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Demystifying the Philidor Defense
A Treasure Trove of Resources for Black ♛
The Philidor Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6) is a solid and strategic opening for Black, offering a comfortable alternative to the more theoretical Ruy Lopez.
While it may not be the flashiest opening, the Philidor provides Black with good chances for active piece play and a healthy pawn structure.
This comprehensive guide equips you with a wealth of FREE resources to master the Philidor Defense, regardless of your chess experience level.
Philidor Defense Wikipedia Page
The Philidor Defense (or Philidor's Defense) is a chess opening characterized by the moves:
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d6
Philidor - Black Lion (Hanham ) Variation Page
Books / Courses (Free)
- Short & Sweet: Philidor Defense - Free Chessable Course - 35 Trainable Lines w/ 2hrs Video - GM Pepe Cuenca
- Short & Sweet: Black Lion - Free Chessable Course - 24 Trainable Lines w/1 hr Video - GM Simon Williams
Philidor Defense Chess Articles
- Philidor Defence - Simplify Chess Opening Guide - This comprehensive guide explores each key move of the Philidor Defense, explaining the theory behind the four main variations.
- Chess Opening Basics: The Philidor Defense - Chessable Blog Opening Guide - Get a solid foundation in the Philidor Defense with this general opening explanation and exploration of its common variations.
- PHILIDOR DEFENSE: HOW YOU SHOULD PLAY IT - Pawn Break Guide - This article dives into strategic concepts and recommended approaches for Black players wielding the Philidor Defense.
- The Amazing Philidor Defense! - International Master Alberto Chueca offers a simplified perspective on the Philidor Defense, outlining key plans for Black.
- Lessons in Philidor's Defence - The Exeter Chess Club - Provides a detailed opening guide for the Philidor Defense, suitable for players looking to expand their knowledge.
- Black Lion Defense: The Total Guide (Only For The Brave) - In-Depth Opening Guide - Chess Journal - For those seeking an in-depth exploration, this comprehensive guide delves into the history, theory, variations, general strategy, and step-by-step approach of the Black Lion, a dynamic sub-variation of the Philidor Defense.
- Understanding the Philidor Defense - IM Emmanuel Jimmenez - Blog post with 2/ analyzed games
Philidor LiChess Studies
Lichess studies offer an interactive way to learn and practice the Philidor Defense. Test your understanding, explore key variations, and solidify your strategic concepts with these valuable resources:
- Philidor's Defense - 6 Chapter Study (320 hearts) - Sourced from the respected "Modern Chess Openings" (15th Edition), this study breaks down the Philidor Defense into clear chapters, making it ideal for beginners.
Philidor's Defense - 6 Chapter Study - This user-created study focuses on providing easy-to-understand plans for Black against specific lines played by White. - Philidor's Defense - 6 Chapter Study - This user-created study focuses on providing easy-to-understand plans for Black against specific lines played by White.
- The Philidor Defense (Benjamin Finegold) - 9 Chapter Study - Dive into a detailed analysis of the main lines, Exchange Variation, Shirov Gambit, and some sidelines with renowned chess author Benjamin Finegold.
- The Philidor Defense - 10 Chapter Study - This comprehensive study explores detailed variations with a few model games to illustrate key concepts.
- Philidor Defense with White - 6 Chapter Study -Simple w/ White players seeking insights into common responses to the Philidor Defense.
- Philidor Defense, Exchange Variation (White) - 9 Chapter Study - For those specializing in the Exchange Variation as White, this in-depth study offers a meticulous exploration of the main lines.
- The Black Lion - 4 Chapter Study (114 hearts) - Explore the Black Lion variation, a dynamic sub-line of the Philidor Defense, with a few model games for practical application.
New to Lichess studies? These interactive tools allow you to explore chess concepts and variations move-by-move, perfect for testing your understanding and deepening your knowledge.
Game Databases
Delve into real Philidor Defense battles with these online databases, allowing you to witness how grandmasters and other players have handled this opening in practice:
365Chess.com
- C41: Philidor's defence 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 - 16,570 Games (Links to 27 Variations Here as well)
- Paul Morphy Philidor Games - 16 Game Collection (All Games where Morphy Played White)
ChessTempo.com
- Philidor Defense, General (C41) - 4162 Games
Chessgames.com
- Philidor Defense (C41) 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 d6 - 9100 Games
Chess Puzzles
Test your tactical skills with puzzles specifically designed for the Philidor.
