to f4. That's a great move! It pushes your pawn forward two squares right away.
Black moves their bishop from f8 to g7. This is a good developing move, getting a strong piece into the game.
White moves their knight from g1 to f3. This is a good developing move that helps bring a piece into the game.
Black castles kingside, moving the king to g8 and developing the rook. In this position, this is a risky choice as it places the king directly in front of White's advancing pawn center.
You moved your bishop from f1 to d3. This is a great developing move, getting a strong piece into the game and ready for action!
Black moves their knight from b8 to c6. This is a good developing move, bringing a piece into the game from the back row.

Open the full annotated variation tree — free account

Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	28	39.3%	10.7%	50%	1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6
600-800	37	51.4%	0%	48.6%	1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3
800-1000	100	47%	5%	48%	1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Nc6
1000-1200	31	64.5%	0%	35.5%	1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Nc6
1200-1400	883	52.3%	1.8%	45.9%	1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Nc6
1400-1600	2,079	50.2%	2.7%	47.1%	1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Nc6
1600-1800	407	49.9%	2.7%	47.4%	1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Nc6
1800-2000	739	49.1%	2%	48.9%	1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Nc6
2000-2200	713	48.4%	5.9%	45.7%	1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Nc6
2200-2400	479	47.2%	7.1%	45.7%	1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Nc6

Most played continuations (1400-1600 rating)

After 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Nc6:

O-O — played 45.7% of the time (White wins 49.7%, draws 2.9%, Black wins 47.3%)
Be3 — played 27.8% of the time (White wins 51.6%, draws 3.1%, Black wins 45.2%)
e5 — played 7.8% of the time (White wins 46.9%, draws 3.1%, Black wins 50%)

Frequently asked questions

Is the Pirc Defense good for club players?

It rewards players who genuinely understand its counterattacking plans and punishes those who play it passively. Because White gets a free hand in the center, every Pirc player must know exactly when ...e5 and ...c5 strike — learn those breaks and the Pirc becomes a dangerous, low-theory weapon.

What is White's most dangerous reply to the Pirc?

The Austrian Attack, 4.f4, grabbing maximum space and preparing e5. Black counters with the precise ...Bg7, ...c5 (or ...0-0 and ...Na6) sequences — meeting a pawn storm with a central counterpunch is the defining skill of the whole defense.