Pirc: Austrian, 5...c5, Seirawan Variation

Pirc: Austrian

Definition

The “Austrian Attack” is a sharp anti-Pirc system that arises after the moves 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4. The name reflects its early popularity among Viennese masters of the late-19th and early-20th centuries. White builds the pawn trio e4–d4–f4, staking out maximum central and kingside space and aiming to launch a direct assault on Black’s fianchettoed king.

Typical Move-Order

Main line play often continues:

4…Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bd3 (or 6.Be3 / 6.e5) …
…c5 or …Na6 are Black’s most popular replies.

Strategic Themes

White: Rapid development, a pawn storm with f4–f5, e4–e5 and sometimes h2-h3 & g2-g4 to pry open the g-file.
Black: Counterattacks with …c5 or …e5, undermining the d4‐pawn and trying to steer the game into Benoni- or Philidor-type structures where Black’s piece activity compensates for reduced space.

Historical Significance

Although first examined in 1901 club bulletins in Vienna, the variation gained modern prominence in the 1960s thanks to Bent Larsen and Ljubojević. It later became a favourite of Garry Kasparov in his junior years and remains a main battlefield for Pirc theory.

Model Game

Karpov – Ljubojević, Skopje 1973 is often cited as a textbook illustration of White’s attacking potential. After 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Bd3 …, Karpov’s resolute queenside castling led to a decisive kingside breakthrough.

Interesting Facts

The Austrian Attack can be reached from the Modern Defence (…g6 before …Nf6) or even from a reversed Dutch.
In several languages the line is literally called “the Vienna System,” but English literature settled on “Austrian Attack.”
Because both sides castle to opposite wings in many variations, decisive results are far more common than draws.

5…c5

Definition

The shorthand “5…c5” refers to Black’s immediate central counter-strike in the Austrian Attack of the Pirc Defence, specifically after 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5. The move blasts open the centre before White can consolidate the e4–d4–f4 pawn chain.

Why the Move Is Important

Undermining d4: If White captures on c5, Black often recaptures with the queen or knight, targeting d4 again.
Benoni Transpositions: After d4-d5 by White, the resulting structure resembles a Modern Benoni with colours reversed, giving Black familiar piece play.
Tempo Factor: 5…c5 takes advantage of the fact that White’s knight sits on f3 (instead of e2), making d4 harder to defend tactically and stopping the natural e4-e5 push for a moment.

Theoretical Continuations

6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Bd3 Qxc5 – Black regains the pawn with active pieces.
6.e5 Nfd7 7.exd6 O-O – leads to complex middlegames reminiscent of the King’s Indian Defence.
6.d5 … – the Benoni-style advance, keeping the centre closed but yielding queenside space.

Sample Game

Smeets – Radjabov, Wijk aan Zee 2006 followed the main line 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Bd3 Qxc5, and Radjabov’s energetic piece play on the dark squares eventually secured the full point.

Interesting Tidbits

5…c5 was popularised in the 1990s by Grandmasters such as Alexei Shirov, who appreciated the tactical richness it creates.
The move allows Black to delay castling; in some lines the king remains in the centre while the queenside pieces pour pressure on d4.

Seirawan Variation

Definition

The “Seirawan Variation” is an aggressive sub-line of the Austrian Attack named after American Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan, who introduced the idea of an early Bd3 followed by a pawn sacrifice with e4-e5. A typical move order is:

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.e5!? dxe5 8.fxe5 Nd5 9.Be4! (or 9. Ne4) – White offers a pawn to accelerate development and open lines toward Black’s king.

Strategic Aims

White: Rapid piece activity, especially on the h1–a8 diagonal and along the f- and e-files; potential for a rook lift to h3/h4 after 0-0-0.
Black: Accepting the pawn demands accurate defence, often involving …c5 or …f6 to blunt White’s bishops. Declining the pawn (e.g., 7…Ne8) is also possible but cedes space.

Historical Development

Seirawan unveiled the concept in the early 1980s. His spectacular win against Tony Miles in Tilburg 1984 drew theoretical attention and the line soon appeared in the repertoires of attacking players like Shirov and Van Wely.

Illustrative Game

Seirawan – Miles, Tilburg 1984: after 9.Be4! Nxc3 10.bxc3, White’s bishops and open f-file generated a crushing attack that ended in a rook sacrifice on f7. The game remains a classroom favourite for the theme of “initiative over material.”

Interesting Facts

Seirawan himself called this pawn sacrifice “objectively dubious, but practically irresistible.” Modern engines show it is entirely playable.
The variation often transposes to the 150-Attack structures if White later plays Qd2 and Bh6.
Because of its surprise value, the line is popular at club level; many Pirc players meet 6.Bd3 with other moves (6…Na6 or 6…Bg4) to sidestep the main ideas.