The grandmaster Nigel Davies has just written a new book on the Pirc Defence, a variation in which Black sacrifices immediate control of the centre to White’s pawns, in the hope of a later counterattack, designed to paint the centre of the board black instead of white. Davies is a solid, dependable and reliable guide to an opening that was once considered heretical but is now mainstream.

The game I have chosen to illustrate the principle theme of this defence is the victory I achieved against the ten-times British champion Jonathan Penrose in 1971. This game was instrumental in my winning the British Championship that year. I first annotated this win in the British Chess Magazine at the time but the notes that follow incorporate some of the latest wrinkles as advocated in the new book. The Pirc Move by Move by Nigel Davies is published by Everyman Chess.

Penrose-Keene: British Championship, Blackpool 1971; Pirc Defence

1 e4 g6 2 d4 Bg7 3 Nc3 d6 4 f4 Nf6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 Bd3 Nc6 In his book, Nigel Davies gives preference to the more modern try 6 … Na6, preparing the advance … c5. 7 h3 The drawback to this is the loss of time involved, which enables Black to inaugurate a swift queenside counter-attack. 7 … Nb4 8 Be3 b6 In order to support … c7-c5, but also clearing a path to a6 for the black queen’s bishop. 9 a3 Nxd3+ 10 cxd3 c5 11 Qd2 Ba6 12 Kf2 Rc8 (see diagram 1) If now 13 Rag1 then 13 … c4! 14 dxc4 Rxc4 threatening … Rxc3 and … Qa8 when White’s ‘centre’ folds up in mid-board. 13 Rhc1 Nd7 14 d5 e6 15 dxe6 fxe6 16 Re1 White’s position is becoming critical. Now, or on the next move, he had to play Kg1. 16 … Nf6 17 Rad1 d5 (see diagram 2) This wins by force. White carries on meeting each direct threat, until his resources are no longer sufficient to cope. 18 exd5 exd5 19 d4 Ne4+ 20 Nxe4 dxe4 21 Ne5 g5 The final shattering blow which completes the demolition of White’s centre. As a side note it is worth mentioning the rather pleasing geometrical effect created by this position, which would be enhanced if Black’s king’s bishop were at h6. 22 Kg1 gxf4 23 Bxf4 Qxd4+ 24 Qxd4 cxd4 25 g3 Rfe8 In regaining his pawn White gets into a fearful tangle. 26 Rxe4 Rc5 27 Rde1 d3 28 Nf3 Rxe4 29 Rxe4 Bb7 30 Re3 d2 31 Nxd2 Bd4 32 Kf1 Ba6+ 33 Kg2 Bxe3 34 Bxe3 Rc2 35 b3 Bb7+ 36 Kf1 Bd5 37 Ke1 Bxb3 White resigns

White’s problem was mixing a main line Pirc with a Bobby Fischer invention against an early … Nc6, of which more next week.