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Learning studio · C41 Philidor Defense

The Philidor Defense for Black

You start with d6 as in the Pirc Defense – but after d4 Nf6 Nc3 you do not put your bishop on g7; instead you strike at the centre at once with e5.

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The Philidor Defense for Black

1.e4 d6

You start with d6 as in the Pirc Defense – but after d4 Nf6 Nc3 you do not put your bishop on g7; instead you strike at the centre at once with e5. This is the Philidor Defense through the back door, the so-called Hanham setup. White plays d4 in 97 % of the course's games; other second moves are not covered by the course. The course is for everyone who wants a solid, hard-to-crack position with clear plans and no long theory duels. The main idea: you hold the point e5 with Nbd7, Be7, O-O and c6, and then choose the right moment for exd4 or for gaining space on the queenside with b6, a6 and b5. White has three main roads: Nf3 with Bc4 and short castling (the most common), the exchange dxe5 with a queen trade into the endgame, and the quieter setup with Nge2. Stockfish sees White only slightly better after e5 (0.48), and in the games the exchange into the endgame ends in a draw in just over half of the cases.

  • The point e5 is your anchor: Nbd7 and Be7 support it, so that White gains nothing with dxe5.
  • With c6 you control d5 and b5 and prepare the queenside expansion b6, a6, Rb8 and b5.
  • If the centre opens with exd4, your rook belongs on e8 (Re8) and your bishop on f8 (Bf8): pressure on the pawn e4.
  • If White pushes d5, you answer with cxd5 and use the open c-file with Bb7 and Rc8.
  • In the endgame after dxe5 dxe5 Qxd8 Kxd8 your king stands well in the centre; after Bxe6 fxe6 the doubled pawns control d5 and f5, and the f-file is open for your rooks.