Pirc Defense: Chinese Variation
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be2 Bg7 5. g4
The Pirc Defense: Chinese Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B07, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be2 Bg7 5. g4. It is a line of the Pirc Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 58 times by this move order. White won 50%, 5% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 5… O-O (38% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.25 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 5… d5 6. e5 Ne4 7. f3 Nxc3 8. bxc3)
- ECO
- B07
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
rnbqk2r/ppp1ppbp/3p1np1/8/3PP1P1/2N5/PPP1BP1P/R1BQK1NR b KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be2 Bg7 5. g4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 4 | |
| 1500-1999 | 20 | |
| 2000+ | 34 | |
| All | 58 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… O-O | 22 (38%) | |
| 5… h5 | 17 (29%) | |
| 5… c6 | 5 (9%) | |
| 5… h6 | 3 (5%) | |
| 5… Nc6 | 2 (3%) | |
| 5… e5 | 2 (3%) | |
| 5… d5 | 2 (3%) | |
| 5… c5 | 2 (3%) |
Master games
54 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 7%, Black 50%). The strongest:
- GM Vasif Durarbayli (2606) – GM Vlad-Cristian Jianu (2532) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 22nd Dec · 2020-12-22
- GM Jaime Alexander Cuartas (2484) – GM Fernando Peralta (2622) 1/2-1/2 · 21st Montcada Open · 2013-06-29
- FM Pedro Ramon Martinez Reyes (2427) – IM Leon Livaic (2507) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 1st Dec · 2020-12-01
- FM Tom O`Gorman (2353) – IM Mark Van der Werf (2408) 1-0 · Titled Tue 3rd Sep Late · 2024-09-03
- IM Antanas Zapolskis (2283) – IM Ameet K Ghasi (2467) 0-1 · 5th Kings Place Open 2017 · 2017-07-08
Search all games of the Pirc Defense: Chinese Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Unentlich (2410) – Xaalt (2421) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- FM Gatiloco77 (2409) – neverforgetyou (2369) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- boblibob (2416) – Busete (2345) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Pirc Defense (3. Nc3 g6) 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6
More Pirc Defense lines (all)
- Pirc Defense (1. e4 d6) B00
- Pirc Defense (1… d6 2. d4) B00
- Pirc Defense (2. d4 Nf6) B00
- Pirc Defense: Roscher Gambit B00
- Pirc Defense: 150 Attack B07
- Pirc Defense: 150 Attack, Inner Doll Defense B07
- Pirc Defense: 150 Attack, Sveshnikov-Jansa Attack B07
- Pirc Defense: Bayonet Attack B07
- Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation B07
- Pirc Defense: Kholmov System B07
- Pirc Defense: Sveshnikov System B07
- Pirc Defense: Classical Variation (3… g6 4. Nf3) B08
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.