Philidor Defence

ECO C41 · Level: Beginner · Also known as: Légal matı, Hanham varyantı

The Philidor Defence protects e5 solidly with 2...d6. It is somewhat passive but flexible, and it features the famous Légal's mate.

Main line

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7

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History

It bears the name of François-André Danican Philidor, the strongest player of the 18th century, who said 'pawns are the soul of chess'.

White's plan

Gain central space with d4 and develop quickly.
Pressure f7 with Bc4 and attack on the kingside if Black stays cramped.

Black's plan

Hold e5 (the Hanham set-up: ...Nbd7, ...Be7, ...c6).
Or give up the centre with ...exd4 and pressure it with pieces.

Key variations

Hanham (Lion) set-up

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.O-O O-O

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Exchange Variation

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7

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Traps you should know

Légal's Mate · checkmate

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Bg4 4.Nc3 g6 5.Nxe5 Bxd1 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5#

White offers the queen; if Black takes it (5...Bxd1??) two knights and a bishop deliver mate. Black should play 5...dxe5, though a pawn is still lost.

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Who should play it?

For Black players who like solid, closed structures and prefer to keep the centre.

Frequently asked questions

What is Légal's mate?

A famous opening trap in which White sacrifices the queen and mates with minor pieces, named after the 18th-century master Kermur de Légal.

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Related openings

Petrov's Defence — Petrov's Defence (the Russian Game) answers 2.Nf3 by counter-attacking e4 with 2...Nf6 instead of defending e5.
King's Indian Defence — The King's Indian lets White build a big centre first, then counter-attacks with the g7 bishop and the ...e5 and ...f5 pawn breaks.
Italian Game — The Italian Game is a classic 1.e4 e5 opening in which White develops the bishop to c4 and eyes the weak f7 square.

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