Pirc Opening

[TEDOVSKY]

Been playing the pirc recently and have fallen in love with it. Not as sharp as the sicilian but its very SOLID and its aims and pathway are easy to master. Getting a lot of wins from the younger players in 2-minute(+3 secs per move format) blitz games, who, full of ego keep pushing the drawish positions in their "must win" mentality and eventually end up losing. Even getting draws against fritz with this opening. Far better than being quickly crushed by my ex favourite sicilian defense.

[SideriteZ]

Very nice video. I liked your quickly getting past the beginning moves, which are explained everywhere, and getting to analyse the middle game. Why have you stopped making more videos?

[B3l1Cool]

Great video, I just get an advice, that I should play Pirc instead of French defense, I am just curious from who to learn Pirc defense? I mean player?

[OscuroSer]

@B3l1Cool Well, although statistics tell that French is a bit better than Pirc, you should play what makes you feel good.

Not many elite players like the Pirc with black but you may find some interesting games in the World Championship Match (1978) between Karpov and Korchnoi.

[evitigre]

your explanations are very clear and easy!! Please make more videos!!

[wolflogic32]

How would black handle 6.E5? i think the pawn push at that point is pritty devistating, atleast in my experence

[trustuguaina]

These are the statistics from Mega Database 2009:

6.. dxe5 - 550 games - 61% of the points (White)

6.. Nd7 - 382 games - 53% of the points (White)

6.. Ne8 - 101 games - 61% of the points (White)

6.. Ng4 - 21 games - 62% of the points (White)

6.. Nh5 - 7 games - 43% of the points (White)

The biggest ELOs of the base play the dxe5 or Nd7 variation.

I consider that 47% of the points for black (second variation) is not that bad..

[fiddlercrab3]

@trustuguaina I agree! If you check out the book "Pirc Alert!" by GMs Lev Albert and Alex Chernin, they recommend the same.

[edmalikin]

Thanks a lot for your video. I want to ask you about such variation: 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 what if white plays 3. e5 ? how black handles this threat of attack on the kingside knight? Why to put it on f6 it can be kicked out?

[trustuguaina]

Well, if 3.e5 then dxe5 4.dxe5 Qxd1 and White can´t castle anymore...

[edmalikin]

Thanks a lot for your answer. Now I feel I can play this opening with no worry as black.

[schusterlehrling]

@edmalikin After 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. e5? u lose a pawn by 3 . ... dxe5 4. dxe5 Qxd1+ 5. Kxd1 Ng4! The knight threatens to take on f2 and e5, and white can not parr bot threats and simply loses a pawn and is lost. This is a good example of the ideas of the Pirc: White pushes his paws, but his squares are waek and the pawns are lost quickly.

[ginomontanna2]

pirc is the king