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Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack

652K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

53.7%

45%60%
Floor53.6%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.8%.

Measured over 652K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 3.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 652K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
652K
Best context
60.5% at 2500+ Blitz
Worst context
50.6% at 0-999 Bullet
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
96.1%
Draws
3.9%

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

Where it holds · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 48.5% at 0-999, 59.0% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199
2200-2499
2500+

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (2,521 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (3,437 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (1,051 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 18.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (7,397 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.7% expected score (10,999 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.6% expected score (3,218 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 39.4% expected score (22 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (44 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (15,597 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (23,741 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 53.8% expected score (7,239 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 57.6% expected score (138 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 48.3% expected score (114 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (24,084 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (45,386 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 54.6% expected score (13,281 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 57.9% expected score (516 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 57.5% expected score (66 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (33,469 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (72,789 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (21,652 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.9% expected score (841 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 67.7% expected score (55 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (41,103 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (91,803 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (23,844 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.2% expected score (1,193 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 55.9% expected score (24 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (42,977 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (67,663 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 54.6% expected score (13,017 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (329 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 52.1% expected score (22 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 55.0% expected score (41,509 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (25,639 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 59.0% expected score (2,720 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 58.0% expected score (36 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 59.8% expected score (11,261 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 60.5% expected score (1,229 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 60.7% expected score (36 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Pirc Defense
49.1%
Variations (5)
Pirc Defense: Classical Variation
49.2%
Pirc Defense: Byrne Variation
52.8%
Pirc Defense: Roscher Gambit
47.1%
Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Schlechter Variation
50.2%
Pirc Defense: Kholmov System
49.7%
Continuations (6)
Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Weiss Variation
49.3%
Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Unzicker Attack
52.9%
Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Dragon Formation
47.5%
Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Kurajica Variation
49.9%
Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Ljubojevic Variation
50.8%
Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, Unzicker Attack, Bronstein Variation
62.5%
Analyze Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack scores 53.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.6% and 53.8% — from 652K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
652K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate?

Playing the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack, White wins 51.7%, draws 3.9% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 652K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack perform best?

The Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 59.8% (13K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 53.5% in Blitz (343K games) against 54.2% in Rapid (86K games).

How sharp is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack?

The Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack has a sharpness score of 96.1 (very decisive), meaning 96.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 50.1%, draws 2.8% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 7.0K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 51.6%, draws 2.5% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 51.8%, draws 2.8% and loses 45.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 47K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 52.1%, draws 2.9% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 83K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 51.6%, draws 3.5% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 129K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 51.1%, draws 4.0% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 158K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 51.3%, draws 4.5% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 124K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 52.9%, draws 5.0% and loses 42.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 70K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 56.8%, draws 6.0% and loses 37.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.8%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 52.1%, draws 2.2% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 341 Lichess games.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 52.4%, draws 2.9% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 220K Lichess games.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 51.3%, draws 4.3% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 343K Lichess games.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 51.9%, draws 4.7% and loses 43.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 86K Lichess games.

What is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 51.4%, draws 6.0% and loses 42.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games.

Is the Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack a good opening?

The Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.7% of its games and loses 44.4%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.