Edward Dearing wrote on 04/02/08 at 01:20:04:


Just noticed this thread, and realized I am one of the "certain readers" referred to. (And no, I'm not going to ask about 2.d3)

I can just about live with playing into early ....d6 lines against the Grand Prix Attack (1.e4 d6 2.Nc3 move order) since most GPA players don't know their theory very well anyway, but I am a bit worried about the tempo-losing line with Bb5+ Bd7, Bc4!?, arguing that the bishop is worse on d7 than on c8, that was briefly analyzed in "Chess Openings for White, Explained". I know that book was torn apart by Watson, but this particular line is one of its bright spots and several years before the book appeared I was on the losing side of the same idea, which my opponent had found in home analysis. I THOUGHT I was well-prepared for that game...

As for 2.f4 d5!? I like the idea; will probably take it up if I stick with the Pirc!

But the main fun-killer for me has been 1.e4 d6 2.c4(!), since neither the King's Indian, the Benoni, the Modern Averbakh lines or the Symmetrical English are part of my repertoire. It has been hard to find something both playable and independent against opponents who are actually well-prepared for the Classical KID, the English Botvinnik System and the Maroczy Bind. So in the right hands 2.c4 is not merely a sideline to avoid theory, but a powerful transpositional move. Vigus suggested (in another thread) that Black can set up a Botvinnik System with ...e5 and ...c5 and be happy. The problem with that is that I play the Pirc when i want to unbalance the game and WIN with Black, if I'm looking to equalize I don't play 1...d6 at all. Imagine the trials of trying to beat a weaker opponent in the "Symmetrical Botvinnik System" with c4-d3-e4 against c5-d6-e5 (of course both players will follow standard advise and put their knights on e2/e7 rather than f3/f6).

What about 1. e4-d6 2.f4-d5 3.e5? I presume black's plan is to play c5 and wait to see whether white plays Nf3 or not to decide where to put the light square bishop (f5 or g4), a bit as in the grand Prix Attack (or in a French with a more active bishop)

I am not going to comment on the 2.Nc3 lines. Much stronger players than me have already done so.

However there is a major alternative in the 2.f4 lines.

1. e4 d6
2. f4 d5 transposing to a Centre Counter where white has used his extra tempo to play f4 which
looks inappropriate.

Thanks Eddie. That's what I'm doing, and I've been using the Rogozenko book, so I second your advice.

Since one of the objectives of the Pirc is to backdoor into a Sicilian whilst avoiding the Yugoslav Dragon, Black should welcome these variations.

The Vigus book states on p18 that "The starting point of this book is strictly the positon after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6." Due to space constraints, and due to this position as really defining what the Pirc is. It's chunky enough as is!

Otherwise the game will transpose into other openings, and so it's necessary to consult other sources. The Pirc player has to be prepared for a lot of variety. That's why I like it  

Nigel Davies's DVD on the Pirc also does consider briefly the earlier deviations, with 1. e4 d6 2. f4 d5 leading to a kind of Scandinavian with an extra f4 thrown in, and also 1. e4 d6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5, which is, err, a kind of Alekine with an extra f4 thrown in

So the Pirc player has a choice.  That's why I like it  

As for 3. Bd3, which is quite popular with lower rated players, heading for a lazy c3 system, 3. ...e5 4. c3 d5 5. de Nxe4 does seem to equalise in a kind of Open Lopez without the Queenside weaknesses kind of way.  However a lot of Pirc players will just go 4. ...g6 which is ok for Black - See Tiger's Modern for example.

As for 3. f3, well this is becoming an interesting beast, especially if White has come from 1. d4 d6 2. e4 Nf6 3. f3, and so is probably a d4 player angling for a Saemisch. I've also noticed that Anand uses it when facing Pircmeisters in rapids. But White has to be prepared for a lot of other stuff. I've also noticed a new book, A Positional Opening Repertoire for the Club Player by Nikolai Kalinichenko recommends f3, so maybe it might become more popular with the fish.

I've been going 3. ...d5 4 e5 Nd7, aiming for a French (yay, we get to play everything  ), and I've tried 4. ...Nb8 once. Sadly though I seem to keep losing all these game, so I need to find something else, or do more work in it! There's 3. ...e5, recommended in the Exlposive Repetoire, which could lead to an, err, explosive ending. Or, just go 3. ...g6 and get on with it in normal main lines.

I'm sure we'll still get someone asking what to do against 1. e4 d6 2. d3