As Black
Philidor Defence
The Philidor Defence is a chess opening for Black that starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6.
Solid, it avoids the complications of the Italian and the Ruy López.
Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero
Basic · Elo 400 – 600
Opponent's mistake · 6.Nxe5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Nbd7 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Nxe5 Nxe5
Exchange Variation · 4...Nf6 5.Bg5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Bg5 Be7 6.Bxf6 Bxf6
4...Nbd7 5.dxe5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Nbd7 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Bg5 Be7
3...exd4 4.Qxd4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qd1 Nf6 6.Nc3 Be7
Exchange Variation · 4...Nf6 5.Nc3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Bc4 O-O
3...Be7 4.Nc3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 O-O 6.O-O c6
4...Nbd7 5.d5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Nbd7 5.d5 Be7 6.Bb5 O-O
3...Be7 4.d3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d3 Nf6 5.Ng5 O-O 6.O-O h6
3...Nf6 4.Bc4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4 Be7 5.Ng5 O-O 6.d3 h6
Intermediate · Elo 800 – 1000
Opponent's mistake · 6.Nxe5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Nbd7 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Nxe5 Nxe5
3...Be7 4.O-O
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.O-O Nf6 5.Nc3 O-O 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 Nxe4 8.Nxe4 d5
3...exd4 4.Qxd4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Nc3 Nf6
Exchange Variation · 5...Be7 6.Bg5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Bg5 O-O 7.Bd3 h6 8.Bh4 Nxe4
Exchange Variation · 4...Nf6 5.Bd3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Bd3 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.Nc3 Re8
Exchange Variation · 5...Be7 6.Bd3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Bd3 O-O 7.O-O Re8 8.Re1 c6
3...Nf6 4.Bc4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4 Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.d4 exd4
4...Nf6 5.Nc3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d3 Nf6 5.Nc3 O-O 6.Bg5 c6
4...Nf6 5.O-O
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d3 Nf6 5.O-O O-O 6.Nc3 c6
3...Nf6 4.d4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Nbd7 5.d5 Be7 6.Bb5 O-O
Advanced · Elo 1200 – 1400
Exchange Variation · 7...Nxe4 8.Nxe4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Bc4 O-O 7.O-O Nxe4 8.Nxe4 d5
4...exd4 5.Qxd4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d4 exd4 5.Qxd4 Nf6 6.e5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Bxd8 8.Nxe5 O-O 9.O-O Bf5
Exchange Variation · 7...Nxe4 8.Bxf7+
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Bc4 O-O 7.O-O Nxe4 8.Bxf7+ Rxf7 9.Nxe4 d5 10.Ng3 a5
4...exd4 5.Nxd4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 O-O 7.O-O Nxe4 8.Nxe4 d5 9.Bd3 dxe4 10.Bxe4 Bf6 11.Be3 Re8 12.Bf3 Nd7
Steinitz Variation · 4...Nf6 5.d4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Nxe4
4...exd4 5.c3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d4 exd4 5.c3 Nf6 6.cxd4 Nxe4 7.O-O d5
4...Nf6 5.d4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.O-O Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 O-O 7.Nc3 Nxe4
Exchange Variation · 5...Be7 6.Be2
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Be2 O-O 7.O-O c5 8.Nf3 Nc6
4...Nf6 5.Re1
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.O-O Nf6 5.Re1 O-O 6.c3 c6 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 d5
Steinitz Variation · 4...Nf6 5.d3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 O-O 6.O-O c6 7.h3 d5
Frequently asked questions
Is the Philidor Defence good for beginners?
Yes. On OpeningCraft you learn it in these levels: Basic (Elo 400 – 600), Intermediate (Elo 800 – 1000), Advanced (Elo 1200 – 1400). It suits players who prefer long-term plans and pawn structure.
What traps are there in the Philidor Defence?
OpeningCraft teaches 1 traps and opponent mistakes in this opening, for example: Opponent's mistake (6.Nxe5).
How many lines of the Philidor Defence do you need to learn?
OpeningCraft teaches 27, in blocks of 5. They come from real Lichess games at each rating band, and the traps and opponent mistakes most common at your level come first.