Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2

The Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System is a chess opening classified as ECO B08, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2. It is a line of the Pirc Defense. Black is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 868 times by this move order. White won 50%, 6% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 5… O-O (80% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.39 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 5… a6 6. O-O O-O 7. Bf4 Bg4 8. Be3)

ECO: B08
Moves: 9 plies
FEN: rnbqk2r/ppp1ppbp/3p1np1/8/3PP3/2N2N2/PPP1BPPP/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 3 5
PGN: 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
0-1499	177	51%44%
1500-1999	391	49%45%
2000+	300	51%41%
All	868	50%44%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
5… O-O	691 (80%)	50%43%
5… c6	48 (6%)	48%46%
5… Bg4	36 (4%)	50%44%
5… Nc6	26 (3%)	50%50%
5… Nbd7	22 (3%)	59%41%
5… a6	15 (2%)	40%60%
5… c5	15 (2%)	53%40%
5… b6	6 (1%)	33%67%

Master games

691 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 28%, Black 33%). The strongest:

GM Magnus Carlsen (2840) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2751) 0-1 · 31st Sigeman & Co TB · 2026-05-07
GM Anish Giri (2720) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2764) 1/2-1/2 · SportAccord Blitz Men 2012 · 2012-12-16
GM Hao Wang (2709) – GM Yangyi Yu (2751) 0-1 · 2nd IMSA Blitz 2017 · 2017-12-13
GM Hans Moke Niemann (2736) – GM Pavel Eljanov (2680) 1-0 · Titled Tue 19th Aug Early · 2025-08-19
GM Etienne Bacrot (2642) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2764) 1/2-1/2 · FIDE Grand Prix 1 Pool A · 2022-02-05

Search all games of the Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

Johnizard (2719) – FM umagon20 (2735) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Meatloaf927 (2697) – NM manneredmonkey (2632) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Skarr_song (2713) – NM manneredmonkey (2616) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s

Comes from

Pirc Defense: Classical Variation (4. Nf3 Bg7) 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7

Continuations

Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Chigorin Line B08 · 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Nc6
Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Czech Defense B08 · 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O c6
Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Parma Defense B08 · 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Bg4

More Pirc Defense lines (all)

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.