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B07 Qxd5 11.Nxd5± ] Pirc Defense [ 5...h6 Aiming to avoid the opening of the h- The Pirc Defence can be played in different file. 6.h5 ( 6.Be3!? is also possible, with the move orders, but the most usual are 1.e4 d6 2. idea £d2 emphasizing the weakness of the d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 (The Pirc Defence) or 1.e4 g6 h6-. ) 6...g5 7.f4! gxf4 8.Bxf4² ] 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 (The Modern Defence). [ Against this hypermodern defence, we have 5...Nbd7 is too tame 6.h5ƒ White achieved chosen an aggressive line that can be used his goal on the kingside and will easily against both Pirc and Modern Defence. complet his development. ] [ The line we will study is based on the set-up 5...e5?! The trade of the queens doesn't help Be2 followed by an immediate h4, aiming to Black to equalise. 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ play h5 and thus attacking Black's on Kxd8 8.h5² ] the kingside. White doesn't have to know a lot of [ theory as in the main lines of the Pirc and 5...a6 Preparing an b7-b5, but it is normally achieves promising positions. effectiveless here. 6.h5 b5?! 7.e5! This breakthrough in the center is almost 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 decisive. dxe5 ( 7...Nxh5 8.Bf3 c6 9.g4± ) [Also possible is 4...c6 5.h4ƒ ] 8.h6! Bf8 9.dxe5 Qxd1+ 10.Bxd1± ] [ 5.h4 an interesting position arises. 5...h5 Black radically avoids h4-h5 but White threatens to play h4-h5 activating his weakens the square g5 and gives White the on the h-file and weakening Black's position on possibility to open the position on the kingside the kingside. by g2-g4 in the future. Other possibilities: c5 this dirrect counter-attack in the center is A) After 6.Nh3 Black keeps the balance by Black's most usual reply against White's flank playing Nc6! 7.Ng5 e5! 8.d5 attack. ( The alternative is 8.dxe5 Nxe5 9.Bf4 0-0 10.Qd2 Donev-Mittelberger, corr 1995 ) [ 5...Nc6!? Black prepares a counter-strike in 8...Nd4= Wade-Donner, 1965 ; the center by e7-e5. 6.h5 gxh5 ( 6...e5 B) 6.Bg5!? is also possible intending a 7.h6² ) 7.f3 e5 normal depelopment by £d2, 0-0-0, ¤f3 or A) 8.dxe5 dxe5! ( 8...Nxe5 9.Nh3² ) f3, ¤h3-f2, g4 ; 9.Qxd8+ Nxd8 10.Be3 Ne6÷ Biriescu- C) 6.Nf3 0-0 ( 6...Bg4 7.Ng5 Bxe2 Ftacnik, 1978 ; 8.Qxe2 Nc6 9.Be3 Ng4 10.0-0-0² B) 8.d5 Nd4 ( 8...Ne7 9.Be3² Moore-Manion, 1990 ) 7.Ng5 ( 7.Bg5!? ) Baljon-Meulders, 1970 ) 9.Be3 Nxe2 7...c6 ( 7...Nc6!? 8.Be3 e5 9.d5 Nd4!? 10.Ngxe2² Morales-Peris, 1992 ] 10.Bxd4 exd4 11.Qxd4 c6!© [ Wade-Smyslov, 1965 ) 8.a4² Barua-Nikolic, 5...c6 Black is looking for a counter-play on 1993 ] the queenside by b7-b5-b4 6.h5 b5 ( 6...gxh5 7.Bxh5² ) 7.h6 ( 7.a3!? ) 7...Bf8 8.a3² 6.dxc5 White has a confortable position and can [ 6.d5 has been played too, but I don't think it easily complet his development. ] can threat Black. ] [ [It is worth trying from time to time 6.e5!? 5...0-0 Postponing the counter-play in the in which White scored very well till now, but center is not a good idea. 6.h5 c5 7.hxg6 objectively talking Black normally keeps the fxg6 8.dxc5 Qa5 9.cxd6 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ balance. 2

