The move that Niclas Huschenbeth made to return Sheva's 1.e4 was to move his D pawn one square forward. Yeah, just one square forward, and it wasn't his E pawn. This was definitely not a French Defense or Scandinavian Defense, the two openings that were closest to 1.e4, d6, that were on the board.
No, it was the Pirc Defense, a completely different opening system. Sheva could still remember vividly something he read when the boy explored a lot of openings for his repertoire. Top of Form
The Pirc Defense was a flexible opening where black allowed white to occupy the center early on, aiming to counterattack later. Top players had moved away from it in recent years due to its reputation for being less solid and riskier against prepared opponents. However, just like his Dutch Defense, it remained a valuable secret weapon because its unorthodox nature can surprise opponents and lead them into unfamiliar, uncomfortable positions.
