Pirc Defense: Classical Variation (4. Nf3 Bg7)
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7
The Pirc Defense: Classical Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B08, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7. It is a line of the Pirc Defense. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 9,742 times by this move order. White won 50%, 4% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 5. Bc4 (26% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.44 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 5. Be3 O-O 6. Qd2 c6 7. a4 Nbd7)
- ECO
- B08
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqk2r/ppp1ppbp/3p1np1/8/3PP3/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 2 5- PGN
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3,968 | |
| 1500-1999 | 4,449 | |
| 2000+ | 1,325 | |
| All | 9,742 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Bc4 | 2,547 (26%) | |
| 5. Bd3 | 1,604 (16%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 1,454 (15%) | |
| 5. Bg5 | 1,117 (11%) | |
| 5. Be2 Classical Variation, Quiet System | 868 (9%) | |
| 5. e5 | 631 (6%) | |
| 5. h3 Classical Variation, Schlechter Variation | 618 (6%) | |
| 5. Bf4 | 345 (4%) |
Master games
1,260 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 18%, Black 41%). The strongest:
- Stockfish dev-20241122-b7f17346 (3677) – Seer 20241122 (3542) 1-0 · TCEC 27 Premier 2024 · 2024-11-30
- Seer 20241122 (3542) – Stockfish dev-20241122-b7f17346 (3677) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Premier 2024 · 2024-11-27
- LCZero 0.30-dag-8092b376-BT2-3 (3573) – Stockfish dev-20230308-39da50e (3607) 1-0 · TCEC 24 Premier 2023 · 2023-03-20
- Stockfish dev-20230308-39da50e (3607) – LCZero 0.30-dag-8092b376-BT2-3 (3573) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 24 Premier 2023 · 2023-03-17
- Berserk 20241119 (3589) – Caissa 1.21.2 (3545) 1-0 · TCEC 27 Premier 2024 · 2024-11-30
Search all games of the Pirc Defense: Classical Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Alpha_777 (2775) – GM sillyMASTER (2844) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- IM ARM__55555 (2865) – IM Romsta (2625) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- IM liczner (2757) – FM umagon20 (2731) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Pirc Defense: Classical Variation (3… g6 4. Nf3) 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3
Continuations
- Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System B08 · 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2
- Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Schlechter Variation B08 · 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. h3
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 (3. Nc3 g6) B07
- 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: Chinese Variation B07
- Pirc Defense: Kholmov System B07
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.