Philidor Defense: Complete Guide

A time-tested solid defense — Black props up e5 with d6 before developing, trading piece activity for a sturdy structure. Drill every main line against an adaptive engine, backed by real Lichess win rates and Stockfish evaluations.

24 variations 135,460,755 total games Avg Stockfish +0.57

Play the main line: Philidor Defense

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All 24 variations of the Philidor Defense

Openings & Plans Philidor Defense ECO C41 85M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation ECO C41 12M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: d4 ECO C41 12M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Nc3 ECO C41 5M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Bc4 ECO C41 4M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation: Nxd4 ECO C41 3M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: h3 ECO C41 1M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Bb5+ ECO C41 1M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation ECO C41 1M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation ECO C41 1M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation: Bc4 ECO C41 1M games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation: Nc3 ECO C41 973K games Gambits Philidor Defense: Lopez Countergambit ECO C41 888K games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: c3 ECO C41 686K games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation: Nc3 ECO C41 540K games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation: dxe5 ECO C41 437K games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation: Qxd4 ECO C41 427K games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation: dxe5 ECO C41 408K games Gambits Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit ECO C41 384K games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation: c3 ECO C41 283K games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation: d5 ECO C41 79K games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation: Bc4 ECO C41 60K games Gambits Philidor Defense: Philidor Gambit ECO C41 59K games Openings & Plans Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation: Ng5 ECO C41 29K games

Frequently asked questions about the Philidor Defense

What is the philidor in chess?

The Philidor is a chess opening family with 24 variations covered on Chessy. Over 135 million Lichess games have reached these positions across all rating levels.