Philidor Defense, Exchange Variation

JOHN COCHRANE vs. BONNERJEE MOHISHUNDER
Unknown Location, 1854

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, d6
3. d4, exd4
4. Qxd4, Nc6
5. Bb5, Bd7
6. Bxc6, Bxc6
7. Bg5, f6
8. Bf4, Qe7
9. Nc3, Qe6
10. 0-0, Ne7
11. Rfe1, h6
12. Nd5!, Qd7
13. Nh4 ....

White sets a trap.  If 13....g5, then 14. Nxf6 winning Black's Queen.

If 13.....Bxd5, 14. exd5 g5, 15. Ng6 Rg8, 16. Rxe7 Bxe7, 17. Re1 with a good pin.

13. .... Kf7
14. c4, Bxd5
15. exd5, g5
16. Re6, Bg7
17. Rae1, Rhe8
18. Qe4, gxf4
19. Qh7, c6
20. R1e4, cxd5

21. Rxf6+!!, Kxf6

Black has no other choice.

22. Rxf4+!!, Ke6

If 22....Ke5 or Kg5, then 23. Qxg7+ Kxf4, 24. Qg3+ Ke4, 25. Qe3 mate.

23. Qxg7, Qc6
24. Qg4+, Nf5

Black is hoping for 25. Qxf5+ Ke7, 26. Qf6+ Kd7, and the Black King escapes.

25. Nxf5 ....

Black resigns.  White threatens 26. Nd4+ or Ne3+ with a good attack.

Center Play

Keeping a solid central pawn structure is crucial to a defensive chess play.  Once the center breaks down, it would be easy for the attacker to penetrate.  The posted game is an excellent model of this theory.

CASTALDI vs. TARTAKOVER
Stockholm, 1937

Philidor Defense

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, d6
3. d4, Nf6
4. Nc3, N8d7
5. Be2, Be7
6. 0-0, h6
7. b3 ....

White intends to position his Bishop at b2, to apply indirect pressure on Black's e5 pawn.

7. .... c6
8. Bb2, Qc7
9. Qd2, g5

Black's last move weakens his long diagonal.  Black should have kept a tight defensive game.

10. Rfd1, Nf8?

Black intends to post his Knight at f4 via g6, but it never made it. He should have concentrated on developing his pawn structure at the center,

11. dxe5, dxe5
12. Nxe5!! ....

 12. .... Be6

If 12....Qxe5, then White replies with 13. Nd5 Qxb2, 14. Nc7 mate.  In this variation, if 13....Qd6, then 16. Nxf6+ and wins.

13. Nb5!!, Qb8

If 13....cxb5, then 14. Bxb5 N8d7, 15. Bxd7 Bxd7, 16. Nxd7 Nxd7, 17. Bxh8.   In this variation, if 15....Kf8, then 16. Bxe6 fxe6, 17. Ng6+.  Either way, White wins.

14. Qa5 !! ....

A pretty move.  Black cannot shoo away the Queen with 14....b6 because of 15. Nxc6 bxa5, 16. Nxb8 Rxb8, 17. Nc7 mate.  In this variation, if 16....Bd8, then 17. Rxd8 Kxd8, 18. Bxf6+ and White wins.

14. .... Bd8
15. Rxd8, Qxd8
16. Nc7+, Resigns

There is no hope for Black.  If 16....Ke7, then 17. Ba3+ and White wins.

White executed one brilliant move after another.

The Opera House Massacre

Chess game of Paul Morphy versus the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isourard at the Paris Opera House, 1858. Philidor Defense

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, d6
3. d4 .....

A developing move.

3. ..... Bg4
4. dxe5, Bxf3
5. Qxf3, dxe5
6. Bc4 ...

Threatening Qxf7 mate.

6. ..... Nf6
7. Qb3 .....

This move forks b7 and f7.

7. ..... Qe7
8. Nc3 .....

White decided against Qxb7 because of 8. ... Qb4; 9. Qxb4 Bxb4. A simple line leaving Black with an active Bishop.

8. ..... c6

Black defends the b7 pawn and secures the b5 and d5 squares.

