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Attacking the Philidor Defense
(5 hours 32 min)
The Philidor Defense seems like a rock-solid opening. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6, Black is happy to complete their development without throwing any punches in the opening.
At the amateur level, this strategy works fine. But at higher levels, many avoid playing the Philidor with Black, and for good reasons!
This course will show you exactly how to counter the Philidor Defense covering all the mainlines, sidelines, and gambits step-by-step along with the main ideas...
See moreBelow are some of the positions from this course:
After watching the course, you’ll be ready to take the initiative and space in the opening the next time somebody plays the Philidor.
Let’s begin!
What you'll learn
- A full opening repertoire against 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6, covering all important variations, sidelines and ideas.
- How to play with a space advantage and make it harder for Black’s army to breathe.
- The major downsides and flaws in Black's opening strategy.
- Why Philidor Defense is seen rarely in top-level chess events?
- How to convert your opening advantage into a win, explained through model games.
- A novelty to counter a trendy line for Black, covered in the Advanced section and more.
Course Content
-
103
Episodes -
1
Attachments -
5 hours 32 min
Students give this course an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars.
Georgiy Zhenchenko
Nishant Bhardwaj

GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Vismith Prabhu

GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Boi Bling

ChessMood
bac chus

ChessMood

Artyom Manukyan
WIM_Siranush Ghukasyan

Giorgos Kechagias

ChessMood

Gor Avetisyan

Mikhail Salnikov
Bhabatosh Chowdhury

ChessMood

Franck steenbekkers

GM Avetik Grigoryan
After having a successful playing career where he became the Armenian Champion in 2010, GM Avetik Grigoryan found his passion for chess coaching and switched to it full-time.
Since then, he has guided many ambitious players to become Grandmasters and International Masters and has over 10 years of coaching experience.
He believes anyone can improve at chess, with the right mood and proper direction. And with that vision, he founded ChessMood in 2018.
After having a successful playing career where he became the Armenian Champion in 2010, GM Avetik Grigoryan found his passion for chess coaching and switched to it full-time.
Since then, he has guided many ambitious players to become Grandmasters and International Masters and has over 10 years of coaching experience.
He believes anyone can improve at chess, with the right mood and proper direction. And with that vision, he founded ChessMood in 2018.
The Philidor Defense begins after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6. With 2…d6, Black has revealed some of their intentions. They are happy to give space and take a cramped position. In the meanwhile, they will try to finish their development peacefully.
As a result, the Philidor has a reputation for being a solid opening, which can be tough to crack for inexperienced players.
However, White can keep the initiative and force Black into passive positions, with correct play.
History of the Philidor Defense
The opening is named after François-André Philidor, one of the famous masters of the 18th century. He began to employ it as an alternative to 2...Nc6.
However, he wasn’t the first to play it.
The first game in the Philidor Defense dates back to 1575. It was played between Giovanni da Cutri Leonardo - Ruy López de Segura, in Madrid. White won the game.
How to play against the Philidor Defense?
White can strike in the center with 3.d4. Black has many different options including 3…exd4, 3…Nd7 or 3…Nf6. In all of them, White will try to make the most of their space advantage.
Black can also try the Philidor counter gambit with 3…f5, which was the original intention of François-André Philidor. However, pushing the f-pawn early in the opening comes with its downsides. In this case, White gets an advantage after 4.Nc3.
Is the Philidor Defense good?
You won’t see this opening being employed frequently at the top level, which explains what the top players think about it. With precise play, White keeps a small initiative and Black has to be passive. Because of this, we wouldn’t recommend beginners to play this line.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan