Pirc line

Date: 11 Jan 2005 11:35:16
From: Ron
Subject: Pirc line

So I was playing a game online that went:

1 e4 d6
2 d4 Nf6
3 Nc3 g6
4 Bc4 Bg7
5 Qe2 Nc6
6 e5 Nxd4
7 exf6 Nxe2
8 fxg7 Rg8
9 Ngxe2 Rxg7
10 Bh6 Rg8
11 0-0-0 Be6
12 Bxe6 fxe6
13 Rhe1 Qd7
14 Nf4 e5
15 Rxe5 Qc6
16 Re6 0-0-0
17 Rxe7 Rde8
18 Ncd5

Where my opponent lost connection. He came back and resigned rather
than continue (the game's hardly won, but black's position is pretty
unpleasant.)

However, he said he'd like to play another game in this line, so I find
myself looking for improvements to my own play.

First, obviously, is 18.Nfd5. During my long think before I realized
he'd disconnected, I figured out a variety of reasons why I moved the
wrong knight. However, I doubt I'll get to that position again.

Then I considered 17.Rde1 as an improvement, threatening Nfd5 and Rxe7
-- probably resulting in a position similar to where the game. I'm
curious what people think of this as an improvement. Is the threat
stronger than the execution here -- it seems like maybe it's wise to
keep the black rooks tied down by NOT capturing on e7, but it's not
obvious what else I'm going to attack while they struggle to find good
squares.

It's also a little weird here that I think my advantage in this
position is the lack of good squares for his rooks, but the moment I win
any pawns I start providing him with open files. Black's best strategy
might be to sac a pawn or two for a usable file.

Does anybody have any master games in these lines? I'm love a couple of
strong examples to study before going back into the breech here, since
my opponent is much more experienced in this line than I am (even if it
doesn't look like it from the above game).

Obviously 15. ... dxe5 is a reasonable try for black, but I feel like I
get a lot of pawns to attack after trading my rooks for his queen.

All thoughts appreciated. Randy, you're a Pirc devotee, aren't you?

Thanks!

-Ron

Date: 11 Jan 2005 22:54:43
From: Antonio Torrecillas
Subject: Re: Pirc line

En/na Ron ha escrit:
> So I was playing a game online that went:
>
> 1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 Bc4 Bg7
> 5 Qe2 Nc6 6 e5 Nxd4 7 exf6 Nxe2 8 fxg7 Rg8
> 9 Ngxe2 Rxg7 10 Bh6 Rg8 11 0-0-0 Be6
> 12 Bxe6 fxe6 13 Rhe1 Qd7 14 Nf4 e5 15 Rxe5 Qc6
> 16 Re6 0-0-0 17 Rxe7 Rde8 18 Ncd5
>
> Where my opponent lost connection. He came back and resigned rather
> than continue (the game's hardly won, but black's position is pretty
> unpleasant.)
>
> However, he said he'd like to play another game in this line, so I find
> myself looking for improvements to my own play.
>
> (...)
> Does anybody have any master games in these lines? I'm love a couple of
> strong examples to study before going back into the breech here, since
> my opponent is much more experienced in this line than I am (even if it
> doesn't look like it from the above game).
>
> Thanks!
> -Ron

Hello Ron.

In this line black can improve with 6... Ng4!? and here 7.e6? seems to
be refuted and it seems best line to be 7.Bb5! 0-0 8.Bxc6 bxc6.

Knowing that, black has an interesting option 6... Nd7!?. Now 7.Nf3
seems best option and after 7...Nb6 8.Bb3 0-0 black is ok.

It seems black can obtain good play with both lines (6..Ng4 and 6..Nd7)

-------------

After 6....Nd4?! game continuation is main line and:
- 11...Be6! it seems best choice for black
- later, black can try to improve with 13....g5!?
- But white can play in his previous move 13.f4!?
after 15.Rxe5 position seems good for white.

