As Black
Pirc Defence
The Pirc Defence is a chess opening for Black that starts with 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6.
Black allows White to occupy the centre in order to attack it later (hypermodern).
Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero
7 lines
4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Bd3 Qxc5 8.Qe2 O-O 9.Be3 Qa5
6.O-O Nc6
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 O-O 6.O-O Nc6 7.h3 e5 8.d5 Ne7
Classical System
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 O-O 6.O-O c6 7.a4 a5 8.h3 Na6
150 Attack
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 b5 6.f3 Nbd7
Argentine System
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f3 c6 5.Be3 b5 6.Qd2 Nbd7
3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Na6 7.O-O c5 8.d5 Rb8
4.Bg5 c6 5.Qd2 b5
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bg5 c6 5.Qd2 b5 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.Nf3 Bg7
Frequently asked questions
Is the Pirc Defence good for beginners?
It suits players who already have some experience. On OpeningCraft it is aimed at players with Elo 1400 – 1600. It suits players who prefer long-term plans and pawn structure.
How many lines of the Pirc Defence do you need to learn?
OpeningCraft teaches 7, in blocks of 5. They come from real Lichess games at each rating band, and the traps and opponent mistakes most common at your level come first.