Pirc Defense: Classical Variation (3… g6 4. Nf3)
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3
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. It is a line of the Pirc Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 10,444 times by this move order. White won 50%, 5% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 4… Bg7 (93% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.56 (Stockfish, depth 44; best line 4… Bg7 5. Be3 a6 6. Qd2 b5 7. Bd3)
- ECO
- B08
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/ppp1pp1p/3p1np1/8/3PP3/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 1 4- PGN
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 4,338 | |
| 1500-1999 | 4,712 | |
| 2000+ | 1,394 | |
| All | 10,444 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… Bg7 Classical Variation (4. Nf3 Bg7) | 9,742 (93%) | |
| 4… Bg4 | 430 (4%) | |
| 4… c6 | 131 (1%) | |
| 4… Nbd7 | 42 (0%) | |
| 4… Nc6 | 36 (0%) | |
| 4… a6 | 23 (0%) | |
| 4… h6 | 9 (0%) | |
| 4… e5 | 9 (0%) |
Master games
156 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 51%, draw 16%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- GM Anish Giri (2782) – GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2801) 1-0 · chess.com Speed 3m+1spm 2018 · 2018-09-07
- GM Anish Giri (2782) – GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2801) 1/2-1/2 · chess.com Speed 1m+1spm 2018 · 2018-09-07
- GM Anish Giri (2779) – GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2775) 0-1 · GCT Blitz Paris 2019 · 2019-07-31
- IM Arystanbek Urazayev (2458) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2859) 0-1 · Titled Tue 29th Nov Late · 2022-11-29
- IM Polina Shuvalova (2487) – GM Zhongyi Tan (2545) 1/2-1/2 · Julius Baer WSCC 2024 · 2024-08-23
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 (3. Nc3 g6) 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6
Continuations
- Pirc Defense: Classical Variation (4. Nf3 Bg7) B08 · 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7
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: Chinese Variation B07
- Pirc Defense: Kholmov System B07
- Pirc Defense: Sveshnikov 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.