The Czech Defence is a system for Black against 1.e4 in which the first three moves are almost automatic: d6, Nf6 and c6. The pawns create no weaknesses, the pieces stay uncommitted, and Black then picks a plan based on what White has built. Play through the main set-ups and see how it differs from the Pirc.
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The starting position. Choose your moves - at a branching point several continuations are available.
The dimmed moves are the rest of the main line, and the dots mark branching points. Click any move to jump to that position.
The Czech Defence starts 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c6. The d6 and c6 pawns weaken nothing, the knight sits on its natural square, and where the rest of the pieces go is decided later, once White has shown a set-up.
That is the whole idea: Black does not commit first. If White builds a three-pawn centre, the answer is ...Qa5 and ...e5. If White develops quietly, Black plays ...d5 and gets a French structure - but with the c8 bishop already outside the pawn chain.
The system is also called the Pribyl, after the Czech grandmaster Josef Pribyl, who played it in the 1970s. Hence the national name.
The Czech is most often confused with the Pirc, because the first moves are identical. The difference comes on move three: in the Pirc Black plays ...g6 and fianchettoes, accepting weakened dark squares around the king; here Black plays ...c6 instead and the kingside stays intact.
There is also a naming confusion in Russian sources, where the Slav Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6) is occasionally called the Czech Defence too. They are different openings and even start with different first moves.
The practical payoff: if your opponent was expecting a Pirc and had prepared the Austrian Attack with f4 and g4, the move 3...c6 takes the game out of their preparation while leaving the pawn structure healthy.
The first is ...Qa5 and ...e5. The queen pins the c3 knight, makes e4-e5 awkward, and the central break opens the game before White has finished developing.
The second is ...Bg4 and ...d5. The bishop comes out before the pawn goes to e6, so the classic French problem - the bad bishop - never appears.
The third is ...b5 and queenside play. The c6 pawn supports the advance and the bishop on b7 rakes the centre. This is exactly what White's prophylactic 4.a4 is aimed at.
The system has an honest drawback too: Black concedes the centre and plays second fiddle. Fail to strike back in time and the position is simply cramped.
These are the main named variations. Click any one of them and it loads straight onto the board above, where you can play it out move by move. The trainer itself holds more lines than this: it also covers main-line continuations and transpositions that have no name of their own.
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No. The first moves coincide, but on move three Black chooses: ...g6 is the Pirc, ...c6 is the Czech. In the second case the kingside is not weakened and the play runs in the centre and on the queenside.
After the Czech grandmaster Josef Pribyl, who played the set-up regularly in the 1970s and worked out its plans.
No, that is a naming overlap. Older Russian books sometimes called the Slav Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6) the Czech Defence as well. This page is about the system against 1.e4.
Yes. The first three moves are nearly always the same, and after that you choose one of three clear plans. The only thing to remember is to strike at the centre in time.
4.f4 with a big centre and fast development. Against it you need the right move order: ...Qa5, ...e5, and only then the pieces.
Want the tactics that decide these positions? Start with the 12 most common opening traps and tactics for beginners. If you are just starting out, read the rules of chess and how to set up the board.
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