A Pirc Defence Built for Winning With Black

After 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6, Black hands White the centre on purpose and aims to undermine it later. ChessBase presents the Pirc as “a favoured opening for people looking to play for the win with the black pieces”, and Libiszewski’s approach follows from that: first understand the structures and the counter-punches, then learn the lines. As the course page puts it, the risk is controlled once you know the resources of the position.

This is a different product from his Libiszewski’s Pirc & Modern course, which also covers 1…g6 Modern setups. Master the Pirc Defence is the ChessBase Fritz Trainer released in April 2025, focused on the Pirc with 3…g6 and organised around ChessBase’s interactive training tools. More Black repertoires are in our chess courses list.

What Master the Pirc Defence Covers

Understanding the Pirc before the theory

The first part of the course is pure strategy. Chapter titles on the official page show the themes: attacking like in the King’s Indian Defence, attacking the centre, general knowledge and flexibility, how to defend against a kingside attack, domination on the dark squares, the …d6–d5 push and activity. A block of key games illustrates these motifs before any variation is memorised — a sensible order for an opening where move orders are flexible and the same plans return in many lines.

The Classical, the Fianchetto and the quiet lines

Against the Classical 4.Nf3 the main line runs 4…Bg7 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 Nc6, with a separate chapter on White’s other fifth moves. The fianchetto with 4.g3, 4.Be2 and the 4.Bf4 line each get their own chapter, and a minor-variations section deals with 3.f3, 3.Nd2, 3.Bd3 and other second moves, so you are not caught out by early deviations.

The sharp systems: 4.Bg5, 4.Be3 and the Austrian Attack

Against 4.Bg5 the repertoire uses 4…c6, with lines after 5.f4 (including the plan …b5 and …Qb6) and 5.Qd2 Nbd7. Against 4.Be3 Black plays 4…a6, with chapters on 5.Qd2 or 5.f3 and on the 150 Attack with 5.h3. A “universal” chapter shows how to meet the Qd2 and Bh6 plan whether White started with Be3, Bf4 or Bg5. The Austrian Attack with 4.f4 is the biggest theory block: seven sections cover 5.e5, 6.e5, 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.e5, the a3 ideas, 6.Be3, 6.Be2 and the 7.0-0 move orders.

A note on our sources: this course ships as a protected ChessBase package, so we could not transcribe the lessons. Every chapter name and line on this page comes from the official table of contents; nothing has been added from guesswork. ChessBase’s own review, by a FIDE Master, recommends it for players of all levels and notes that the engine sometimes prefers White, while the positions stay fun to play.

Pirc Defence Course Contents

Who Should Choose This Pirc Defence Course

• Players who want to play for a win with Black against 1.e4 and accept an unbalanced position to get it.
• King’s Indian players — the strategy chapters explicitly borrow King’s Indian attacking ideas.
• Tournament players who need a complete answer to the Austrian Attack, the 150 Attack and 4.Bg5.
• Players who learn by doing and like ChessBase’s interactive training and practice positions.

It is a poor fit for Mac-only users who cannot run a Windows installer, and for White players who face the Pirc — for that side of the board, see GM Dejan Bojkov — Meeting the Pirc Defence the Classical Way.

Common Questions

Is this the same as Libiszewski’s Pirc & Modern?

No. Master the Pirc Defence is a separate ChessBase release from April 2025 with its own structure. The older Pirc & Modern course in our store is organised differently and also deals with the Modern.

What does Black play against the Austrian Attack?

The repertoire is based on 4…Bg7, with sections on White’s main tries 5.e5, 5.Nf3 0-0 6.e5, 6.Bd3 Nc6 and 6.Be3, plus the a3 and 6.Be2 lines.

How is the course delivered?

As a protected two-part Windows setup package (2.62 GB) that installs the ChessBase course. Digital files. Crypto payment only. Fast delivery is handled manually after payment confirmation. Download links remain available for 7 days; save your files locally.