Pirc Defense: Kholmov System
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Statistics from Lichess
723,663 games: White 49.5% / Draw 4.6% / Black 45.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 673,455673K | ||
| 27,49527K | ||
| 7,7197,719 | ||
| 3,1533,153 | ||
| 3,1183,118 | ||
| 3,0303,030 | ||
| 2,8982,898 | ||
| 619619 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.25 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bb3 Bg4 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Nc6 9. Be3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 51% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 223K | |
| 1400–1799 | 401K | |
| 1800–2199 | 437K | |
| 2200 and up | 68K | |
| Masters, over the board | 273 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Duda, J.
- Kveinys, A. – Gurevich, M.
- Yandemirov, V. – Malaniuk, V. P.
- Kveinys, A. – Speelman, J. S.
- Kveinys, A. – Chernin, A.
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: Kholmov System (ECO B07, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Pirc Defense, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bc4 (4 moves).
In 723,663 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.5%, Black 45.9% and 4.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Bg7, in 93% of those games.
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Popularity by year
The Pirc Defense: Kholmov System has stayed between 0.026% and 0.031% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.028% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.026% | 9,397 |
| 2017 | 0.029% | 15,761 |
| 2018 | 0.031% | 24,307 |
| 2019 | 0.03% | 37,496 |
| 2020 | 0.028% | 83,179 |
| 2021 | 0.028% | 107,967 |
| 2022 | 0.028% | 103,534 |
| 2023 | 0.027% | 101,326 |
| 2024 | 0.028% | 100,118 |
| 2025 | 0.028% | 97,484 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.029% | 31,403 |
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: Kholmov System (B07)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/pirc-defense-kholmov-system