Pirc Defense

The idea

After 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6, Black has invited White to take the center with pawns on d4 and e4. Black's plan is to fianchetto the bishop on g7, castle, and then undermine White's center from the flanks with ...c5 or ...e5, the hypermodern approach.

White chooses how much to build. The Austrian Attack with f4 is the most ambitious, the Classical with Nf3 and Be2 the most solid, and the 150 Attack with Be3 and Qd2 aims straight at Black's king.

Plans for White

Use the space. White's center gives more room, so White can attack: with f4 and e5 in the Austrian, or with Be3, Qd2 and Bh6 to trade Black's best bishop and go after the king. In quieter lines, White keeps the center and develops normally.

Plans for Black

Finish the setup with ...Bg7 and ...O-O, then strike at the center with ...c5, ...e5 or ...c6 and ...b5. The bishop on g7 is Black's key piece, aimed at d4 and the long diagonal, so look for ways to open it.

Watch out for

For Black, waiting too long. If Black doesn't challenge the center, White's e5 or a kingside pawn storm can come before Black has any counterplay.

For White, overextending. Pawns on d4, e4 and f4 are strong only while they hold, and once Black hits them with ...c5 or ...e5, the squares behind them can become weak.

History

The Pirc is named after the Slovenian grandmaster Vasja Pirc, who played it often from the late 1940s. It was occasionally played in the 19th century but considered irregular, and by the 1960s it was regarded as playable, largely thanks to Duncan Suttles.

The most famous Pirc game is Kasparov–Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999, known as Kasparov's Immortal. In 1983, Zurab Azmaiparashvili beat the reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov with it at the USSR Championship.