Chess Openings Lab
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Pirc Defense: 150 Attack

The 150 Attack is the Pirc line 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2, where White lines up queen and bishop to play Bh6 and trade Black's fianchetto bishop. White often follows with f3, long castling and a kingside pawn storm, while Black uses ...b5 and ...Nbd7 to strike first on the queenside.

Moves
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2
ECO
B07
Engine
+0.69 · a slight edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
110 games in our lichess sample
White scores
51.8%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Play Bh6 to trade the dark-squared bishop before or right after ...Bg7, as the third engine line shows.
  • Answer ...b5 with a3 or e5 to keep the knight on c3 stable, then develop with Nf3 and Be2.
  • If Black lets it, push e5 to hit the f6 knight; after ...b4 the trades on f6 and c3 favor White's activity.
  • Castle long and push h4-h5 when Black castles short.

Black

  • Play ...Nbd7 and ...b5, as the top engine line shows, to gain queenside space.
  • Use ...Qa5 to pin the c3 knight and support ...b5 and ...b4.
  • Delay ...Bg7 until you can meet Bh6 by simply recapturing and keep the king flexible.
  • Keep the king in the center or castle short only when White's attack is slow.

Plans and pawn structure

White's setup is direct: Be3, Qd2, Bh6, then f3 or Nf3, O-O-O and h4. Black's ...c6 prepares ...b5, ...Nbd7 and ...Qa5 for a queenside counterattack. The center is e4 and d4 against d6, with Black's ...e5 or ...c5 breaks possible later. If White trades the dark bishops, Black's king is weaker, so Black must hurry the queenside play.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.69: a slight edge for White. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. +0.69 5...Nbd7 6.Nf3 b5 7.e5 b4 8.exf6
  2. +0.71 5...b5 6.a3 Nbd7 7.Nf3 Qc7 8.Be2
  3. +0.81 5...Bg7 6.Bh6 Bxh6 7.Qxh6 Qa5 8.Bd3

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

110 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 51.8%.

2000 and up57.2%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

Where it goes next

  • 150 Attack, Inner Doll Defense5...Bg4 · rare

How to play against it

As Black, play ...Nbd7 and ...b5 quickly. Do not castle short into Bh6 and h4 without counterplay. Use ...Qa5 and ...b4 to unsettle White's knight on c3.

Questions

What are the moves of the Pirc Defense: 150 Attack?

The Pirc Defense: 150 Attack starts 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2. Its ECO code is B07.

Is the Pirc Defense: 150 Attack good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.69 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for White. An aggressive choice for White players who like attacking setups, while Black must know the ...b5 counterplay.

What is the main idea of the Pirc Defense: 150 Attack?

White plays Be3, Qd2 and Bh6 to trade Black's best bishop, then attacks the king. Black plays ...c6, ...b5 and ...Nbd7 to counterattack on the queenside.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is Nbd7, with b5 and Bg7 close behind. 5...Nbd7 develops and prepares ...b5 without allowing an immediate Bh6 trade on g7.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.