Pirc Defense

Main

Date: 14 Feb 2006 19:07:14
From: mogimyo
Subject: Pirc Defense

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts to the line 1. e4 d6 2. d4
Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bg5 Bg7 5. Qd2 h6 6. Bh4 Nfd7!? 7. Nd5 g5 8. Bg3 c5 or
7. f4 c5 8.d5

Date: 15 Feb 2006 14:57:59
From: Ray Gordon
Subject: Re: Pirc Defense

>I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts to the line 1. e4 d6 2. d4
> Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bg5 Bg7 5. Qd2 h6 6. Bh4 Nfd7!? 7. Nd5 g5 8. Bg3 c5 or
> 7. f4 c5 8.d5

I prefer the 4. Be3 lines and the "Kasparov treatment" with Nge2, f3, Qd2
and O-O-O. There's a game from 1994 I think where he sacrificed a rook and
won brilliantly. The idea there is to wind up White's center like a top and
then uncork it at the right time. Black is very vulnerable to being blown
away in the middlegame by this.

The lines you gave have White attacking prematurely and not playing as
logically as Black, who has a good position in those lines.

To get there, however, Black has to deal with 4. Be3 and Kasparov's method,
which to me at least is the true main line of the opening. It is definitely
the most thematic.

Date: 16 Feb 2006 00:45:03
From: ZucchiniMann
Subject: Re: Pirc Defense

> I prefer the 4. Be3 lines and the "Kasparov treatment" with Nge2, f3, Qd2
> and O-O-O. There's a game from 1994 I think where he sacrificed a rook and
> won brilliantly. The idea there is to wind up White's center like a top and
> then uncork it at the right time. Black is very vulnerable to being blown
> away in the middlegame by this.

I think that you are refering to this game:

[Event "Hoogovens"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Date "1999.01.20"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Kasparov, Gary"]
[Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2812"]
[BlackElo "2700"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. f3 b5 7. Nge2 Nbd7
8. Bh6
Bxh6 9. Qxh6 Bb7 10. a3 e5 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb1 a6 13. Nc1 O-O-O 14.
Nb3 exd4
15. Rxd4 c5 16. Rd1 Nb6 17. g3 Kb8 18. Na5 Ba8 19. Bh3 d5 20. Qf4+ Ka7
21. Rhe1
d4 22. Nd5 Nbxd5 23. exd5 Qd6 24. Rxd4 cxd4 25. Re7+ Kb6 26. Qxd4+ Kxa5
27. b4+
Ka4 28. Qc3 Qxd5 29. Ra7 Bb7 30. Rxb7 Qc4 31. Qxf6 Kxa3 32. Qxa6+ Kxb4
33. c3+
Kxc3 34. Qa1+ Kd2 35. Qb2+ Kd1 36. Bf1 Rd2 37. Rd7 Rxd7 38. Bxc4 bxc4
39. Qxh8
Rd3 40. Qa8 c3 41. Qa4+ Ke1 42. f4 f5 43. Kc1 Rd2 44. Qa7 1-0

This game was by no means an easy win, which is why we remember this
fantastic sacrifice and the following. But, if my memory is accurate,
Kasparov himself admitted that after the sacrifice the game should have
be drawn ( 24. ... cxd4 being the first mistake)

Date: 16 Feb 2006 12:36:31
From: Ray Gordon
Subject: Re: Pirc Defense

>> I prefer the 4. Be3 lines and the "Kasparov treatment" with Nge2, f3, Qd2
>> and O-O-O. There's a game from 1994 I think where he sacrificed a rook
>> and won brilliantly. The idea there is to wind up White's center like a
>> top and then uncork it at the right time. Black is very vulnerable to
>> being blown away in the middlegame by this.
>
> I think that you are refering to this game:
>
> [Event "Hoogovens"]
> [Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
> [Date "1999.01.20"]
> [Round "4"]
> [White "Kasparov, Gary"]
> [Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
> [Result "1-0"]
> [ECO "B07"]
> [WhiteElo "2812"]
> [BlackElo "2700"]
>
>
> 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. f3 b5 7. Nge2 Nbd7 8.
> Bh6
> Bxh6 9. Qxh6 Bb7 10. a3 e5 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb1 a6 13. Nc1 O-O-O 14. Nb3
> exd4
> 15. Rxd4 c5 16. Rd1 Nb6 17. g3 Kb8 18. Na5 Ba8 19. Bh3 d5 20. Qf4+ Ka7 21.
> Rhe1
> d4 22. Nd5 Nbxd5 23. exd5 Qd6 24. Rxd4 cxd4 25. Re7+ Kb6 26. Qxd4+ Kxa5
> 27. b4+
> Ka4 28. Qc3 Qxd5 29. Ra7 Bb7 30. Rxb7 Qc4 31. Qxf6 Kxa3 32. Qxa6+ Kxb4 33.
> c3+
> Kxc3 34. Qa1+ Kd2 35. Qb2+ Kd1 36. Bf1 Rd2 37. Rd7 Rxd7 38. Bxc4 bxc4 39.
> Qxh8
> Rd3 40. Qa8 c3 41. Qa4+ Ke1 42. f4 f5 43. Kc1 Rd2 44. Qa7 1-0
>
> This game was by no means an easy win, which is why we remember this
> fantastic sacrifice and the following. But, if my memory is accurate,
> Kasparov himself admitted that after the sacrifice the game should have be
> drawn ( 24. ... cxd4 being the first mistake)

My computer found a perpetual check in one line, but I think there were ways
of avoiding it and playing on.

I consider this to be one of the greatest chess games of all time, right up
there with Capablanca-shall, which is probably the greatest due to
shall's extensive home preparation (a decade!) of his new line, and
Capablanca finding what would become the main line for a very long time over
the board.

How interesting that Black wound up being a future world champion losing a
brilliancy to a current one.

Date: 16 Feb 2006 02:41:04
From: Antonio Torrecillas
Subject: Re: Pirc Defense

En/na ZucchiniMann ha escrit:
>
> I think that you are refering to this game:
>
> [Event "Hoogovens"]
> [Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
> [Date "1999.01.20"]
> [Round "4"]
> [White "Kasparov, Gary"]
> [Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
> [Result "1-0"]
> [ECO "B07"]
> [WhiteElo "2812"]
> [BlackElo "2700"]
>
> 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. f3 b5 7. Nge2 Nbd7
> 8. Bh6
> Bxh6 9. Qxh6 Bb7 10. a3 e5 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb1 a6 13. Nc1 O-O-O 14.
> Nb3 exd4
> 15. Rxd4 c5 16. Rd1 Nb6 17. g3 Kb8 18. Na5 Ba8 19. Bh3 d5 20. Qf4+ Ka7
> 21. Rhe1
> d4 22. Nd5 Nbxd5 23. exd5 Qd6 24. Rxd4 cxd4 25. Re7+ Kb6 26. Qxd4+ Kxa5
> 27. b4+
> Ka4 28. Qc3 Qxd5 29. Ra7 Bb7 30. Rxb7 Qc4 31. Qxf6 Kxa3 32. Qxa6+ Kxb4
> 33. c3+
> Kxc3 34. Qa1+ Kd2 35. Qb2+ Kd1 36. Bf1 Rd2 37. Rd7 Rxd7 38. Bxc4 bxc4
> 39. Qxh8
> Rd3 40. Qa8 c3 41. Qa4+ Ke1 42. f4 f5 43. Kc1 Rd2 44. Qa7 1-0
>
> This game was by no means an easy win, which is why we remember this
> fantastic sacrifice and the following. But, if my memory is accurate,
> Kasparov himself admitted that after the sacrifice the game should have
> be drawn ( 24. ... cxd4 being the first mistake)

I agree, 24...Kb6= (Kasparov)

AT

Date: 16 Feb 2006 12:38:07
From: Ray Gordon
Subject: Re: Pirc Defense

>> 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. f3 b5 7. Nge2 Nbd7
>> 8. Bh6
>> Bxh6 9. Qxh6 Bb7 10. a3 e5 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb1 a6 13. Nc1 O-O-O 14. Nb3
>> exd4
>> 15. Rxd4 c5 16. Rd1 Nb6 17. g3 Kb8 18. Na5 Ba8 19. Bh3 d5 20. Qf4+ Ka7
>> 21. Rhe1
>> d4 22. Nd5 Nbxd5 23. exd5 Qd6 24. Rxd4 cxd4 25. Re7+ Kb6 26. Qxd4+ Kxa5
>> 27. b4+
>> Ka4 28. Qc3 Qxd5 29. Ra7 Bb7 30. Rxb7 Qc4 31. Qxf6 Kxa3 32. Qxa6+ Kxb4
>> 33. c3+
>> Kxc3 34. Qa1+ Kd2 35. Qb2+ Kd1 36. Bf1 Rd2 37. Rd7 Rxd7 38. Bxc4 bxc4 39.
>> Qxh8
>> Rd3 40. Qa8 c3 41. Qa4+ Ke1 42. f4 f5 43. Kc1 Rd2 44. Qa7 1-0
>>
>> This game was by no means an easy win, which is why we remember this
>> fantastic sacrifice and the following. But, if my memory is accurate,
>> Kasparov himself admitted that after the sacrifice the game should have
>> be drawn ( 24. ... cxd4 being the first mistake)
>
> I agree, 24...Kb6= (Kasparov)

Black also could have saved the game with a perpetual check near the end, if
I recall.

I only went over this game once, a few years ago, when I was rebuilding my
repertoire. Prior to seeing this game I had focused on a more direct attack
on the king with an early h4.