Philidor Defense: Larsen Variation position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 g6. White: knight on d4, pawn on e4, pawn on a2, pawn on b2, pawn on c2, pawn on f2, pawn on g2, pawn on h2, rook on a1, knight on b1, bishop on c1, queen on d1, king on e1, bishop on f1, rook on h1. Black: rook on a8, knight on b8, bishop on c8, queen on d8, king on e8, bishop on f8, knight on g8, rook on h8, pawn on a7, pawn on b7, pawn on c7, pawn on f7, pawn on h7, pawn on d6, pawn on g6.
Philidor Defense: Larsen Variation is a chess opening that arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 g6. It is classified C41 in the ECO system, and the position after these moves has white to move. The Philidor Defense supports the e5 pawn with d6, giving Black a very solid but cramped position. Named after François-André Danican Philidor, the eighteenth-century player who argued that pawns are the soul of chess.
Strategic character
Solid and passive. Black has few weaknesses but little space, and freeing moves must be timed carefully. The modern treatment reaches it via the Hanham setup with Nd7 and c6 rather than by the direct move order.
Who should play it
Players who prefer defending sound positions over seeking early complications, and who want minimal theory against 1.e4 e5 lines.
This line is a variation within the Philidor Defense family. The strategic ideas above describe the family as a whole; this particular line reaches them by the move order 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 g6.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Philidor Defense: Larsen Variation?
The Philidor Defense: Larsen Variation is a chess opening that arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 g6. It is classified C41 in the ECO system. The Philidor Defense supports the e5 pawn with d6, giving Black a very solid but cramped position. Named after François-André Danican Philidor, the eighteenth-century player who argued that pawns are the soul of chess.
What are the moves of the Philidor Defense: Larsen Variation?
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 g6. After these moves it is white to move.
Is the Philidor Defense: Larsen Variation good for beginners?
Players who prefer defending sound positions over seeking early complications, and who want minimal theory against 1.e4 e5 lines.