Pirc Defense, Modern Defense & Geller System
Pirc Defense
Definition & Basic Move Order
The Pirc Defense (ECO codes B07–B09) is a hyper-modern opening that begins after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6. Black allows White to build a classical pawn center with pawns on e4 and d4, intending to undermine it later with piece pressure and timely pawn breaks such as …e5 or …c5. The opening is named after the Slovenian grandmaster Vasja Pirc (1907-1980), who championed it in the 1930s–50s.
Strategic Ideas
- Hyper-modern philosophy. Black refrains from occupying the center with pawns in the opening, instead fianchettoing the king’s bishop to g7 and attacking White’s center from a distance.
- Flexible pawn breaks. Depending on the variation, Black may aim for …e5, …c5, or even …b5 to challenge White’s broad pawn front.
- King safety versus activity. Both sides usually castle kingside, but sharp opposite-side castling is common in aggressive lines such as the 150 Attack (Be3, Qd2, long castle by White) or the Austrian Attack (f4-lines) where Black may delay castling.
Main White Systems
- Classical System – 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O.
Leads to rich middlegames in which Black hits the e4-pawn with …e5 or …c5. - Austrian Attack – 4. f4. White expands on the kingside and prepares e4-e5; Black often replies with …c5 and/or …e5 to strike back.
- 150 Attack / Geller-Be3 System – 4. Be3 followed by Qd2 and f3. White threatens Bh6 and a kingside pawn storm after long castling.
Typical Black Plans
- Place the queen’s knight on c6 (sometimes a6 then …c5) and trade on d4 to loosen White’s center.
- Play …e5 in one move or prepare it with …c6 and …Qc7.
- Counterattack on the queenside with …b5, especially when White castles long.
Example Miniature
A sharp Austrian Attack in which both players head straight for tactical confrontation.
Historical Notes & Anecdotes
• Vasja Pirc was originally inspired by the ideas of the
hyper-modern pioneers Aron Nimzowitsch and Richard Réti.
• Bobby Fischer used the Pirc only once in a serious game—against
Larry Evans in the 1963/64 U.S. Championship—scoring a quick victory.
• Viktor Korchnoi and Alexander Beliavsky made the defense popular at the top
level during the 1970s and 1980s.
• The flexible nature of the opening attracts creative players;
Grandmaster Teimour Radjabov and, more recently, top-streamer GM Hikaru
Nakamura employ it occasionally in rapid and blitz.
Modern Defense
Definition & Move Order
The Modern Defense (also called the Robatsch Defense, ECO B06) is characterized by the immediate fianchetto of Black’s king’s bishop without committing the king’s knight to f6: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 (or 1…g6 against almost any first move). Only later does Black decide whether to play …Nf6, …c5, or …d6, keeping maximum flexibility.
How It Differs from the Pirc
- No early …Nf6. By delaying the knight, Black keeps the option of striking at the center with …c5 without allowing e5 kicks and avoids certain forced variations.
- Universal opening. Because the move …g6 can be played against 1. e4, 1. d4, 1. c4, or even 1. Nf3, many players adopt the Modern to cut down on opening study.
Main White Replies After 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7
- Classical (with Nc3 & Nf3). White builds a broad pawn center and develops naturally.
- 150 Attack / Argentine Attack. 3. Nc3 d6 4. Be3 a6 (or …c6) 5. Qd2 aiming for a kingside assault.
- Averbakh System. 3. c4 d6 4. Nc3 focusing on space advantage in the center and queenside.
- Tiger Modern. Black adopts …a6 and …b5 early, developed by Swedish GM Tiger Hillarp Persson to seize queenside space and provoke imbalances.
Typical Black Set-ups
- …d6, …Nf6, …O-O with a later …e5 break (transposing to a Pirc-style structure).
- …c5 “Gurgenidze System” leading to Benoni-like positions.
- …e6 & …d5 heading for a French-flavored structure but with the bishop outside the chain.
Illustrative Game Excerpt
An example from Hillarp Persson–Williams, Porto Carras 2011, showing Black’s typical queenside thrust with …a6 and …b5, met by White’s kingside pawn storm.
Interesting Facts
• Austrian GM Karl Robatsch was one of the first strong players to use
1…g6 regularly in the 1950s, lending the defense its alternate name.
• Garry Kasparov occasionally tried the Modern in rapid play, preferring the
dynamic imbalance it offers.
• The first game of the 1972 World Championship (Fischer–Spassky) began
1. e4 g6, although Spassky soon transposed to a Pirc-like structure with
…Nf6 and …d6.
Geller System (King’s Indian Defense)
Definition
The Geller System is a positional-but-venomous way for White to meet the King’s Indian Defense, introduced by Soviet GM Efim Geller. The core moves are 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3. White develops harmoniously, bolstering the d4-pawn, preparing d4-d5, and maintaining the option of queenside castling.
Strategic Themes
- Solid center. By placing the bishop on e3 instead of the more aggressive fianchetto-shutdown move f3 (Sämisch), White keeps the knight on f3 active and covers d4.
- Flexible king placement. White often castles short, but queenside castling followed by a pawn storm on the kingside is also possible.
- Early d4-d5 push. A timely advance can cramp Black’s pieces and transpose to favorable Benoni structures for White.
Main Black Reactions
- …Ng4 → …Nxe3. Black may immediately challenge the Be3 bishop to reduce White’s space advantage.
- …exd4 & …Re8. Aims for central tension and potential piece sacrifices on e4 or central breaks with …c6.
- …c5 Benoni-style. Seeking counterplay on dark squares and the queenside.
Model Game Snippet
From Geller–Smyslov, Moscow 1965. Geller’s quiet 7.Be3 soon led to a pawn sacrifice and a powerful central bind, demonstrating the line’s latent tactical potential.
Historical Significance & Anecdotes
• Efim Geller scored numerous wins with the system against world-class
opponents in the 1950s–70s, including victories over Smyslov and Korchnoi.
• Its reputation as a “safe, zero-risk” weapon attracted Anatoly Karpov,
who used it as a surprise in the 1981 World Championship against Korchnoi.
• Modern grandmasters such as Wesley So and Ding Liren employ the Geller
System when they wish to avoid the sharpest KID main lines while still playing
for an edge.