Pirc variations for White?

I am in the process of compiling an opening book for myself. As Black, I play exclusively the Hippo defense, but am interested in learning the French and Caro-Kann. As White I play e4 and if Black plays:

• 1. ...e5 --> Bishop's opening, usually transposing into Italian or Giuoco Piano
• French --> Advance variation, with 4. Nf3 after the inevitable 3. ...c5
• Sicilian --> Alapin (I really need to actually study this one though)
• Scandinavian --> Tennison Gambit (hoping for the ICBM, but not many people fall for that; I'm usually still okay otherwise)
• Owens or Modern --> 2. d4, either with standard classical development, or 3. f4 and 4. Bd3 to control f5
• Caro-Kann --> Advance variation, which I'm told is the most common, and which I have only briefly reviewed.

However, when I see the Pirc defense (1. e4 d6 if you didn't know), I panic. Usually I play 2. d4 and then just roll from there, but I'd like to know if there are any good lines or variations I should aim for, especially taking into account what I normally play with other openings. Thanks!

Hi

At your rating by far the best thing to play imo is the Austrian Attack, 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4. The idea is to develop with Nf3 and Bd3 and castle K-side, then look to push e5 and establish a big center with a wedge against Black's bishop. The good thing is it works against the Czech Pirc too, 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 c6 4. f4 Qa5 5. Bd3 and everything is good, you can play Nf3 next and castle.

The Austrian is one of the best replies to the Pirc at all levels, the only downside at a higher level is that it ends up getting quite theoretical.

austrian is not bad but far easier is just the standard solution e4 d4 nc3 be3 qd2 f3 0-0-0. if early e5, you play nge2 (it doesnt matter if the bishop is blocked, that bishop doesnt have any good squares yet and gets in the way or becomes a target). You have two goals, g4, h4-h5 ( better to play g4 first, since h4, h5 slows you down considerably), and/or bh6 softening the kingside. If after g4-h4 black plays h5, you play g5, and try to trade that fianchetto bishop, kicking the knight misplaces that knight as f4, is always possible. Even if black defends correctly, it is a nagging edge.
an alternative for positional players that i used to play is 4.g3. Here you play g3 bg2, h3 be3 qd2, nge2, 0-0 and prepare f4 and/or g4. It is very easy for black to end up squeezed to death if he doesnt play concretely.

Point is your opponent probably knows more Pirc theory than you. So play them on your turf!

Two pawn centre, minor pieces out. If castle queen side use f3 to dominate the f6 knight and act as a supporting push for the g pawn and h pawns, black will attack on the queen side with the c pawn acting as the pivot to propell the b and a pawns towards the king and any knight on c3. Common is the queen and bishop battery to poke out the king side fianchettoed bishop. Sometimes black tries to dismantle the centre pawns so identify the pawn breaks and when to push past them or not.

I used to play the pirc myself (technically the Czech, but my recommendation sidesteps both), and there is a very annoying variation called the Geller system. Here’s some lines:

1 very important thing to know is the Pirc Players can also try to transpose the line into a Philidor!

You have to be careful about the move order switch up!

The above is the Philidor.

Same position can sort of happen in the Pirc line.

The position is identical, but you have to be careful because if you play against the Philidor different in the 1…e5 line vs. 1…d6 line.

It can completely throw you off.

Thanks guys! I will start looking at both the Austrian and Geller system!

Just play 2.f4 and smash on the KS. With 2.f4 theory is out of the window- works against all of these openings Pirc,Modern,Philidor. Here is a sample game of mine vs a 2052 rated player in an OTB tournament

For the very reason given by @Compadre_J at #9 I find the Pirc annoying. That Hanham Philidor is a tough nut to crack; especially at short time limits - realising White's advantage in such lines often involves playing with patient filigree accuracy. When returning to chess after a very long layoff I looked at the Austrian Attack but have not yet had time/will power to put in the hard yards and learn it properly.

So, as a stopgap, I'm dabbling with the approach I used to take back in the 1990s: play 2. Nc3 aiming to play f4, Nf3, Bc4 or b5 depending on what Black has done, d3, and O-O. The difference between my approach and that of @Psychic_Vigilante at #11 seems to be that I tend not to play Pe4-e5 if I can help it - I don't like releasing the f5 square for Black to drop a Knight or Bishop onto. But he's a far better player than I am, so maybe assume he's right and I'm wrong on that bit.

The up-side is that all this bamboozles the "Hanham Philidor Transposers" who often end up in unfavourable positions looking a little like the King's Gambit Declined. They don't seem to emjoy positions in which playing ..., e5 doesn't engage tension with a White Pd4.

The first down-side is it can transpose directly to the Closed or Grand Prix Sicilians after 2..., c5 and that's not everyone's cup of tea. Although after 1. e4, c5; 2. Nc3 then 2..., d6 is not Black's best or most flexible move imho.

The second down-side is that Black lines with ..., c6 and ..., d5 are decent and have independent significance. And there's little Real Theory out there to guide one through.

Knights go on c3 and f3, rooks go on central files, queen goes to e2 usually, bishop usually gets away with to c4 but watch for early expansion on the queenside or it may result in wasted tempi - in which case Be2, Re1, Bf1 might be the way - all part of some theory and all computer approved. None of this f4 or f3 heresy, traditional principles against the pirc for me.

Now, watch for the breakthrough potential e5 or d5. Of course you don't want to play it straight off, this is allowed by the idea of the pirc and black will only laugh, but wait for the exact right time, it may come very early or later on. Watch for if you can force a backward pawn it do large expansion on the queenside yourself. Pawn sacs possible and even the occasional piece sac.

I should learn the Austrian attack but then it gets very theory heavy. The old 150 attack shouldn't be that effective against the pirc and a good pirc player should be able to crowd out the queenside of white.

The idea behind e4 e5 is you can almost and without exception play h3 g4 under favourable circumstances after castling long. If he plays h4 to block the KS you play g4 anyway and if captures en passant on g3 you have a passed pawn on the h file. If he does not you are just challenging whatever is on f5. Just make sure you have a bishop on d3 to challenge whatever lands on f5 as well. The concept of Bd3 is very similar to the La Bourdonnais variation of the French defence where we as white play 1e4 e6 2f4 d5 3e5 and then c3 + Bd3 as soon as we see they want to land a piece on f5. The bishop can be exchanged for a knight on f5 without any hesitation.

Against the move order with 3...Nd7 (where they don't want to allow the endgame line) you can obviously just play f4 and this is very good for White I think. Against 3...e5 I recommend the 5. Rg1 line looking for a quick g4-g5. This is rare, objectively good, and disrupts Black's typical plans in the line. I've got a study here with a little bit of theory.

I would treat it how I play against a sicilian; be3, qd2, and O-O-O. I have played the Austrian Attack in the past, but I think I will start playing be3 qd2 and O-O-O. Use the chess.com engine to find a line that is compatible with your style of play; I enjoy attacking positions, so I opt to long castle.

Wow. I suddenly have a lot to think about in terms of leads with which to improve my play against the Pirc. Thank you @Psychic_Vigilante and @Strayaningen for taking the time to help out this Woodpusher.

Pirc defence

A relatively unknown variation for many pirc players is the Kholmov system. There is one razor sharp variation you need to know, but otherwise you just push e6 and get an opening advantage: