Philidor Defense... Hanham variation
Submitted by on Wed, 02/13/2008 at 6:26pm.
[Edit Two: This is "utter crap" I will up date this when I get back from globe-trotting. This was my initial work through. I've learned (through expereince) the necessity of ...c6 with the idea of ...b5 and a few other interesting tricks on when to liquidate the center (and how to do it).
[Edit: The diagrams are fixed! I've made a small addition at move 7.... and a hopeful promise.]
Philidor -- Hanham Defense
The basic idea is to have a solid opening where Black can create winning chances against a careless opponent while holding a solid position against a careful opponent. This can can be achieved against the e4/d4 complex. White plays d4/c4 is not covered. Notice the Hanham gets to the Philidor defense through the Pirc move order. The ideas are numerous enough for adventure, yet simple to learn.
1.e4 d6 We are going to stick to thematic ideas.2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 [3.Bc4 Nbd7 4.Nc3 (4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Qe2 Ndf6 6.Nc3 Nxc3 7.bxc3) 4...e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Qxd4 Be7 7.Ng5 (7.Bf4 0–0 8.0–0 Nb6 9.Rad1 Be6 10.Bxe6 fxe6 11.e5 c5 12.Qe3 Nh5 13.exd6 Nxf4 14.dxe7 Qxe7 15.Ne5 Qg5 16.g4 (16.g3? Nh3+ 17.Kg2 Rxf2+ 18.Qxf2 Nxf2 19.Nf3 Nxd1 20.Nxg5 Ne3+ 21.Kf2 Nxf1 22.Kxf1 Rf8+) 16...Rad8 17.Qxc5? Rc8 18.Qe3 Rxc3 19.bxc3 Nc4 20.Qe4 (20.Nxc4 Qxg4+ 21.Qg3 Ne2+) 20...Nxe5 21.f3 h5 22.Rde1 Nc6) 7...Ne5 8.Bb5+ c6] 3...Nbd7 4.Nf3 [4.f4 e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Qxd4! Be7 7.Bd3 0–0 8.f5 (8.e5 dxe5 9.fxe5 Bc5 10.Qh4 Re8 11.Bf4 (11.Bg5 h6) 11...Be7 12.0–0–0 Ne4 13.Qh3 Nxe5 14.Qh5 Nxd3+ 15.Rxd3 Nd6) ] 4...e5 5.Bc4 [5.g3 Be7 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Bg2 0–0 8.0–0 c6; 5.Be2 Be7 6.0–0 0–0 7.Re1 c6 8.a4 Qc7 (8...Re8 9.a5 exd4 10.Qxd4 Nc5 11.h3 Ne6) 9.Be3 Re8 10.h3 exd4 11.Bxd4 Nc5 12.Bxc5 dxc5 13.e5 Rd8 14.Bd3 Nd5 15.Nxd5 (15.Ne4 Nf4 16.Nd6 Be6 17.Qd2 Nxd3 18.Qxd3 Bxd6 19.exd6 Qxd6 20.Qe4 Bd5 21.Qe3 Qg6) 15...cxd5; 5.Bg5 Be7 6.Bc4 0–0 7.h3 Nb6 8.Be2 (8.Bb3 exd4 9.Qxd4 (9.Nxd4? Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Bxg5 11.Nxg5 Qxg5 12.0–0 Bxh3) 9...h6 10.Be3 a5 (10...Be6 11.Bxe6 (11.Qd3 Bxb3 12.axb3) 11...fxe6 12.0–0–0) 11.a4 Nfd7 12.0–0 Bf6 13.Qd3 Nc5 14.Bxc5 dxc5 15.e5 Qxd3 16.cxd3 Be7 17.Nb5 c6 18.Nd6 Bxd6 19.exd6 Rd8 20.Rac1 Be6 21.Bxe6 fxe6 22.Rxc5 Rxd6 23.d4 Nxa4) ; 5.g4?! Nxg4 6.Rg1 exd4 (6...Ngf6? 7.Bc4 Nb6 8.dxe5 Nxc4 (8...dxe5?? 9.Bxf7+ Ke7 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.Nxe5) 9.exf6 Qxf6 10.Nd5 Qd8 11.Qd4) 7.Nxd4 Nxh2 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Rxg7 Qe5 11.Rg3 (11.Ndb5!? Qxg7 12.Nxc7+ Kd8 13.Nxa8 Qg1 14.Qe2 Qxf1+ 15.Qxf1 Nxf1 16.Kxf1 Ne5 17.f4 Nc4 18.b3 Ne3+ 19.Kf2 Nxc2 20.Rd1 Bd7 21.Rxd6 Nb4 22.Rd4 Nc6 23.Rd2 h5 24.Nd5 h4 25.Nac7 h3 26.Kg3 Nd4 27.Rh2 Bc6) 11...Nc5 12.Nf3 Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 Be6 14.0–0–0 0–0–0]5...Be7 6.0–0 0–0
This is our starting position for the Hanham-Philidor Defense. This is the first of the thematic ideas. 7.Re1 [7.a4 exd4 8.Qxd4 Ng4 9.Nd5 Nde5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.f4 Nxc4 12.Qxc4 Be6 (12...c6 13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.f5 Rd8 15.f6 Qe6 16.Qxe6 Bxe6 17.fxg7 Kxg7 18.Bg5 Rd7) 13.Qxc7 Bxd5 14.Qxd8 Bxd8 15.exd5 Bb6+ 16.Kh1 Rac8 17.c3 Rfe8 18.a5 Bc5 19.b4 (19.f5 Re2 20.b3 f6 21.Bf4 Be3 22.Bxd6 Rxc3 23.Rf3 Rcc2 24.h3 Kf7 25.a6 bxa6 26.Bf4 Bb6 27.d6) ] The other "main" line appears to be 7.Qe2. I will try to examine these three lines in later posts. 7...exd4
10.e5 Ironically this may be the only move that doesn't lose for White. [10.Bf4?? Oops.. this worked with 9.Bb3 but here... 10...c5 Black celebrates the funeral of the White Queen!; 10.Nd5 Bh4
11.Nxh4 Qxh4 12.Nxc7 (12.Bf4) 12...Qxh2+ 13.Kf1 Ne5 14.Nxa8 Qh1+ 15.Ke2 Bg4+ 16.Kd2 Qxg2 17.Kc3 Rc8+ 18.Kb3 Be6+ 19.Ka3 Nbc4+ 20.Bxc4 Nxc4+ 21.Kb4 a5+ 22.Ka4 Qh3
The key move. It controls the 6th rank. 23.c3 (23.Re3?? Forcing Black to check mate White. 23...b5+ 24.Kxb5 Bd7+ 25.Ka6 Bb5+ 26.Kxb5 Qd7+ 27.Ka6 Rxa8+ 28.Qa7) 23...b5+ 24.Kb3 Ne3+ Forces mate. 25.c4 (25.Ka3 ...Nc2 is mate.) 25...Nxc4+ (25...Bxc4+ 26.Qxc4 bxc4+ 27.Ka4 Qd7+ 28.Kxa5 Qa7+ 29.Kb5 Rc5+ 30.Kb4 ...Qa5 mate.) 26.f3 (26.Be3 Nxe3+ 27.Qc4) 26...Qxf3+ 27.Be3 Nxe3+ You get the idea...] 10...dxe5 11.Qxd8 Rxd8
Another thematic idea is to trade Queens. White now must be better in the endgame with no real positional advantage. 12.h3 [12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.Rxe5 Bf6 14.Re1 Bxc3 Giving White the advantage of the Bishop pair on the open board BUT completely devestating White's pawn structure. Another thematic idea. 15.bxc3 Be6
Tying the Rook down to defending the a-pawn. Imobile Rooks are very weak. Notice Black's strategy is built around the superior minor piece theme. 16.Bf4 c6] 12...Nf6 13.Nxe5 Nbd5 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Be4 Bb4
Notice that when the center is liquidated the dark square Bishop becomes very mobile and interesting. 16.c3?! [16.Bxd5 Rxd5 17.c3 Bf8 (17...Bd6 18.Nc4 Bf8) 18.Bf4 Be6 19.Nf3 c6 Endgame, endgame, endgame!] 16...Nxc3 This unbalances the game in a very interesting way. Not sure if it is such a good idea. 17.bxc3 Bxc3 18.Bf4 Bxa1 19.Rxa1 Rd4 20.f3 f6 21.Nc4 c6 Thematic idea of pawns on f6 and c6 to deal with the Bishop pair and make life difficult for the Knight. [21...Rxc4? 22.Bd5+] 22.Ne3 [22.Nd6 f5 23.Nxc8 fxe4 24.Ne7+ Kf8 25.Nf5 Ra4 26.fxe4 Rxe4 27.Rf1 Re2 28.Rf2 Rae8 29.g4 R8e4]
Black seems to be ok in an unbalance endgame.