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C41Opening

Philidor Defense

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6

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White to move

Legal moves
27
Games in the next 4 moves
761,665
Different positions among them
256,715
Named lines from here
43

See it on the mapOn the opening map

Named after François-André Danican Philidor, the strongest player of the 18th century. Black supports e5 with 2...d6: solid, if a little passive.

It is reached after 4 moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6.

White is to move and has 27 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 761,665 different games. Those games reach 256,715 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 3 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 43 further lines after this position.

The same moves can be played in 4 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. Nf3 e5 2. e4 d6, which starts as the Zukertort Opening.

Map of every game of the next four moves after the Philidor Defense
Every game of the next four moves from this position, as the map draws it. Each ring is one more move; the outer ring holds all 761,665 games.

Move by move

  1. 1. e4King's Pawn Game
  2. 1... e5King's Pawn Game
  3. 2. Nf3King's Knight Opening
  4. 2... d6Philidor Defense

Named lines from here

Famous games through this position

The Opera GameMorphy, Paris 1858, move 2Playing from a box at the opera, Morphy mates his two opponents in 17 moves. Légal's MateLégal – Saint Brie, Paris 1750, move 2White lets the queen go and mates with three minor pieces; one of the oldest traps in chess.

Related openings

FEN

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