Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

← chesspieler / Openings

Playing White · 18 blitz games · 8W 10L 0D · Your opponents choose this

Pirc Defense

You win the opening against the Modern, then get half of it back.

Score44%−5% vs your average
Win chance after move 1252%same as your average
Blunders per game1.11−0.12 vs your average
Clock left at move 102:35−4s vs your average
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Your most common line

1. d4 g6 2. Bf4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4

What it says about you

Against ...g6 and ...Bg7, you keep your London (Bf4) and add Nc3, a sensible practical choice that doesn't require knowing 150 Pirc Austrian lines. You clearly like attacking these set-ups, including long castling. The trouble is that your attacks run faster than your safety checks.

How you play it

You're better out of the opening (move-12 win chance 54.6) and clearly better by move 20 (move-20 win chance 61.9). Both are above baseline, but you only score 50% (9-9). You convert 9 of 16 winning positions, and 5 of your 9 losses were timeouts. The recent mistakes tell the story: you threw away 90% with 18.Nxf7 and 82% with 20.Qf4, which allowed mate. You also lost a bishop on move 7 to the ...e5 break.

Last 90 days: 1 games, 0% score.

What you're missing

  1. 01

    7.d5, when dxe5 was best, dropped a bishop and went from 59% to 6%. When Black plays ...e5 against your Bf4, the pawn hits the bishop, and pushing past it leaves the bishop to be taken.

  2. 02

    18.Nxf7 was a speculative sac that hung a knight (90% to 50%), and 20.Qf4 walked into mate or a fork (82% to 0%). You're attacking without checking the opponent's replies.

  3. 03

    11.O-O-O (87% to 65%), when the engine wanted h6 first. Castling long before pressing the attack gave Black time.

  4. 04

    Conversion of 9 from 16 is well below your already-low 59%. Timeouts cause most of the leakage.

How to improve it

  1. 01

    Against the Modern with Bf4 and Nc3, the model plan is Qd2, Bh6 to trade off the g7 bishop, then h4-h5 and long castling. Remove the fianchetto bishop, then open the h-file.

  2. 02

    Know the ...e5 break: when it comes against your Bf4, usually answer dxe5 and meet ...dxe5 with a queen trade or a retreat, never push d5 without checking the bishop.

  3. 03

    Keep your attack moving: push h6 or trade on h6 before you castle. The engine rated the attacking move over O-O-O by more than 20 points.

  4. 04

    In winning attacks, check all of the opponent's checks and captures before your move. Qf4 allowing mate is exactly that miss.

Where it goes wrong

Your losses in this opening, by where and how the decisive mistake happened.

Phase of the decisive mistake

opening2n=2
middlegame4n=4
endgame2n=2

What the mistake was

Missed a tactic / only move2n=2
Lost on time in a playable position2n=2
Hung a piece (left it undefended)2n=2
Didn't see opponent's 2–3 move combination1n=1
Endgame technique error1n=1

Variations you reach

Main Line1338%

Winning positions converted here: 53% (8 of 15).

Recent mistakes in this opening

Your move in red, Stockfish's in black.

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Missed a tactic · 2:46 left
8. Bh6? Best was dxe5. 60% → 23%
vs SquanchGames (1428) · 12-11-26 →
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Missed a tactic · 2:53 left
7. d5? Best was dxe5. 59% → 6%
vs gouagoua (1444) · 12-06-26 →
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Positional error · 2:42 left
11. O-O-O? Best was h6. 87% → 65%
vs knightsarecoolbishopsaren (1372) · 10-05-26 →
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Hung a piece · 1:26 left
18. Nxf7? Best was g4. 90% → 50%
vs knightsarecoolbishopsaren (1372) · 10-05-26 →

Next steps

01

Learn the Bh6 plan

Against ...g6 and ...Bg7, play Qd2 and Bh6 to trade the dark-squared bishop, then h4-h5.

02

Handle ...e5 with dxe5

When ...e5 hits your Bf4, take on e5 first. 7.d5 lost a bishop immediately.

03

Check their checks first

Before any attacking move, list the opponent's checks and captures. 20.Qf4 went from 82% to 0%.