A) 6...Nfd7 7.exd6 exd6 ( 7...cxd4 8.Nb5 B) 8.Be3 Na6 9.h5ƒ Karner-Ftacnik, 1977 ) 8.Nf3² B1) 8...Qb4 9.a3 Qxb2?! 10.Bd4 e5 Sarapu-Ker, 1984 ; ( 10...Nxe4 11.Bxg7 Nxc3 12.Qe1+- B) 6...dxe5 7.dxe5 Qxd1+ 8.Bxd1 Ng4! Hamberger-Sucher, 1996 ) 11.Ra2 Qxa2 ( 8...Nfd7 9.f4² Murrey-Neumann, 1984 ) 12.Nxa2 exd4 13.Qxd4² ; 9.f4 Nc6÷ ] B2) 8...Qc7 9.h5÷ ; B3) 8...Qa5 9.Nh3 ( 9.h5? is strongly 6...Qa5 Diagram met by the usual defensive manouevre Nxh5! 10.Bxh5 Bxc3! 11.bxc3 gxh5∓ ) XABCDEFGHY 9...Nc6 10.Nf4÷ The position is balanced and with chances for both sides. ] 8rsnl+k+-tr( [ 7.Qd3 Qxc5 ( 7...0-0? 8.h5 Nc6 9.hxg6 7zpp+-zppvlp' fxg6 (Wilder-Davies, 1989) 10.cxd6 Nxe4 11.dxe7 Nxe7 12.Qxe4 Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 6-+-zp-snp+& Qxc3+ 14.Kd1+- ; 7...Nxe4?? 8.Qb5+!+- ) 8.Be3 Qa5 5wq-zP-+-+-% A) 9.h5? is once again met by Nxh5! 4-+-+P+-zP$ ( 9...gxh5 10.Nh3 Nc6 11.0-0-0² ) 10.Qb5+ ( 10.Bxh5 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 gxh5 12.Ne2 3+-sN-+-+-# Nc6³ ) 10...Qxb5 11.Nxb5 Na6 12.Bxh5 gxh5³ ; 2PzPP+LzPP+" B) 9.Qb5+!? Likely the only acceptable move. Qxb5 10.Nxb5 Na6 According to 1tR-vLQmK-sNR![ databases White scored excellent in this xabcdefghy position, but normally Black must keep the balance. 11.Nxa7 ( 11.f3!? also gives White chances to fight for plus. ; 11.Bf3 Ng4 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Nxd4 Ne5= Kiik-Hurme, Here White has 3 distinct lines 7.Kf1, 7.Qd3 and 1991 ) 11...Nxe4 12.c3 ( 12.Nxc8? Rxc8 7.Bd2. It is very important to keep in mind that 13.c3 Rxc3!∓ ) 12...Bd7 13.Nb5 0-0 Black's usual defensive manouevre in the first 14.Nf3÷ Rigo-Berg, 1988 ] two lines is to meet h5 by Nxh5 and Bxc3, 7...Qxc5 8.h5 gxh5 weakening White's pawn formation. We think [Now 8...Nxh5 is not dangerous because ¤c3 the best move is 7.Bd2, but 7.Kh1 Qxc5 8.Be3 is protected by ¥d2. 9.Bxh5 gxh5 10.Rxh5² ] Qa5 9.Kh3 or 7.Qd3 Qxc5 8.Be3 Qa5 9.Qb5+ [ 8...0-0 9.Nh3 ( 9.hxg6 fxg6÷ ) 9...Bxh3! also leads to interesting positions. 10.Rxh3 Nc6 11.hxg6 ( 11.a3 d5!„ ) 11...fxg6 12.Be3 Qb4 13.Qd2 7.Bd2 An interesting line which Chernin doesn't (Garcia Fernandez - Ferrer, 1995) Nxe4 mention in his excellent book "Pirc Alert!". I think 14.Nxe4 Qxe4 15.f3© ( 15.0-0-0!?© )] this is the best option for White, otherwise Black 9.Nh3© White has good for the can meet h5 by the excellent plan ¤xh5 sacrificed pawn. followed by ¥xc3. [ 7.Kf1 Qxc5 ( 7...dxc5 8.e5 Nfd7 9.e6! fxe6 10.h5‚ Cimmino-Gibellini, corr.1997 ) A) 8.h5 Nxh5! 9.Nd5 ( 9.Bxh5 Bxc3! 10.bxc3 gxh5³ Wohlfart-Schmaltz, 1994 ) 9...Nf6 10.b4 Qc6 11.a4 Nxd5!? ( 11...Qd7 ) 12.Bb5 Nc3 13.Bxc6+ Nxc6 14.Qf3 Be6© Bach-Hodgson, 1993 ;