Theoria
8765432abcdefgh1

Philidor Defense

Hanham Variation, Schlechter Variation

C41positionalsolid

  1. 1.e4e5
  2. 2.Nf3d6
  3. 3.d4Nd7
  4. 4.Bc4c6
  5. 5.Nc3
1,347 games47%50%

Philidor Defense line in which White meets the Hanham setup with 5. Nc3, quietly developing and keeping central tension; engines see a slight White edge.

Train it in Theoria

About the Schlechter Variation

The Schlechter Variation is White's choice of 5. Nc3 after 4. Bc4 c6. It develops the queen's knight, adds support to e4 and eyes d5, and postpones decisions about castling or c3. Since ...c6 already covers d5, Black usually continues 5...Be7, by far the most common reply. The alternatives are 5...h6, which rules out Ng5, and 5...Qc7. Engines give White a slight edge, but Black scores somewhat better in online games.

Popular continuations