Chess lessons › Chess openings
The Pirc and the Modern
Black lets White build a centre, fianchettoes the bishop, and strikes back later with a pawn.
The idea
Black delays the centre, fianchettoes, then strikes back later.
- White already has pawns on d4, e4 and f4, a big centre.
- Black’s bishop on f8 is ready to fianchetto.
- From g7 it will press the centre, and the king castles behind it.
In a game: Spot it when Black meets 1.e4 with 1...d6 or 1...g6, then fianchettoes.
How the lesson begins
Two defences meet 1.e4 by letting White build a big centre first. The Pirc Defence starts 1...d6, chosen in about 3% of games after 1.e4 among players rated 1200 to 1599. Watch the idea.
- 1... d6 Black makes a small pawn move and keeps the centre pawns back.
- 2. d4 White takes a big share of the centre.
- 2... Nf6 Black develops and presses on e4.
- 3. Nc3 White defends e4 and develops too.
- 3... g6 Black prepares a fianchetto: the bishop will go to g7, on the long diagonal. Both defences in this lesson share this idea.
Find the move
Black to move. White has played 4.f4, which Lichess calls the Austrian Attack. Put the bishop on the long diagonal.
A hint
The bishop on f8 goes to g7.
Show the answer
4... Bg7
Bg7 fianchettoes the bishop. It will guard the king once Black castles, and it will press on the centre as soon as the knight on f6 moves or the centre opens.
In numbers
How often it is played
| Rating | Value |
|---|---|
| Under 800 | 23 |
| 800 to 1199 | 31 |
| 1200 to 1599 | 37 |
| 1600 to 1999 | 40 |
| 2000 and up | 39 |
How the games ended
White won 50%, 4% were drawn and Black won 47%, over 68,864 games that start this way, in a sample of rated Lichess games from 2026.