FICS g/10 1.e4 B07: Pirc Defence: Miscellaneous Systems 1...d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.f3!? not a popular or prominently featured move, but a playable sideline of the Pirc. It experienced a brief surge in the mid 1990's, and Kasparov played it against Wahls in 1992. 3...e5 4.d5
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By agreeing to such a structure, White's light-squared Bishop becomes a problem piece. [4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 A) 6.Bd2?! promises Black at least equality 6...Be6 7.Bc3 Nc6 (7...Nbd7 8.Nd2 Bc5=) 8.Bb5 Nd4=/+; B) 6.Bg5 6...Be7+/=] 4...Be7 [4...Nxe4!? In a 1996 Informant, Gulko awarded this move two exclamation points! Since that time, however, white has won 4 games in this variation. 5.fxe4 Qh4+ 6.Kd2 Qxe4 7.Qf3 (7.Nc3 Qg6) 7...Qg6 with unclear complications--most likely an advantage for White, but Benjamin drew in this variation with Gulko during the US Championships] 5.c4 [5.Bd3 c6 6.c4 Nfd7 7.Ne2 Bg5 8.0-0 Bxc1 9.Qxc1 a5 10.Nbc3 ½-½ Giorgadze,G-Malaniuk,V/Forli 1992/TD (10); 5.Be3 c6 +/=is the main line.] 5...0-0 6.Bd3?N [6.Be3 Nh5 (6...c6 7.Nc3 cxd5 8.cxd5 a6 9.Bd3 Nbd7 10.Nge2 b5 11.b4 Nb6 12.a4 Nc4 13.Bxc4 bxc4 14.0-0 Bd7 15.Qd2 Qc7 16.Rfb1 Rfb8 17.a5 Rb7 18.Bb6 Qc8 19.Qa2 g6 20.Na4 Bb5 21.Nec3 Bosch-Shaw, Manchester 1997 [1-0, 50]) 7.g3 g6!? 8.Nc3 f5 9.exf5 gxf5 10.Nge2 Nd7 11.Qd2 a6 12.Rg1 Kh8 13.0-0-0 b5 14.g4 Nf4 15.Nxf4 exf4 16.Bd4+ Ne5 17.g5 Bxg5 18.Ne2 h6 19.Nxf4 Kh7 20.Be2 Ng6 Rustemov-Czerwonski, Polanica Zdroj 1997 [1-0, 39]] 6...Bd7 [6...c6 7.Nc3 cxd5 8.cxd5 (8.Nxd5?! Hodges 8...Nc6 9.Be3 Ne8! 10.Ne2 Nc7= with the idea of Bg5 against the weak point d4) 8...Bd7 ( worse is 8...b6 9.Be3 Bb7) 9.Nge2 transposes to the main line] 7.Ne2 White should quickly conclude development. 7...c6 8.Nbc3 cxd5 Perhaps dubious, freeing the bad Bishop on the queenside. 9.cxd5 [9.Nxd5 Nc6 10.Be3: Here Black equalizes easily and may have a slight edge due to the rather weak White light-squared Bishop as well as the Knight manouevre Nf6-e8-c7-e6, and a possible Qb6, that controls the important d4 weakeness in the White camp; ] 9...Na6 10.Bg5? White is attacking on the wrong side of the board! [the position calls for queenside play due t White's space advantage there: 10.Bxa6 bxa6 11.Be3 Qa5+/=] 10...Nc5
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[better is10...Nxd5 11.Bxe7 Nxc3 12.Nxc3 Qxe7 13.Bxa6 bxa6=/+] 11.0-0 [more accurate was 11.Be3 redirecting the Bishop to the proper side 11...Rc8+/=] 11...Nh5? [clearly better was11...Nxd5!? which Black failed to see; 12.Bc1 Nxc3 13.Nxc3 Rc8-/+] 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.g4 Nf6 14.Ng3 g6! Consolidates f5 and h5; White's Knight is practically useless and his weakness on the dark squares does not allow him to take advantage of the newly created weak spots f6 and h6. Also possible was 14...Qd8 15.Rc1=] 15.h4? [the best chance of maintaing the equilibrium, 15.b4!? deserves consideration 15...Nxd3 16.Qxd3=] 15...Ne8=/+
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16.g5 This push gains space [16.h5 Ng7=/+] 16...Nc7? [ likely winning was the freeing break 16...f6!?-+] 17.b4 Nxd3 18.Qxd3 a6 Preventing intrusion on b5 19.Rac1 Nb5 20.Nge2 f5 Trying to unravel the pawn chain. Clearly better is ...f6, which was missed in time trouble. [20...f6 21.Qe3=/+] 21.Kg2 fxe4 [21...Rac8 22.f4=/+] 22.fxe4 Rxf1 23.Rxf1 Rc8 24.Rf6!= The white rook on an outpost. Black's small positional advantage has dissolved 24...Nxc3 25.Nxc3 Bg4=
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Black was satisfied with the draw, as he was in severe time trouble, but missed several opportunities to play for a win during with a kingside break. White failed to come up with a real plan here, but played sufficiently enough to keep the position roughly level throughout the game. 1/2-1/2