Opening family
Pirc Defense Lines and Variations
The Pirc Defense family contains 28 named lines in this opening book, spanning ECO B00 to B09. Use this page as the map, then open individual lines for exact move orders and diagrams.
How to study this family
White
White should use the move order as a checkpoint: finish development, identify the central break, and compare the continuations below before memorizing moves.
Black
Black should ask what White is threatening in the center, then choose development moves that prepare a clean pawn break or a useful exchange.
Start with the shortest line, then branch to the variations that change the pawn structure or tactical target. Memorizing every branch before understanding the family plan is usually wasted work.
Main named lines
- B00 · Pirc Defense
- B00 · Pirc Defense
- B00 · Pirc Defense
- B00 · Pirc Defense: Roscher Gambit
- B07 · Pirc Defense
- B07 · Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation
- B07 · Pirc Defense: Kholmov System
- B07 · Pirc Defense: Sveshnikov System
- B08 · Pirc Defense: Classical Variation
- B09 · Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack
- B08 · Pirc Defense: Classical Variation
- B07 · Pirc Defense: 150 Attack
- B07 · Pirc Defense: 150 Attack, Sveshnikov-Jansa Attack
- B07 · Pirc Defense: Bayonet Attack
- B07 · Pirc Defense: Chinese Variation
- B08 · Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System
- B08 · Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Schlechter Variation
- B09 · Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Ljubojevic Variation
- B07 · Pirc Defense: 150 Attack, Inner Doll Defense
- B09 · Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack
- B09 · Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Dragon Formation
- B09 · Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Kurajica Variation
- B09 · Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Unzicker Attack
- B09 · Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Weiss Variation
Deep theory branches
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. e5 Nfd7 7. h4 — Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Unzicker Attack, Bronstein Variation
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Nc6 — Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Chigorin Line
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O c6 — Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Czech Defense
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Bg4 — Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Parma Defense
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be3 — Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Kurajica Variation
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. e5 — Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Unzicker Attack
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bd3 — Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Weiss Variation
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 c6 5. Qd2 Bg4 — Pirc Defense: 150 Attack, Inner Doll Defense
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O — Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 c5 — Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Dragon Formation
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 c6 5. Qd2 — Pirc Defense: 150 Attack
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 c6 5. h3 — Pirc Defense: 150 Attack, Sveshnikov-Jansa Attack
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be2 Bg7 5. h4 — Pirc Defense: Bayonet Attack
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be2 Bg7 5. g4 — Pirc Defense: Chinese Variation
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 — Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. h3 — Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Schlechter Variation