Theoria
8765432abcdefgh1

Philidor Defense

Hanham, Kmoch Variation

C41aggressivetactical

  1. 1.e4e5
  2. 2.Nf3d6
  3. 3.d4Nd7
  4. 4.Bc4c6
  5. 5.Ng5
206 games51%43%

Philidor Defense line in which White meets the Hanham setup with 5. Ng5, adding a knight to the attack on f7 and making Black defend accurately.

Train it in Theoria

About the Kmoch Variation

The Kmoch Variation is named after the Austrian-Dutch-American master and writer Hans Kmoch. It answers the Hanham setup's 4...c6 with 5. Ng5, bringing a second piece against f7 alongside the bishop on c4. Black nearly always covers the square with 5...Nh6, accepting a knight on the rim. The rarer 5...d5 instead strikes at the bishop. Engines give White a slight edge, and White scores somewhat better in practice.

Popular continuations