Originally posted by JusuhNo, I think the phillidor is certainly playable. After e4 e5 Nf3 d6 d4, you should either just play exd4, or Nf6. Don't play Nc6. Nf6 is the more complicated of the options, as after dxe5, you plan Nxe4. After which follows a bunch of moves which I don't have the time to give you. You should probably go to an online database. If after Nf6, he plays Nc3, then folllow with either Nbd7, or exd4. You can always get out of trouble by simply capturing in the pawn.
uhh now you are asking too much...
But don't listen to me. I know nothing about the phillidor, and have never played it. 😛 I'm just looking through my database.
philidor opening is in essence, purely defensive opening with few counterplay for black for the first 1-12 moves....based on experience, black always relies on the blunders of white before launching counter attack. i have played against a lot of players and i really find hard time beating them as i regularly commit mistakes and attack prematurely...i have read reuben fines chess opening book where he says that white should aim at constricting black pieces by h3 and a4. i did just that and then went on attacking at the queenside....as i have found out. black is quite vulnerable in the queenside...
It's perfectly playable,especially vs. your basic attacking maniac. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4(White could play things like 3.Bc4,but sooner or later,if he wants an edge,he will have to play d4)3...Nf6(best) 4.exd5 Nxe4 5.Bc4(threat:Qd5)5...c6(to stop that)6.exd6(else Black plays d5 next) 6...Nxd6 defends f7 and attacks the B on c4. One trap to avoid:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nf6?? loses a pawn to 4.Ng5. On 3.Bc4 Black must play 3...Be7.
Originally posted by sundown316Against the Harnham variation (3...Nf6) I prefer to maintain the central pawn tension with 4.Nc3.
It's perfectly playable,especially vs. your basic attacking maniac. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4(White could play things like 3.Bc4,but sooner or later,if he wants an edge,he will have to play d4)3...Nf6(best) 4.exd5 Nxe4 5.Bc4(threat:Qd5)5...c6(to stop that)6.exd6(else Black plays d5 next) 6...Nxd6 defends f7 and attacks the B on c4. One trap to avoid:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nf6?? loses a pawn to 4.Ng5. On 3.Bc4 Black must play 3...Be7.
Originally posted by sundown316In my database, White scores 61.1% after
But then Black just plays 4...exd4,releasing the tension against his center.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 Nf6
4. Nc3 exd4
5. Nxd4
Which is actually better scoring than after Black's second move, where White scores 59%.
So it can't be all that good. Essentially it's like a main line Sicilian position except Black has only one centre pawn and no half-open c-file.
Originally posted by mufin78manActually,he never played it all,as far as they can tell. There are about 60-70 games of his on record,and no practical examples. All he did was analyze it,and then only the variation named after him:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5?! And it's Philador,not Philidor.
A funny thing is, Philidor didn't really play it very often....