AT

Date: 11 Jan 2005 15:15:48
From: Ron
Subject: Re: Pirc line

In article <[email protected] >,
Antonio Torrecillas <[email protected] > wrote:

> In this line black can improve with 6... Ng4!? and here 7.e6? seems to
> be refuted and it seems best line to be 7.Bb5! 0-0 8.Bxc6 bxc6.
>
> Knowing that, black has an interesting option 6... Nd7!?. Now 7.Nf3
> seems best option and after 7...Nb6 8.Bb3 0-0 black is ok.

Oh, absolutely... but at my level, I feel like in both the 6.... Ng4 Bb5
and the 6.Nd7 lines I reach a position, as white, where I'm comfortable.
Honestly I don't care too much about maintaining a theoretical edge -- I
think that's a waste of time for me (eg, I play the Evans' gambit and
Smith-Morra -- who cares if they lead to equality if it's interesting
equality.)

I'm looking, here, for more specific examples in the line where black
accepts the challenge and takes gives up three pieces for the queen,
which is what I expect to see in my next game against this opponent.

-Ron

Date: 12 Jan 2005 00:24:38
From: Antonio Torrecillas
Subject: Re: Pirc line

En/na Ron ha escrit:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Antonio Torrecillas <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>In this line black can improve with 6... Ng4!? and here 7.e6? seems to
>>be refuted and it seems best line to be 7.Bb5! 0-0 8.Bxc6 bxc6.
>>
>>Knowing that, black has an interesting option 6... Nd7!?. Now 7.Nf3
>>seems best option and after 7...Nb6 8.Bb3 0-0 black is ok.
>
> Oh, absolutely... but at my level, I feel like in both the 6.... Ng4 Bb5
> and the 6.Nd7 lines I reach a position, as white, where I'm comfortable.
> Honestly I don't care too much about maintaining a theoretical edge -- I
> think that's a waste of time for me (eg, I play the Evans' gambit and
> Smith-Morra -- who cares if they lead to equality if it's interesting
> equality.)
>
> I'm looking, here, for more specific examples in the line where black
> accepts the challenge and takes gives up three pieces for the queen,
> which is what I expect to see in my next game against this opponent.
>
> -Ron

Hello again,

In that case, ... You can have a look at my two adds in your game:
- Black can try to improve with 13....g5!?
- But white can play in his previous move 13.f4!?

That has been played.
13.f4 ........... 6 times
13.Rhe1 g5 ....... 2 times

If you ask them to me, I can send you the games tomorrow.

AT

Date: 11 Jan 2005 17:56:28
From: Ron
Subject: Re: Pirc line

In article <[email protected] >,
Antonio Torrecillas <[email protected] > wrote:

> If you ask them to me, I can send you the games tomorrow.

Um... I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but I would love to see the
games if you can send them. That's exactly what I'm looking for.

Thanks!

-Ron

Date: 12 Jan 2005 16:24:01
From: Antonio Torrecillas
Subject: Re: Pirc line

En/na Ron ha escrit:
>
> Um... I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but I would love to see the
> games if you can send them. That's exactly what I'm looking for.
>
> Thanks!
> -Ron

Here you have:

AT

[Event "Bratto"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1984.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cugini"]
[Black "Belotti"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B07"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[EventDate "1984.??.??"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. Qe2 Nc6 6. e5 Nxd4 7. exf6
Nxe2 8.fxg7 Rg8 9. Ngxe2 Rxg7 10. Bh6 Rg8 11. O-O-O Be6 12. Bxe6 fxe6
13. f4 c5 14.Rhe1 Qa5 15. Kb1 d5 16. Nc1 Qa6 17. Nd3 Rc8 18. Re2 b5 19.
Rde1 Rc6 20. b3 Qa5 21. Kb2 d4 22. Nb1 c4 23. Nc1 Kf7 24. a3 Rd8 25. b4
Qc7 26. c3 d3 27. Rf2 a5 28. Na2 Qa7 29. Ref1 Rcd6 30. Rd2 Ra8 31. g4
Qe3 32. h4 Qh3 33. Rg1 Qe3 34.Rdg2 Ke8 35. bxa5 Qa7 36. f5 exf5 37. gxf5
gxf5 38. Bf4 Re6 39. Nb4 Re2+ 40.Nd2 Qxa5 41. Rg8+ Kd7 42. Rxa8 Qxa8 43.
Na2 e5 44. Bh6 f4 0-1

