Theoria
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Philidor Defense

Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6

C41solidpositional

  1. 1.e4e5
  2. 2.Nf3d6
  3. 3.d4Nf6
  4. 4.Nc3Nbd7
  5. 5.Be2Be7
  6. 6.O-Oc6
259 games46%53%

A Lion's Claw line of the Philidor Defense in which Black plays 6...c6 before castling, delaying king safety in favor of queenside flexibility.

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About the with Be2 and c6

Black plays 6...c6 before castling. The move covers d5, keeps ...b5 and ...Qc7 available, and leaves the king's placement undecided. White's most frequent reply is 7. h3, which denies g4 to Black's pieces. The alternatives are 7. dxe5, which releases the central tension, and 7. a4, the engine's preference, which restrains ...b5. Engines give White a slight edge, but Black has scored better in the database games, especially after 7. h3.

Popular continuations