Hi Marinkatomb
A couple of other 'dodger' lines are 2.Bc4.
Intending to answer 2...Nxe4 with 3. Bxf7+ winning back the piece and pawn with Qh5+.
I've seen this mentioned in a few opening books. In some cases not at all.
(I browsed opening books at book stalls looking for the small print lines.
I never bought the bloody things unless it was going to be serious part of my rep.)
They quite rightly IMO condemn it but my OTB DB comes out with more White wins than Black.
On here the ratio is close White wins 42 v Black Wins 35 but still a White +.
You should handle the 'attack' OK but you are a Pirc player so 2....d6.
I've lost faith in the Bc4 lines v the Pirc and enjoyed seeing it as Black.
My line 2.f3
Intending to answer 2...e5 with 2.f4! has scored well. (It's a Latvian in reverse)
I know this. Often my opponents do not.
I have lost a few, (one was printed in the Black is OK series by Adorjan)
but that was me playing a combo before tucking my 0-0-0 King away onto b1.
Some you win...some you lose.
These days It's a rare bird at the tip-top level and though I usually mistrust GM games
regarding theory, the Alekhine, by it's forced nature of moves, one can
surmise up there in the world frequented by the super-duper GM's, there is
a solid line for White that gives Black nothing to look forward to except maybe a struggling ½ point.
I know comments on here are often throw away lines but still they must
be looked at, like you do a chess move.
I don't think you can class the first game as a strategic win. The game was too short.
White blundered into a standard removing of the guard tactic and lost a piece. Game over.
A strategic win (to me anyway) is where a long term middle game plan
has been carried out. (Yours were waiting in the wings.)
The tying down of defensive units gaurding a pawn or square.
Piling on the pressure, creating another weakness, creeping forward till it
ends with a material winning or mating combination.
" I think, given more time they might have abandoned the
whole h-file idea and focused on meeting the threat of ....c5"
Never abandon the h-file v a castled King. Especially in this position.
If White tries to fight Black on the Queenside or in the centre then that
would be (IMO) the wrong decision.
White can play with gay abandon and cook up things down that h-file.
It's is where his chances lay. OTB I'd be happy because I have no choice
but to go for the King. (it's what I do best).
My instinct is shifting about. Yes it works, no it won't. Maybe it will.
But White has no choice and go for it.
The h-file bristlers with simple ideas.
One sample, 'off the top of my head fantasy line' just to show that Black
needs to be careful and abandoning the h-file attack would have been wrong.
[FEN "r1r3k1/2pq1pb1/1p2p1p1/n2pPnN1/3P4/P1N1B1P1/1PQ2PK1/2R4R w - - 0 27"]
27. Nh7 {An idea. Better than the piece blundering Rh7. Or even g4 first because Nxe3+ opens up the file for business.} 27... Nc4 28. Qe2 c5 29. Nf6+ Bxf6 30. exf6 {Now simply doubling up Rooks on the h-file is a mating threat} 30...cxd4 31. Bxd4 Nxd4 32. Qg4 {Black is mated down the h-file. eg. Of course Black has other tries, but then again so will White. There was a lot of fun and good ideas to be had down that h-file. Rh7? was not one of them.} 32... Qd8 {Anything else. I cannot see any idea except getting rid of the f6 pawn.} 33. Qh4