Philidor Defense: all variations and ECO codes

44 named lines across 1 ECO code (C41). Source: the CC0-licensed lichess.org opening database.

The idea

Black defends e5 with a pawn instead of developing a piece, keeping the position solid but passive and giving up a share of the center and a tempo in exchange for a simple, low-theory setup. It’s historically been considered too passive at the top level, though it’s perfectly playable in practical, lower-level games.

The main line

How the main line scores at your rating

Real Lichess win rates for 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6, playing as black: the family’s other variations are not separately tracked for win rate yet, main line only.

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All 44 named variations

Every named line in the Philidor Defense family, from the CC0-licensed ECO classification: not separately tracked for win rate, but every ECO code and move sequence is real, sourced data.

• C41Philidor Defense (main line)1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6
• C41Philidor Defense (main line)1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4
• C41Philidor Defense (main line)1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4
• C41Philidor Defense (main line)1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7
• C41Albin-Blackburne Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.dxe5 Nd7
• C41Berger Variation1.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
• C41Bird Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3
• C41Boden Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Bd7
• C41Exchange Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4
  C41Exchange Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4
  C41Exchange Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6
• C41Hanham Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7
  • C41Delmar Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.c3
  • C41Krause Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.O-O
  • C41Schlechter Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.Nc3
  • C41Sharp Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 Nb6
  • C41Steiner Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.O-O Be7 6.dxe5

• Hanham

  • C41Kmoch Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.Ng5
• C41Larsen Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 g6
• C41Lion Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7
  • C41Bishop Sacrifice1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.Bxf7+
  • C41Delayed Bishop Sacrifice1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.Nf3 e5 5.Bc4 Be7 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Bxf7+
  • C41Forcing Line1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.Ng5 O-O 7.Bxf7+ Rxf7 8.Ne6

  • Lion’s Claw

    • C41with Bc4 and h61.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.O-O h6
    • C41with Be2 and c61.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Be2 Be7 6.O-O c6
  • C41Shirov Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Nc3 Ngf6 5.g4
  • C41Sozin Variation1.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
• C41Lopez Countergambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5
  • C41Jaenisch Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Bc4 exd4 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.Nxh7
• C41Morphy Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4
• C41Nimzowitsch Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6
  C41Nimzowitsch Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5
  • C41Klein Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Bc4
  • C41Rellstab Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5 Nxe4 5.Qd5
  • C41Sokolsky Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5 Nxe4 5.Nbd2

• Nimzowitsch

  • C41Larobok Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.Ng5 O-O 7.Bxf7+
  • C41Locock Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Ng5
• C41Paulsen Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 d5 5.exd5
• C41Philidor Countergambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5
  • C41Berger Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6 Bc5 7.Nc3
  • C41Zukertort Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3
  • C41del Rio Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6
• C41Philidor Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bd7
• C41Steinitz Variation1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.c3

Browse more

ECO Volume C: Open Games and the French Defense → · All ECO families → · Search and play every line in the interactive explorer →