Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Kurajica Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
142,973 games: White 49.4% / Draw 4.5% / Black 46.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 24,29524K | ||
| 22,11422K | ||
| 20,18520K | ||
| 16,74517K | ||
| 16,48816K | ||
| 12,60913K | ||
| 12,47512K | ||
| 5,6555,655 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.37 White is slightly better
Best play: 6... b6 7. Bd3 c5 8. d5 a6 9. a4 e6 10. dxe6 fxe6 11. Ng5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Kurajica Variation (ECO B09, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be3 (6 moves).
In 142,973 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.4%, Black 46.1% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Nbd7, in 17% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Kurajica Variation
6…c5 scores best for Black: 53.1%, with Black winning 50.5% and White 44.3% of 13K games. The most played, 6…Nbd7, scores 49.4% in 24K games, and 6…Bg4 scores lowest: 42.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…b6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Kurajica Variation (B09)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/pirc-defense-austrian-attack-kurajica-variation