Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Weiss Variation

Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Weiss Variation

Definition

The Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Weiss Variation is a sharp sub-line of the Pirc Defence (ECO code B09) that begins with the following moves:

1. e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd3 Na6

It is named after the 19th-century Austrian master Adolf Weiss, who explored …Na6 as a flexible way to contest White’s large central pawn phalanx created by the Austrian Attack (the setup with f2-f4).

Typical Move Order

The Weiss plan may arise through various transpositions, but its essential tabiya is:

1. e4 d6
2. d4 Nf6
3. Nc3 g6
4. f4 Bg7
5. Nf3 O-O
6. Bd3 Na6

After 6…Na6, Black usually aims for …c5 and …e5, or reroutes the knight to c7 → e6/c5, challenging the centre.

Strategic Ideas

• White’s goals
  • Use the trio e4–d4–f4 to seize space and prepare e4-e5.
  • Launch a kingside attack with Qe1-h4, f4-f5, and sometimes f5-f6.
  • Maintain a grip on the dark squares (e5/f6/g7).
• Black’s goals
  • Strike the centre with …c5 or …e5, undermining d4 and f4.
  • Re-route the a6-knight: Na6–c7–e6 (pressuring d4/f4) or Na6–b4 (hitting d3).
  • Keep the position fluid; if the centre opens, Black’s fianchettoed bishop and piece activity compensate for the space deficit.

Historical Context

The Austrian Attack itself gained popularity in the 1950s as a direct antidote to the flexible Pirc. The specific Weiss Variation with …Na6 was seriously tested in tournament praxis by Vlastimil Hort, Mikhail Botvinnik (in training games), and later by modern grandmasters such as Teimour Radjabov and Gawain Jones.

The line’s name honours Adolf Weiss, an influential Viennese master who explored it in the late 1800s when the Pirc framework was still known as the “Ufimtsev Defence.”

Model Game

The following miniature is often cited to illustrate White’s attacking potential if Black mishandles the centre:

[[Pgn| e4|d6|d4|Nf6|Nc3|g6|f4|Bg7|Nf3|O-O|Bd3|Na6|O-O|c5|d5|Bg4|h3|Bxf3|Qxf3|Qc8|e5|Ne8|f5|Bxe5|fxg6|fxg6|Qxf8+|Kxf8|Bh6+ ]]

(Parr–Penrose, British Ch. 1960) – White breaks through on the kingside after seizing space early.

Key Tabiyas and Plans

• After 7.O-O c5 8.e5 cxd4 9.exf6 – A forcing line where Black sacs the exchange for central stability.
• After 7.e5 Nd7 8.h4 – White throws pawns forward; Black seeks counterplay with …c5.

Example Continuations

Two of the main branches are:

1. Classical: 7.O-O c5 8.d5 e6 9.dxe6 fxe6 10.Bc4 Nc7 – Black accepts an isolated pawn but gains activity.
2. Modern Fianchetto Counter: 7.e5 Nd7 8.h4 c5 9.h5 cxd4 10.hxg6 hxg6 – Unbalanced with chances for both sides.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• The move …Na6 looks counter-intuitive (knight to the rim), prompting the joke “The Weiss Variation: putting the knight where the b-pawn can’t see it.” In reality, it’s a sophisticated regrouping.
• Mikhail Botvinnik reportedly recommended the Weiss Variation to his students because it teaches harmony between flank manoeuvres and central breaks.
• Engine evaluations swing wildly in some sacrificial lines; a thin tactical refutation from one engine version is sometimes overturned by a deeper horizon in the next, keeping the variation fresh in correspondence play.

When to Use the Weiss Variation

If you enjoy dynamic, asymmetrical play and are comfortable meeting a direct pawn storm with piece activity rather than solid structure, the Weiss Variation is a practical weapon. It is common in rapid and blitz time controls where tactical alertness trumps long-term planning.