[Event "Italy op"]
[Site "Italy"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Loschi, E."]
[Black "Bolignano, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B07"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.11.18"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. Qe2 Nc6 6. e5 Nxd4 7. exf6
Nxe2 8.fxg7 Rg8 9. Ngxe2 Rxg7 10. Bh6 Rg8 11. O-O-O Be6 12. Bxe6 fxe6
13. f4 c5 14.Rhe1 d5 15. Ne4 Qa5 16. Ng5 Qxa2 17. Nc3 Qa1+ 18. Nb1 d4
19. Nxe6 Rc8 20. g4 Qa4 21. Ng7+ Kf7 22. f5 Rc6 23. fxg6+ Rxg6 24. Rf1+
Rf6 25. g5 Rxf1 26. Rxf1+ Kg6 27. h4 Rxg7 28. h5+ Kxh5 29. Bxg7 Kxg5 30.
Bf8 Qe8 31. Nd2 Kh5 32. Nc4 Qc8 33. Ne5 Qe6 34. Rh1+ Kg5 35. Re1 Qf6 36.
Rg1+ Kh4 37. Rh1+ Kg3 38. Bg7 Qf5 39.Kb1 h5 40. Nd3 h4 41. Be5+ Kg4 42.
Rg1+ Kh5 43. b3 b6 44. Rg7 h3 45. Rxe7 a6 46. Rg7 b5 47. Bh2 Qf3 48. Kb2
c4 49. Rg3 Qxg3 0-1

[Event "4th Open"]
[Site "Saint Chely d'Aubrac"]
[Date "2004.07.20"]
[Round "5.17"]
[White "Rabineau, Clement"]
[Black "Sivan, Michel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2135"]
[BlackElo "1984"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2004.07.17"]
[Source "Roberto Alvarez"]
[SourceDate "2004.08.17"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. Qe2 Nc6 6. e5 Nxd4 7. exf6
Nxe2 8. fxg7 Rg8 9. Ngxe2 Rxg7 10. Bh6 Rg8 11. O-O-O Be6 12. Bxe6 fxe6
13. f4 c5 14.Rhe1 Qd7 15. Ne4 Qc6 16. Ng1 O-O-O 17. Nf3 Rd7 18. Rd3 b5
19. Neg5 e5 20. fxe5 d5 21. e6 Rdd8 22. Ne5 Qb7 23. Ngf7 Rde8 24. Nd7
Qc6 25. Nxc5 Qxc5 26. Rc3 Qxc3 27. bxc3 Kc7 28. Bf4+ Kc6 29. Ne5+ Kb7
30. Rd1 Rd8 31. Nf7 1-0

[Event "Lansing-ch MI op-A"]
[Site "Lansing"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Linn, Peter"]
[Black "Finegold, Ronald"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B07"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.11.22"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. Qe2 Nc6 6. e5 Nxd4 7. exf6
Nxe2 8. fxg7 Rg8 9. Ngxe2 Rxg7 10. Bh6 Rg8 11. O-O-O Be6 12. Bxe6 fxe6
13. f4 c5 14.Rhe1 Qd7 15. Ng3 O-O-O 16. Nge4 Qc6 17. Ng5 Qxg2 18. Nxe6
Rd7 19. Nd5 Qxh2 20.Bg5 Re8 21. Ng7 Rg8 22. Ne6 Re8 23. Ng7 1/2-1/2

