Philidor Defense
What is the Philidor Defense?
The Philidor Defense is a chess opening that begins with 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6. It is classified under ECO C41 and has 44 named variations. Black chooses it with the move d6.
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6
ECO: C41
Chosen by: Black
Main variations
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Be7
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 f5
All 44 variations
| ECO | Variation | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| C41 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 |
| C41 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 |
| C41 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 |
| C41 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Be7 |
| C41 | Exchange Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 |
| C41 | Hanham Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 |
| C41 | Lopez Countergambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 f5 |
| C41 | Nimzowitsch Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 |
| C41 | Philidor Countergambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 |
| C41 | Philidor Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Bd7 |
| C41 | Bird Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 |
| C41 | Exchange Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 |
| C41 | Morphy Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 |
| C41 | Nimzowitsch Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxe5 |
| C41 | Nimzowitsch Variation, Klein Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Bc4 |
| C41 | Nimzowitsch, Locock Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Ng5 |
| C41 | Philidor Countergambit, Zukertort Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. Nc3 |
| C41 | Steinitz Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. c3 |
| C41 | Albin-Blackburne Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Bg4 4. dxe5 Nd7 |
| C41 | Boden Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Qxd4 Bd7 |
| C41 | Exchange Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 |
| C41 | Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 Nb6 |
| C41 | Larsen Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 g6 |
| C41 | Lion Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 |
| C41 | Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. c3 |
| C41 | Hanham Variation, Krause Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. O-O |
| C41 | Hanham Variation, Schlechter Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. Nc3 |
| C41 | Hanham, Kmoch Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. Ng5 |
| C41 | Lion Variation, Shirov Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Nc3 Ngf6 5. g4 |
| C41 | Nimzowitsch Variation, Rellstab Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxe5 Nxe4 5. Qd5 |
| C41 | Nimzowitsch Variation, Sokolsky Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxe5 Nxe4 5. Nbd2 |
| C41 | Paulsen Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 d5 5. exd5 |
| C41 | Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. O-O Be7 6. dxe5 |
| C41 | Lion Variation, Bishop Sacrifice | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Bxf7+ |
| C41 | Lopez Countergambit, Jaenisch Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. Bc4 exd4 5. Ng5 Nh6 6. Nxh7 |
| C41 | Philidor Countergambit, del Rio Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. dxe5 fxe4 5. Ng5 d5 6. e6 |
| C41 | Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6 | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. O-O h6 |
| C41 | Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Be2 Be7 6. O-O c6 |
| C41 | Lion Variation, Delayed Bishop Sacrifice | 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. Bc4 Be7 6. dxe5 dxe5 7. Bxf7+ |
| C41 | Nimzowitsch, Larobok Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Ng5 O-O 7. Bxf7+ |
| C41 | Philidor Countergambit, Berger Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. dxe5 fxe4 5. Ng5 d5 6. e6 Bc5 7. Nc3 |
| C41 | Lion Variation, Forcing Line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Ng5 O-O 7. Bxf7+ Rxf7 8. Ne6 |
| C41 | Lion Variation, Sozin Variation | 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Qe2 c6 8. a4 exd4 |
| C41 | Berger Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O c5 8. Nf3 Nc6 9. Bg5 Be6 10. Re1 |
How to learn an opening
Learn the ideas before the moves: where the pieces go, which pawn breaks matter and what the typical middlegame plans are. Then play it, and after each game look up the point where you or your opponent left the known moves. MentoChess shows that point automatically for every game you import.
Opening lessons: Three golden opening rules · Scholar’s mate and how to stop it · Italian Game: plans, not just moves · Answering 1.d4: the Queen’s Gambit Declined · Meeting the Sicilian with 2.c3 · From moves to structures