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Pirc Defense report from your own games

Pirc Defense report from your own games

Playing hypermodern? See if your flexible approach actually delivers results.

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Sample Report

Pirc Defense Report

22 GAMESSample Data
Win Rate
45%

Performance vs Other Openings

Pirc Defense45% Win
Other Openings49% Win

Key Insights

Your ...c5 and ...e5 breaks are coming before you have adequate piece support
black
High Impact

Counter-Attacks Launched Too Early

What this means
In 7 of 9 Austrian Attack games, you played the central counter-break (...e5 or ...c5) before completing development. Your average move for the first break is move 7.3, while stronger Pirc players typically wait until move 9-10. In game #88, an early ...e5 on move 6 led to a lost pawn structure after f4xe5 dxe5 Qxd8. Your loss rate in these premature break games is 71%.
How to improve
In the Austrian Attack (4.f3 or 4.f4 lines), complete your kingside development first: ...Bg7, ...O-O, ...Nbd7, then consider ...e5 or ...c5. The counter-attack gains power when your pieces are coordinated. Prepare ...e5 with ...Re8 to add pressure on the e-file after the break.
#timing#counter-attack#pawn-breaks
Space disadvantage is leading to passive piece placement and slow losses
black
High Impact

Struggling With Cramped Positions

What this means
Across your 22 Pirc games, you spend an average of 3.2 moves relocating pieces that were placed on suboptimal squares in the opening. Your knight in particular tends to land on e7 (blocking the f8-bishop diagonal) in 41% of games. Your piece mobility score in moves 10-20 averages 22% below your opponent's. Games #112 and #156 show a pattern of knights being stuck on the rim by move 15.
How to improve
Embrace the Pirc's flexible setup by routing knights to their ideal squares from the start: Nf6-d7 for regrouping, not Ne7 which blocks your dark-squared bishop. Fianchetto early, castle, and use the g7-bishop's long diagonal as your primary source of counterplay. Accept less space but ensure every piece has a purpose.
#space#piece-placement#flexibility
Your best results come from the Classical lines where you understand the plans

Classical Variation Shows Real Promise

What this means
Your Classical Pirc win rate of 63% over 8 games stands out as your strongest variation. In these games, your accuracy averages 82% compared to 71% in the Austrian Attack. You seem more comfortable with the slower buildup and strategic maneuvering the Classical Variation offers. Your blunder rate drops to just 3.8% in Classical games versus 12.1% in the Austrian.
How to improve
Lean into the Classical Pirc as your primary choice. When facing 4.Nf3, aim for the setup with ...Bg7, ...O-O, ...d6, ...Nbd7, and choose between ...e5 and ...c6 based on White's structure. Study the key middlegame plans: ...a6 and ...b5 for queenside expansion, or ...Re8 and ...e5 for central play.
#strengths#repertoire#strategy

Top Variations

1
Austrian Attack
9 games
2
Classical Variation
8 games
3
Pirc/Modern Hybrid
5 games

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What we analyze in your Pirc Defense games

Your counter-attacking accuracy against White's center

Your handling of the Austrian Attack pawn storm

Your piece coordination from the fianchetto setup

Your timing of the e5 and c5 breaks

Your defensive resilience when under space pressure

Your success rate when White plays aggressively vs. positionally

Key Positions to Know

Critical concepts every Pirc Defense player should understand

The Hypermodern Setup

Black lets White build a big center with e4-d4, then plans to undermine it with piece pressure and pawn breaks. The g7 bishop will target the center from the flank — a classic hypermodern strategy.

Defending the Austrian Attack

White's most aggressive try: 4.f4 builds a massive pawn center. Black must be precise — the plan is to castle quickly, then counter-strike with ...c5 or ...e5 before White launches a crushing kingside attack.

Counter-Attacking the Center

Black waits for White to overextend, then strikes. If White pushes e5 too early, Black can play ...dxe5 and exploit the resulting open lines. The key is patience — let White over-commit before punching back.

Opening Statistics

Original research from 9,286 real amateur games — data you won't find anywhere else.

Avg. Game Length
—awaiting data
Underdog Wins
—awaiting data
Quick Finishes
—awaiting data
Endgame Reach
—awaiting data
White's Edge
+3.4%
Favors BlackEqualFavors White

At 1200-1400

📊White's edge is +3.4% — a slight advantage for White.

How This Opening Changes as You Improve

RatingGamesWhite's Edge
800-10001,559
-2.5%47 /0 /50
1000-12002,099
+0.1%49 /0 /48
1200-14001,792
+3.4%50 /0 /47
1400-16001,952
+1.2%49 /0 /48
1600-18001,884
-0.1%48 /0 /48

Based on 9,286 games · Updated March 2026

Common Pirc patterns we detect

We automatically check if you fall for these specific traps.

About the Pirc Defense

The Pirc Defense (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6) is a hypermodern opening where Black allows White to occupy the center with pawns, planning to undermine it later with piece pressure and pawn breaks.

We analyze your counterplay generation, handling of space disadvantage, and attack/defense balance. We identify where your hypermodern strategy breaks down.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Pirc Defense analysis

The Pirc Defense begins with 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6. Unlike the Sicilian or French, Black makes no immediate pawn challenge to White's centre — instead, Black prepares a fianchetto with ...Bg7 and counterattacks the centre with pieces and later ...e5 or ...c5. Named after Slovenian GM Vasja Pirc, this hypermodern approach allows White to build a large centre in order to undermine it from the flanks.
The Austrian Attack (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4) is the most aggressive and testing system against the Pirc. White plays f4 early, threatening e5. The critical response is ...Bg7, ...O-O, and ...c5 or ...e5 to strike the centre before White's pawn storm reaches critical mass. After 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be3, the position demands precise counterplay from Black.
The 150 Attack (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 O-O 6. O-O-O) closely resembles the Sicilian Dragon Yugoslav Attack. White castles queenside and launches a brutal kingside pawn storm with h4-h5 and g4. Black counters with ...Nc6, ...e5, and queenside play with ...b5. With kings on opposite wings, both sides race — the player who breaks through first wins.
The Austrian Attack trap occurs after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. e5? dxe5 7. fxe5 Ng4 8. e6?? Nf2! — a stunning fork attacking the queen on d1 and the rook on h1. After 9. Qe2 (forced) Nxh1, Black has won the exchange. White must instead develop with 6. Bd3 or 6. Be3 before pushing pawns.
The Bishop Trap occurs after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. Bh6?? Bxh6 7. Qxh6 Qa5!. White's attempt to trade dark-squared bishops loses time. After ...Qa5, White's queen is misplaced on h6, Black threatens ...Nxe4, and White has no good way to defend both weaknesses. The Bg7 — Black's most important piece — should never be traded so cheaply.
Hikaru Nakamura has employed the Pirc as an occasional surprise weapon precisely because it leads to rich, unbalanced positions unfamiliar to most opponents. The Pirc's hypermodern strategy creates positions where deep understanding of counterplay trumps memorised theory. A well-prepared Pirc sidesteps opponents' usual preparation against Sicilian or King's Indian repertoires, forcing them to find good plans over the board.

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