LiChess Philidor Defense Puzzles - 16,000 Puzzles
(LiChess Puzzle By Opening Page - Here) 1/3 Way down page is Philidor broken into 11 variations)
WTHarvey
Philidor Defense (ECO C41) - 25 PuzzlesPhilidor Defense Video Lessons
Philidor Defense Explained | Ultimate Beginner Guide to King Pawn Openings Part 1 - 18 min - Johnathan Schrantz - Part 1 covers Philidor's Defense and Damiano's Defense
Philidor Defense Lecture - 54 Min - IM Mark Esserman - Enjoy this lecture on the theory of the Philidor Defense which also includes the famous Opera Box Morphy game and Fischer vs. Benko 1963!
St.Louis Chess Club
- The Philidor #1: The Exchange | Chess Openings Explained - 57 Min - Nick Risko teaches all about the Exchange Variation of the Philidor Defense
- The Philidor #2: Hanham & Lion Variations | Chess Openings Explained - 58 Min - Nick Risko concludes his mini-series about the Philidor Defense, with this one specifically on the Hanham and Lion variations.
Black Lion Defense
- Simon Williams - The Black Lion - An aggressive version of the Philidor Defense - 18 Min - GM Simon Williams
- Learn the Black Lion Opening: In Five simple stages - 23 Min - GM Simon Williams - This video will teach you the five key things that you need to know in order to play a very exciting opening, The Black Lion.
- Chess Stream #74 Black Lion Q+A - 57 Min - GM Simon Williams - answering questions and demonstrating key ideas. The Black Lion is a response to 1.e4, aiming for an exciting, aggressive setup against the King’s Pawn opening. The host shares his journey of discovering the Black Lion and emphasizes its potential for launching a strong kingside attack.
- Chess Openings: Learn to Play the Black Lion Defense! - 20 Min - Chess Giant - Learn the concepts and plans and not theory.
- Chess Stream #43 Live Lesson with YayBjorn. A masterclass in the Black Lion! - 1.5hr
Fighting the Philidor
- How to BEAT the Philidor Defense - 8 Min - Chess Geek
- Dominate The Philidor Defense Like a GM! - GM Roman - 6 Min
- Chess For Beginners: Fischer & Kasparov learned from Morphy to Crush Philidor Defense! - 18 Min - IM Perunovic - International Master and FIDE Senior Trainer, Miodrag Perunovic, lectures about tips, tricks, and traps for you to exploit black's pieces in the Philidor Defense .
- How to Fight Against The Black Lion!! - 21 Min - IM Perunovic - discusses strategies to counter the Black Lion opening, a variation of the Philidor Defense, emphasizing the importance of controlling the center and light squares.
- How to WIN against the Philidor Defense - 27 Min - IM Alex Astaneh - n this video I will show you an aggressive, trendy system against the popular Philidor Defense.
- Philidor DEFENSE Power Play: 5 GAME-CHANGING Ideas in the Exchange Variation - 16 Min - GM Jose Gonzalez - (New 5/29/24)
Philidor Chess Traps
Philidor Game Videos w/Analysis
Master Class | Philidor Defence | Chess Speedrun | Grandmaster Naroditsky - 31 Min
Understanding Positional Drawbacks | Philidor Defense | GM Naroditsky’s - 44 Min
Deconstructing The Philidor Defence | The Sensei Speedrun | Grandmaster Naroditsky - 28 Min
Philidor Defence | The Sensei Speedrun | GM Naroditsky - 20 Min
Standard Chess #193: IM Bartholomew vs. vperboy (Philidor Defense) - 39 Min - IM Bartholomew
GM Simon Williams (Black Lion Games)
- Longer Chess Games #52 The Black Lion Bites! - 30 Min
- Longer Games #11 Climbing the 2500 mountain... The Black Lion!
- Longer Chess Games #40 Climbing the 2500 mountain - The Black Lion in Action - 33 min
- GM Chess Analysis #60 Lupulescu vs Williams. The Black Lion vs a 2600+ GM - 31 Min
- GM Analysis #14: Looking for an aggressive Opening to learn? Enter the Black Lion! - 27 Min
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| "The Philidor Defense is a game by its form, an art by its content and a science by the difficulty of gaining mastery in it." - Tigran Petrosian |