Opening family
Philidor Defense Lines and Variations
The Philidor Defense family contains 44 named lines in this opening book, spanning ECO C41. Use this page as the map, then open individual lines for exact move orders and diagrams.
How to study this family
White
White should use the move order as a checkpoint: finish development, identify the central break, and compare the continuations below before memorizing moves.
Black
Black should ask what White is threatening in the center, then choose development moves that prepare a clean pawn break or a useful exchange.
Start with the shortest line, then branch to the variations that change the pawn structure or tactical target. Memorizing every branch before understanding the family plan is usually wasted work.
Main named lines
- C41 · Philidor Defense
- C41 · Philidor Defense
- C41 · Philidor Defense
- C41 · Philidor Defense
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Lopez Countergambit
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Philidor Gambit
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Bird Gambit
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Morphy Gambit
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Klein Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch, Locock Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Zukertort Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Steinitz Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Albin-Blackburne Gambit
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Boden Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Sharp Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Larsen Variation
- C41 · Philidor Defense: Lion Variation
Deep theory branches
- 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 — Philidor Defense: Berger 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 — Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Sozin Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Ng5 O-O 7. Bxf7+ Rxf7 8. Ne6 — Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Forcing Line
- 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. Bc4 Be7 6. dxe5 dxe5 7. Bxf7+ — Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Delayed Bishop Sacrifice
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Ng5 O-O 7. Bxf7+ — Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch, Larobok Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. dxe5 fxe4 5. Ng5 d5 6. e6 Bc5 7. Nc3 — Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Berger Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. O-O h6 — Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Bc4 and h6
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Be2 Be7 6. O-O c6 — Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. O-O Be7 6. dxe5 — Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Bxf7+ — Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Bishop Sacrifice
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. Bc4 exd4 5. Ng5 Nh6 6. Nxh7 — Philidor Defense: Lopez Countergambit, Jaenisch Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. dxe5 fxe4 5. Ng5 d5 6. e6 — Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, del Rio Attack
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. c3 — Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. O-O — Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Krause Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. Nc3 — Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Schlechter Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. Ng5 — Philidor Defense: Hanham, Kmoch Variation