9. Bg5, b5
10. Nxb5!!, cxb5
11. Bxb5+, Nbd7
12. 0-0-0 .....

Adding pressure on the d7 Knight...

12. ..... Rd8

13. Rxd7, Rxd7
14. Rd1!! .....

Adding another pressure...

14. ..... Qe6
15. Bxd7+, Nxd7
16. Qb8+!!!, Nxb8
17. Rd8+ mate.

A beautiful finish!

Back Rank Mate

The following game is one of the best illustrations of back rank mate threats there is. Torre waves his queen in Adam's face but he can't take it...

ADAMS vs. TORRE
New Orleans, 1920
Philidor Defense

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, d6
3. d4! .....

This move originated from Paul Morphy.

3. ..... exd4
4. Qxd4 .....

Although White is bringing his queen out early, in this position, as you shall see, Black has a hard time extinguishing the queen from the center.

4. ..... Nc6
5. Bb5, Bd7
6. Bxc6 .....

White opts to trade his bishop for a knight and retain the queen's strong position in the middle.

6. ..... Bxc6
7. Nc3, Nf6
8. 0-0, Be7
9. Nd5, Bxd5
10. exd5 .....

Opening the e-file. Since White has better development he will be able to capture and control the file first. This file is what will lead to Black's quick death.

10. ..... 0-0
11. Bg5, c6
12. c4, cxd5
13. cxd5, Re8

Black tries to control the e-file. The only problem is the awkward Bishop (the result of 2. d6 prevents  lack from ownership of the file quickly.

14. Rfe1, a5?

A weak unnecessary pawn move.

15. Re2 .....

Preparing to double on the open file.

15. ..... Rc8

Claiming the c-file. In this position, ownership of the e-file is more important.

16. Rae1, Qd7

Developing the queen to a more active square.

17. Bxf6 .....

Forcing the Black Bishop off the e-file so that White can take advantage of some back-rank threats.

17. ..... Bxf6
18. Qg5 !! .....

White plays to DEFLECT a defender from the bank rank.

18. ..... Qb5
19. Qc4 !!! .....

A beautiful move that dares the Black rook or queen to take the queen off course. Both moves would leave one less defender on the square e8, and would lead to checkmate in 2 starting with Rxe8.

It is a blunder for White to move 19. a4 at once because of 19.....Qxe2, 20. Rxe2 Rc1+ and White loses the game.

19. ..... Qd7
20. Qc7!!!, Qb5
21. a4!! .....

A tempo-gaining move.

21. ..... Qxa4

Forced!

22. Re4!!, Qb5
23. Qxb7!!, Resigns

Now Black has nowhere safe to move his queen and protect the square e8. Faced with either losing his queen or Back Rank Mate, Black resigns.

Philidor Defense

The Philidor Defense is characterized by the opening moves:

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, d6

It was 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 center by the pawn thrust ...f7-f5. Today it is known as a solid, though passive, choice for Black.

BERNSTEIN vs. TARTAKOVER
Paris, 1937

The Two-Rook Sacrifice

Chess has an inexhaustible supply of sacrifices.  The double-Rook sacrifice always appear in new guises.

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, d6
3. d4, Nf6
4. dxe5, Nxe4
5. Bc4 ......

White threatens to win with Qd5.  The safest defense is 5......c6.

5. ...... Be6

Black selects a more venturesome line, which allows White to win a pawn in a very risky fashion.

6. Bxe6, fxe6
7. Qe2, d5
8. Qb5+, Nc6

There is more here than meets the eye, as in this pretty line of play: 9. Qxb7  Nb4, 10. Qb5+ c6,  11.  Qa4 Nc5!! winning White's Queen (for if 12. Qxb4 Nd3+).

9. Nd4 Qd7
10. Qxb7 ?   ......

White cannot bypass this inviting move, especially as he sees that an exchange of knights will leave him behind in development.

10.......Bb4+!

11. c3 ........

Black has three pieces under attack.

11. ....... Nxd4 !!

This leaves White with little choice, for after 12 cxb4, 0-0 Black has too many strong threats.

12. Qxa8+, Kf7
13. Qxh8, Qb5!!

White resigns. He has no defense against the threat of Qe2 mate.  White's greed led to disaster.

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