Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Weiss Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
580,017 games: White 49.6% / Draw 5.1% / Black 45.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 142,166142K | ||
| 121,748122K | ||
| 94,02694K | ||
| 74,63375K | ||
| 46,94247K | ||
| 43,50444K | ||
| 14,79515K | ||
| 11,26911K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.46 White is slightly better
Best play: 6... Nc6 7. O-O e5 8. d5 Nd4 9. f5 c6 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bxf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 55% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up and 55% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 20K | |
| 1400–1799 | 135K | |
| 1800–2199 | 366K | |
| 2200 and up | 118K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,227 |
Master games
- Aronian, L. – Svidler, P.
- Karjakin, S. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Karjakin, S. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Karjakin, S. – Kramnik, V.
- Karjakin, S. – Ivanchuk, V.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Weiss 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. Bd3 (6 moves).
In 580,017 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.6%, Black 45.3% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…c5, in 25% 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, Weiss Variation
6…Na6 scores best for Black: 53.1%, with Black winning 49.8% and White 43.7% of 44K games. The most played, 6…c5, scores 49.0% in 142K games, and 6…c6 scores lowest: 44.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…Nc6.
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
Popularity by year
The Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Weiss Variation peaked in 2018 at 0.027% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.023% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.021% | 7,346 |
| 2017 | 0.026% | 14,413 |
| 2018 | 0.027% | 21,547 |
| 2019 | 0.026% | 32,463 |
| 2020 | 0.025% | 74,263 |
| 2021 | 0.021% | 81,580 |
| 2022 | 0.021% | 77,792 |
| 2023 | 0.02% | 77,051 |
| 2024 | 0.022% | 78,332 |
| 2025 | 0.023% | 78,844 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.024% | 26,279 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Weiss Variation (B09)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/pirc-defense-austrian-attack-weiss-variation