Philidor Defence

The Philidor Defence is an opening of chess. It is one of the open-ended play and begins with the trains 1 e2- e4 e7 - e5 2 Sg1 -f3 d7 d6. The Philidor Defence develops from the King Knight game.

Background

From his name to François -André Philidor Danican this defense strategy was regarded as the best against the King Knight game. Philidor also suggested that black in the next train should start by the pawn f5 according to a counter-attack.

After the usual sequel 3 d2 -d4 but can be 3 ... f7 - f5? easily refute loud Siegbert Tarrasch, for example by 4 e4xf5

(Paul Keres holds 4 Lf1 - c4 for better. Drives on this 4 ... f5xe4 the knight sacrifice 5 Sf3xe5 d6xe5 after 6 Dd1 - h5 Ke8 - d7 7 DH5 - f5 Kd7 - c6 8 Df5xe5 the black king were outside. Keres also 4 Nf3 - g5 d4xe5 f5xe4 5 d6 -d5 6 e5 - e6 - c5 Bf8 7 Nb1 - c3! against. Sg5 7 - f7 is the reply Qd8 - f6 8 Dd1 -d2 Lc8xe6 9.Sf7xh8 Ng8 - h6 10 Nb1 - c3 Sh6 - g4)

E4 e5 Nf3 - g5 5 Lc8xf5 6 Nb1 - c3 Ng8 - f6 7 f2 -f3 d6 -d5

( 7 ... Qd8 - e7 8 f3xe4 Lf5xe4 9 Sg5xe4 Sf6xe4 10 Lf1 - b5 c6 11 0-0! )

8 f3xe4 Lf5xe4

( 8 ... d5xe4? 9 Lf1 - c4)

9 Sc3xe4 Sf6xe4 10 Sg5xe4 d5xe4 11 Dd1 - h5 g7- g6 12 e5 Ke8 DH5 - d7 13 g2 - g3!

( 13 De5xh8? Bf8 - b4 ! ) Kd7 - c8 - h3 14 Lf1 Sb8 - d7 15 Lc1 - g5 with great advantage for White. Therefore, the variant has disappeared with early f7 - f5 from practice.

3 d2 -d4 Bc8 - g4? happened in the famous game Morphy - Karl of Brunswick and Count Isoard, Paris 1858.

Healthier Replies to 3 d2 -d4 are 3 ... e5xd4, which weakens the black center easily influence or third ... Sb8 - d7, proposed by the American master Hanham to support the central pawn e5.

To improve the Hanham - structure is 3 ... Ng8 - f6 pulled to pull of 4 Nb1 - c3 Sb8 - d7 only in the event.

3 d2 -d4 e5xd4 4 Sf3xd4 Ng8 - f6 5 Nb1 - c3 Bf8 - e7 is the Antoshin variant. A motive for Black is to be exercised by its short castling with Rf8 - e8 and Be7 -f8 pressure on e4. After 6 Lc1 - f4 0-0 7 Dd1 c7 - c6 -d2 b7 - b5 8 0-0-0 of the d- pawn is sacrificed under circumstances to surpass to the whites in the development and to an attack in heterogeneous castlings. start

3 ... 4 e5xd4 Dd1xd4 leads to Sb8 - c6 5 Lf1 - b5 to Steinitz Defence of the Ruy Lopez.

The Philidor Defence is played only rarely today. One of her greatest experts is the German Grandmaster Thomas Luther and the International champion Christian Seel. In the world peak, the 2005 European Champion Liviu -Dieter Nisipeanu occasionally uses this opening.

Opening Traps and short games

From the Philidor defense out some known short games have developed. The most prominent motif is the "Matt the Légal " or Seekadettenmatt. Other short games, all starting from the position in the diagram above:

Leonhardt - Unknown (1912 )

A subtle trap with women gain Paul Saladin Leonhardt played in 1912 in Hamburg against a stranger.

3 d2 -d4 - d7 Sb8 4 Lf1 - c4 c6 c7 - 5 Nf3 - g5 - h6 Ng8 6 a2 -a4? The white text move prepares a clever ladies catch. Lf8 - e7? (This development course, of course, acting loses promptly! Better is here ... e5xd4 6 ) 7 Lc4xf7 ! Sh6xf7 8 Sg5 - e6 Qd8 b6 - a4 - a5 9! The prepared pawn now shows its objective. Qb6 - b4 10 c2 - c3 - c4 Db4 11 Se6 - c7 The intermediate chess rescues the knight and the black lady takes the last flight field. Ke8 d8 - 12 b2 -b3 with women gain; Black resigned.

Mlotowski - Deacon (1913 )

The following Matt idea comes from the blindfold game between Mlotowski and Deacon. It was played in 1913 in Philadelphia.

3 d2 -d4 f7 - f5? ( 3 ... Bc8 - g4? Happened in Paul Morphy 's Opera game. ) 4 Nf3 - g5 d4xe5 f5xe4 5 d6 -d5 6 Nb1 - c3 - b4 Bf8 7 e5 e6! Lb4xc3 ? 8 b2xc3 Ng8 - h6 - h5 9 Dd1 Ke8 -f8 -a3 Kf8 10 Lc1 - g8 11 DH5 - f7 Sh6xf7 12 e6xf7 #

Rodzinski - Alekhine (1913 )

The opening of the case comes from a match between Rodzinski and the later world chess champion Alexander Alekhine played in Paris in 1913:

3 Lf1 - c4 c6 4 Sb8 - c2 - c3 - Bc8 g4 here are already managing the Alekhine a matte case, he lets his queenside unprotected Rodzinksi goes on a. In the sequence of white King remains in the center, which leads to a rapid mat. 5 Dd1 -b3? Better may 5.h3 5 ... Qd8 - d7 6 Nf3 - g5 - h6 Ng8 7 Lc4xf7 Sh6xf7 8 Sg5xf7 Dd7xf7 9 Db3xb7 Ke8 - d7 10 Db7xa8 DF7 - c4! 11 f2 -f3 Lg4xf3! 12 g2xf3 Nc6 -d4! 13 d2 -d3 Dc4xd3! 14 c3xd4 Bf8 - e7! 15 Da8xh8 Be7 h4 #

Bernstein - Tartakower (1937 )

A beautiful event, played in Paris in 1937 between Ossip Bernstein and Savielly Tartakower.

3 d2 -d4 Ng8 - f6 4 d4xe5 Sf6xe4 5 Lf1 - c4 e6 Bc8 This train Tartakower differs from the theory. We recommend 5 ... c6, but Tartakower sets a trap: 6 Lc4xe6 f7xe6 7 Dd1 - e2 d6 -d5 8 De2 - b5 Sb8 - c6 9 Nf3 -d4 - d7 Qd8 10 Db5xb7 Bf8 - b4 ! ! 11 c2 - c3 Sc6xd4! 12 Db7xa8 Ke8 - e7 13 Da8xh8 Qd7 - b5! 14 Dh8xg7 Ke7 - e8 15 Dg7 - g4 Db5 -d3 16 Lc1 -d2 -c2 Nd4 17 Ke1 -d1 Se4xf2 with ladies loss; Bernstein gave up.