Philidor Defence

MICOS Opening Group C07.PH – Philidor Defence begins with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6. Black reinforces the e5-pawn and establishes a compact central structure before completing piece development. The Philidor Defence generally leads to solid positions where Black accepts somewhat restricted early activity in exchange for a resilient position and opportunities for later counterplay.

The opening is named after the influential 18th-century chess player François-André Danican Philidor, who advocated it as an alternative to 2…Nc6 and proposed the pawn advance …f5 as a way to challenge White’s centre. Today, the Philidor remains an option for players who prefer patient development, careful manoeuvring and a solid defensive structure. Use the searchable table below to find openings by opening name, chess notation or MICOS code and train individual openings interactively with MICOS CAP.

Search by Opening Name, Chess Notation or MICOS Code. MICOS classifies each opening by its exact move order.

Opening NameChess NotationMICOS CodeMICOS CAP
Philidor Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6C07.001.PH
Philidor Attack: 3.Bc41.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4C07.002.PHExplore ▶
Philidor Defence: 3…Be71.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7C07.003.PHExplore ▶
Steinitz Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.c3C07.004.PHExplore ▶
Lopez Counter-Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5C07.005.PHExplore ▶
Lopez Counter-Gambit: Jaenisch Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d4 exd4 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.Nxh7C07.006.PHExplore ▶
Philidor Attack: 3.d41.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4C07.007.PHExplore ▶
Philidor Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bd7C07.008.PHExplore ▶
Alapin-Blackburne Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.dxe5 Nd7C07.009.PHExplore ▶
Exchange1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4C07.010.PHExplore ▶
Morphy Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4C07.011.PHExplore ▶
Bird Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3C07.012.PHExplore ▶
Exchange: 4.Nxd41.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4C07.013.PHExplore ▶
Paulsen Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 d5 5.exd5C07.014.PHExplore ▶
Larsen Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 g6C07.015.PHExplore ▶
Exchange: 4…Nf61.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6C07.016.PHExplore ▶
Berger Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Be2 0-0 7.0-0 c5 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.Bg5 Be6 10.Re1C07.017.PHExplore ▶
Boden Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Bd7C07.018.PHExplore ▶
Philidor Counter-Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5C07.019.PHExplore ▶
Philidor Counter-Gambit: Del Rio Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6C07.020.PHExplore ▶
Philidor Counter-Gambit: Berger Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6 Bc5 7.Nc3C07.021.PHExplore ▶
Philidor Counter-Gambit: Zukertort Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3C07.022.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7C07.023.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Krause Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.0-0C07.024.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Steiner Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.0-0 Be7 6.dxe5C07.025.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Delmar Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.c3C07.026.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Schlechter Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.Nc3C07.027.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Kmoch Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.Ng5C07.028.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Berger Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.f4 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.c3 d5C07.029.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Sharp Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 Nb6C07.030.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Lion Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Nc3 Ngf6C07.031.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Lion Defence - Lion's Claw Defence: 6…h61.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Nc3 Ngf6 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 h6C07.032.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Lion Defence - Lion's Claw Defence: 6…c61.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Nc3 Ngf6 5.Be2 Be7 6.0-0 c6C07.033.PHExplore ▶
Hanham Defence: Lion Defence - Shirov Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Nc3 Ngf6 5.g4C07.034.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6C07.035.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence: Klein Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Bc4C07.036.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Attack: 4.dxe51.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5C07.037.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence: Sokolsky Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5 Nxe4 5.Nbd2C07.038.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence: Rellstab Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5 Nxe4 5.Qd5C07.039.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence: Lion Defence - Sozin Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Qe2 c6 8.a4 exd4C07.040.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence: Lion Defence - Bishop Sacrifice1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.Bxf7+C07.041.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence: Lion Defence Delayed - Bishop Sacrifice1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Bxf7+C07.042.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence: Larobok Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.Ng5 0-0 7.Bxf7+C07.043.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence: Lion Forcing Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.Ng5 0-0 7.Bxf7+ Rxf7 8.Ne6C07.044.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence: Locock Attack1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Ng5C07.045.PHExplore ▶
Nimzowitsch Defence: Locock Attack: 5.Nxf71.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Ng5 h6 5.Nxf7C07.046.PHExplore ▶

Sub GroupsChess NotationMICOS CAP
Philidor Defence (C07.PH)
90. Philidor Counter-Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5C07.019.PH 🖥️
91. Hanham Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7C07.023.PH 🖥️
92. Nimzowitsch Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6C07.035.PH 🖥️

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