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Pirc Defence

A hypermodern defence: Black lets White build a centre, then attacks it with pieces and pawn breaks like ...e5 or ...b5.

Intermediate · Other answers to 1.e4 · 13 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Pirc Defence (B07). You play Black. A hypermodern defence: Black lets White build a centre, then attacks it with pieces and pawn breaks like ...e5 or ...b5.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...d6

Black plays pawn to d6. It controls the centre (e5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 4% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 94% of 74k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 83% of 82k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 90% of 67k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...g6

Black plays pawn to g6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 63k games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Be3

White plays bishop to e3. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 19% of 31k games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Bg7

Black plays bishop to g7. It develops the bishop into the game. Fianchetto: the bishop aims along the long diagonal. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 32% of 5595 games.

Step 10

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Qd2

White plays queen to d2. It controls the centre (d4). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 48% of 4045 games.

Step 11

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...c6

Black plays pawn to c6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 47% of 1701 games.

Step 12

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.f3

White plays pawn to f3. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 29% of 1083 games.

Step 13

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Pirc Defence. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Other answers to 1.e4

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