The Philidor defence has a long history. When it made its first appearance, at a time where theory was (almost) non-existent, tactically gifted players were often successful with an early (and dubious) ...f5 push (3…f5). Another suspicious line (3…exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6) arises when Black takes on d4 and fianchettoes their king-bishop. The Antoshin (3…exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Bc4 0-0) on the other hand, is more reliable. Despite its passive look, it can lead to lively games, especially if White castles long. But, the far more popular Hanham variation (3…Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7) remains Black’s most solid set up.
This video course deals with the different move-orders leading to the main positions of the Philidor defence, as well as White’s relevant deviations. White will not feel comfortable in the ensuing middlegame, where subtle manoeuvres occur in a semi-closed position. Let Grandmaster Christian Bauer introduce you into the fascinating world of the Philidor Defence.
- Video running time: 6 hours 59 minutes (English)
- With interactive training including video feedback
- Training with ChessBase apps – Memorize the opening repertoire and play key positions against Fritz on various levels
- Including download & stream for iPad, tablet etc: can be unlocked with imprinted key
Christian Bauer was born in 1977 and has been a chess professional since 1998. He’s writing regularly for Europe-Echecs and he is regularly playing for the national team of France (2nd place at the European Team Championship 2001 in Leon and 3rd 2005 in Gothenborg). He is a three-time French champion (1996, 2012 and 2015) and also became French rapid champion in 2015.
System requirements: Minimum: Pentium III 1 GHz, 1 GB RAM, Windows 8.1, DirectX9 graphic card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9 and internet connection for program activation. Recommended: PC Intel Core i7, 2.8 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Windows 10 or 11 , DirectX10 graphic card (or compatible) with 512 MB RAM or better, 100% DirectX10 compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11, DVDROM drive and internet connection for program activation.
