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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C41 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | François-André Danican Philidor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | King's Knight Opening | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Synonym(s) | Philidor's Defence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Philidor Defence (or Philidor's Defence) is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
The opening is named after the famous 18th-century player François-André Danican Philidor, who advocated it as an alternative to the common 2...Nc6. His original idea was to challenge White's centre by the pawn thrust ...f7–f5.
Today, the Philidor is known as a solid but passive choice for Black, and is seldom seen in top-level play except as an alternative to the heavily analysed openings that can ensue after the normal 2...Nc6. It is considered a good opening for amateur players who seek a defensive strategy that is simpler and easier to understand than the complex positions that result from an opening such as the French Defence.
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings code for Philidor Defence is C41.