Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Ljubojevic Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
98,607 games: White 49.9% / Draw 4.2% / Black 45.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 71,16771K | ||
| 6,7396,739 | ||
| 4,6504,650 | ||
| 3,6293,629 | ||
| 2,7282,728 | ||
| 2,7032,703 | ||
| 1,9951,995 | ||
| 1,5841,584 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.05 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Nxe4 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Nxe4 Rf8 8. Nf3 Kg8 9. O-O Nd7 10. Neg5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Ljubojevic 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. Bc4 (5 moves).
In 98,607 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.9%, Black 45.9% and 4.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…O-O, in 72% 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, Ljubojevic Variation
The most played answer, 5…O-O, also scores best for Black: 48.4%, with Black winning 46.3% and White 49.4% of 71K games. Of the main answers, 5…c6 scores lowest: 46.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Nxe4.
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, Ljubojevic Variation (B09)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/pirc-defense-austrian-attack-ljubojevic-variation