Quote:


After 1e4 d6 2c4 c5 3Nc3 Nc6 4g3 (maybe 4Nge2 first is better?) I can suggest a normal line with 
a) 4...g6 5 Bg2 Bg7 6 Nge2 e6 7 0-0 Nge7 8 d3 0-0 where I believe that white has nothing, and a more original one with 
b) 4...h5!? when

b1) 5 h3 h4 6g4 e5! seems very playable to me: with the idea Nge7-Ng6, Be7, Nd4 and so on, with a nice black square strategy. 

b2) 5 Nf3 Bg4! is also nothing for white

b3) 5 h4 is probably critical but the inclusion of h4 h5 is not bad at all for black: after, for example 5...g6 6 Bg2 Bg7 7 Nge2 Nf6 8 0-0 0-0 white usually plays with f4 in this positions ( normaly exchanging the black squared bishop first) but now this f4 will almost never be good because of Ng4.   

Quite right.  Kosten's Dynamic English avoids the Botvinnik set-up after 1.c4 e5 2.g3 d6 3.Bg2 f5, recommending instead a strategy based on e2-e3.

I am increasingly coming to think that Yrjola and Tella's book is a masterpiece, by the way ... but then I have been playing the Pirc for a while now ...

Black will have to play some other move on move 2 (other than 2...Nf6 to reach this setup).  Perhaps you intented 2...Nc6.  Against certain defensive setups White probably does better with d4 instead of d3.  I think that 1.e4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.Nc3 (3.d4!?) 3...c5 or reversing Black's second and third moves might be OK, playing it symmetrically depending on how White develops.

Was wondering how others here thought this should be handled.  1.e4 d6 2.c4 and if Black continues with normal Pirc development White will probably setup a Botvinnik formation.  It looks like Black has various routes to a playable game but nothing that will actually punish the move (and of course several of Black's replies could take the game into queen pawn territory).