What is the idea behind the Pirc Defence?

Let White have the centre and undermine it once the king is safe. In practice that means: Concede the centre and attack it later with …e5 or …c5 instead of occupying it; Fianchetto on g7 so the bishop pressures d4 and e5 from a distance; Castle quickly — the counterattack only works from a safe king.

Is the Pirc Defence good for beginners?

It is rated Intermediate here: the plans are quick to pick up, but a few moves have to be played accurately to get the position you want.

What are the plans after the Pirc Defence?

White: Take the space and use it — f4 and e5 (the Austrian Attack) is the most testing plan. Black: Play …e5 or …c5 on time — sitting still against a big centre is how Pirc players lose.

All chess openings

Pirc Defence

B08 · Played as black · Intermediate · Other Black Defences

Let White have the centre and undermine it once the king is safe

Also known as Pirc, Ufimtsev Defence, d6 g6.

The main line

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 O-O 6.O-O c6 7.a4 Nbd7 8.h3 e5 9.dxe5 dxe5

Strategic ideas

Concede the centre and attack it later with …e5 or …c5 instead of occupying it
Fianchetto on g7 so the bishop pressures d4 and e5 from a distance
Castle quickly — the counterattack only works from a safe king
Keep the structure flexible with …c6 and …Nbd7 so both breaks stay available
Invite the Austrian Attack and prove White's pawn storm has overextended

Key themes

Counterattack — Black hands over the centre on purpose, then undermines it with well-timed pawn breaks
Flexible — …c6 and …Nbd7 keep both the …e5 and …c5 breaks available until White commits
Dynamic — Black is worse if the breaks never come — the position demands active play, not patience

Typical plans

The Pirc is hypermodern chess applied to 1.e4: Black gives White the entire centre, fianchettoes, castles, and only then starts chipping away with …e5 or …c5. It's riskier than it looks — White's Austrian Attack (f4 and e5) is a genuine pawn avalanche, and if Black's counterplay is late, it's simply over. But if the breaks land on time, White's centre turns from an asset into an overextended liability with holes everywhere.

Move by move

e4 — White claims the centre.
d6 — Black plays a modest move that says nothing yet — it could become a Pirc, a Modern or a Philidor.
d4 — White takes the full centre, exactly as invited.
Nf6 — Black develops and hits e4, defining the position as a Pirc.
Nc3 — White defends e4 and develops.
g6 — Black prepares the fianchetto — the g7 bishop will pressure d4 from a distance.
Nf3 — White develops modestly. The sharpest try is f4 here, the Austrian Attack.
Bg7 — Black completes the fianchetto.
Be2 — White develops and prepares to castle, choosing the quiet setup.
O-O — Black castles. The counterattack can only start from a safe king.
O-O — White castles too.
c6 — Black shores up d5 and b5, keeping both the …e5 and …c5 breaks available.
a4 — White stops …b5 before it happens.
Nbd7 — Black develops the knight to d7, supporting the …e5 break.
h3 — White takes g4 away from Black's pieces.
e5 — Black plays the break. This is the whole Pirc plan — the centre White built is now under direct fire.
dxe5 — White resolves the tension.
dxe5 — Black recaptures with the pawn, reaching a balanced position with a solid structure and an open diagonal for the g7 bishop. Black gave White the centre for fifteen moves and now shares it.

Where the line leads

White's plans

Take the space and use it — f4 and e5 (the Austrian Attack) is the most testing plan
Stop the …b5 and …c5 breaks with a4 before Black gets organised
Trade the g7 bishop with Be3 and Qd2-h6 if the chance comes; it's Black's key defender

Black's plans

Play …e5 or …c5 on time — sitting still against a big centre is how Pirc players lose
Keep the g7 bishop and use it against d4 and the long diagonal
Castle early; the counterattack requires a safe king to work from

Pirc Defence FAQ

What are the moves of the Pirc Defence?: The Pirc Defence (B08) runs 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 O-O 6.O-O c6 7.a4 Nbd7 8.h3 e5 9.dxe5 dxe5. It is played from Black's side of the board.
What is the idea behind the Pirc Defence?: Let White have the centre and undermine it once the king is safe. In practice that means: Concede the centre and attack it later with …e5 or …c5 instead of occupying it; Fianchetto on g7 so the bishop pressures d4 and e5 from a distance; Castle quickly — the counterattack only works from a safe king.
Is the Pirc Defence good for beginners?: It is rated Intermediate here: the plans are quick to pick up, but a few moves have to be played accurately to get the position you want.
What are the plans after the Pirc Defence?: White: Take the space and use it — f4 and e5 (the Austrian Attack) is the most testing plan. Black: Play …e5 or …c5 on time — sitting still against a big centre is how Pirc players lose.