Perking Up The Pirc

I GAINED a large advantage shortly out of the opening in my round-seven game at Mariánské Lázně.

Here I want to look at how Black could improve, but the whole game can be seen at ML 7.

By an unusual move-order the game reached the mainline starting position of the Classical System in the Pirc: 1.Nc3 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0

Black has four continuations that each occur more than 1,000 times in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database

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My opponent played 6...c6, which is the most-popular move even though the oldest game in Mega22 only dates back to 1952.

My response of 7.a4 is the commonest move today, although Pirc Classical specialist Anatoly Karpov also played 7.h3, 7.Re1 and 7.Bf4!?

After 7...Qc7 - 7...Nbd7 and 7...a5 are roughly as equally popular - I played 8.h3, partly to prepare Be3 without worrying about the response ...Ng4 and partly to restrict the black light-square bishop.

Black's commonest reply is 8...e5, although Stockfish14.1. and Komodo12.1.1 reckon White is better after 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Bc4.

The game saw 8...Nbd7 9.Be3 b6 10.Qd2, at which point the opening is arguably over as White has connected rooks.

There are 226 games with this position in Mega22

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Developing the light-square bishop by 10...Bb7 is the most-popular continuation, but my opponent preferred 10...Re8, which allows 11.Bh6 to be met with 11...Bh8.

I played 11.Rfe1, which was met by Komodo12.1.1's top choice, 11...a6, although Stockfish14.1 prefers 11...Bb7.

Four moves are known here - 12.Bh6, 12.Nh2, 12.Rad1 and 12.Bf1 - but I played the apparent-novelty 12.e5!?, which Stockfish14.1 very much likes, while it also comes to be Komodo12.1.1's top choice.

My opponent replied 12...Nd5?!, which may be a mistake as I was much better after 13.exd6 Qxd6 (13...exd6!? may be an improvement) 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Bf4.

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Bf4!?, eg 14...dxe5 15.dxe5 e6 (not 15...Nxe5? 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 17.Bxe5 Qxe5 18.Bb5 etc), when Stockfish14.1 reckons White is positionally winning after any reasonable move, including 17.h4, 17.Bd3 and 17.c3, although Komodo12.1.1 only gives White a slight edge.

Rather than 12...Nd5?! Black should probably play 12...dxe5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Qxe5, when 15.Bxb6 Qd6 16.Rad1 Qxd2 17.Rxd2 leaves White with the better pawn-structure.

CONLUSION: Black walks something of a tightrope in the Pirc, which is why many players only use it against opponents who are much-lower rated.