[Event "NLD-ch K-18"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Etmans, MD."]
[Black "Waagmeester, WF."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2340"]
[BlackElo "2350"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. Qe2 Nc6 6. e5 Nxd4 $5 7. exf6
Nxe2 8. fxg7 Rg8 9. Ngxe2 Rxg7 10. Bh6 Rg8 11. O-O-O Be6 $1 12. Bxe6
fxe6 13. f4 $1 Qd7 14. Nd4 O-O-O 15. Rhe1 e5 16. fxe5 Qg4 17. Nd5 Kb8
18. Nxe7 Rge8 19. exd6 Rxd6 20. Nef5 Rxe1 21. Rxe1 Rd8 22. Ne6 Re8 23.
Nfg7 Re7 24. g3 b6 25. Bf4 Qh3 26. b3 Qxh2 27. Re3 h6 28. Rc3 Kb7 29.
Nd8+ Kc8 30. Nde6 Qe2 31. Re3 Qf1+ 32.Kb2 g5 33. Be5 Qf2 34. Rc3 Qe1 35.
Rxc7+ Rxc7 36. Bxc7 h5 1/2-1/2

[Event "Swansea ch-GB"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Gayson"]
[Black "Hennigan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[BlackElo "2320"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. Qe2 Nc6 6. e5 Nxd4 7. exf6
Nxe2 8.fxg7 Rg8 9. Ngxe2 Rxg7 10. Bh6 Rg8 11. O-O-O Be6 12. Bxe6 fxe6
13. f4 Qd7 14.Rhe1 c5 15. Ne4 g5 16. Rxd6 Qc7 17. Rxe6 O-O-O 18. Bxg5
Rg6 19. Rxe7 Qa5 20.N2c3 h6 21. f5 Rb6 22. Re5 hxg5 23. Rxc5+ Qxc5 24.
Nxc5 1-0

[Event "Gausdal Int"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Johnsen, Sv"]
[Black "Thorsson, O."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2220"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. Qe2 Nc6 6. e5 Nxd4 7. exf6
Nxe2 8.fxg7 Rg8 9. Ngxe2 Rxg7 10. Bh6 Rg8 11. O-O-O Be6 12. Bxe6 fxe6
13. Rhe1 g5 14.Ne4 d5 15. Bxg5 Qc8 16. Nf4 dxe4 17. h4 a5 18. Rxe4 Ra6
19. Rde1 Kf7 20. g3 Rd8 21. Nd3 Rxd3 22. cxd3 Qd7 23. R4e3 Qd5 24. Kb1
b5 25. Bf4 Rc6 26. Be5 b4 27.Bh8 Qc5 28. R3e2 a4 29. Be5 Qd5 30. Re3 b3
31. a3 Rc2 32. Rc1 Qg2 33. Ree1 Qxf2 34. Rcd1 Ke8 35. Rf1 Qc5 36. Rfe1
Qd5 37. Bg7 Kf7 38. Be5 Ke8 39. Bg7 Kf7 40.Be5 c5 41. Bh8 Rf2 42. Bc3
Rf3 43. Re5 Qd6 44. Re4 Rxd3 45. Rf1+ Ke8 46. Kc1 Rxc3+ 0-1

[Event "Lloyds Bank"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1978.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kindermann, S."]
[Black "Balinas, R."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2240"]
[BlackElo "2440"]
[PlyCount "62"]
[EventDate "1978.??.??"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. Qe2 Nc6 6. e5 Nxd4 7. exf6
Nxe2 8.fxg7 Rg8 9. Ngxe2 Rxg7 10. Bh6 Rg8 11. O-O-O Be6 12. Bxe6 fxe6
13. Rhe1 g5 14.Nd4 e5 15. Nf3 Qc8 16. Bxg5 h6 17. Bh4 c6 18. Nd2 Rxg2
19. Bg3 Qf5 20. Nc4 Rxf2 21. Ne4 Rxc2+ 22. Kxc2 d5 23. Ncd2 O-O-O 24.
Kc1 dxe4 25. Nxe4 Rd5 26. Nc3 Rc5 27. Re2 b5 28. a3 a5 29. Rde1 Qd3 30.
Rxe5 Rxc3+ 31. bxc3 Qxc3+ 1/2-1/2