The below position is the Italian Game: Paris Defense.
The below position is the starting position of the Philidor Defense.
If we add a few more moves, we are still in the Philidor Defense
The move Bc4 has always been move in the above position.
It is top 4 most played move and it has the highest winning/drawing percentages for White.
- Top played move is dxe5:
It is a Queenless position which often gives Black no pressure or issue. Compared to other White chess continuations this line is probably the most tame. Black should have no trouble reaching equality in such a soft line.
The databases win rate and draw rate for white also reflect this.
- Second most played move is d5:
It transposes the line into a KID, but most players playing white will not know what to do because they may have never played 1.d4. If they have been an exclusive 1.e4 their whole chess career. Players playing Black might know how to play KID because it might be what they play against 1.d4 opponents.
The bad white win rate and draw rate is merely a reflection of the above situation.
- Third most played move Bb5:
White often gives up bishop for knight on c6 to inflict pawn structure damage. It comes at the cost of giving black the bishop pair and well sometimes giving your opponent the bishop pair isn’t wise.
It’s not shock why this line has lower win rate and draw rate for white either.
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When Bc4 gets played using the Philidor move order, The position will mirror the Italian Game: Paris Defense.
The move Bc4 is a strong move in Philidor and it maintains white advantage.
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The below position is using the Nimzo move order.
According to Wikipedia, The Italian Game: Paris Defense was created or first used in 1846
According to Wikipedia, The Philidor Defense was created and mention in a book published by the Priest Ruy Lopez in 1561. The Priest wanted to debunk his rival who said Black best move on move 2…Nc6. The Priest argued the move 2…Nc6 was bad because it allowed 3.Bb5 which was known as Spanish Game at the time. It later became named Ruy Lopez after the Priest who published a literature about the line.
In the book, Ruy Lopez argued 2…d6 was better because it avoided the 3.Bb5 line.
This is the origins of the Philidor. Centuries later a man named Francisco Andre’ Danican Phildior begin revolutionizing the line. The line ended up ultimately being renamed after him.
So in fact if we are really being technical the Italian Game: Paris Defense is merely an transpose into the Philidor Defense which they have failed to acknowledge!
Its ok - the Philidor Defense players will not be upset if you wish to believe in the tissue of lies. Their is no Paris Defense as far as we are concerned.
Its the Philidor thru transposition. You don’t even realize what your playing.
You're getting too lost in theory crafting here... In the philidor, after Nc6, white does not respond with Bc4 but with d5 immediately. With Bc4 played, after d5 the bishop is staring at a brick wall. The Paris defense position is +0.23 according to leela, the philidor Nc3 position is +.41... for reference, the mainline philidor exchange is +0.29. It is simply not correct to say this is a worse philidor, it is not. Plenty of common openings leela scores in the range of +0.2-+0.3 including the KID, which the structure is very similar to... the position is fine. Furthermore, the line that scores +0.23 here is the Bd3 > c4 KID-type position - if Nc3 (most common move) is played instead of Bd3 > c4 the position is +0.19 - at this point you're in the territory of most common black defenses.
Anyway, the whole benefit of the opening is in the assumption the opponent will not be prepared - if I can bring to bear all my understanding of the KID, a d4 opening, against an e4 player I think that's a significant victory - it must be better than playing the KID against a d4 player.
I’m not getting lost in theory crafting.
I have played these positions and against these positions.
I am trying to tell you White has multiple responses they can play.
Your getting to focused on 1 move or continuation.
Look at the below chess position again:
White has 6 moves they commonly play in this position.
- d5 - Which transposes the line into KID most of the time.
- Nc3 - Which transposes the line into 3 Knights.
- c3 - Whiche transposes the line into the Ponzai.
- exd5 - Which is End Game Queen trade line
- Bb5 - Which white often gives up Bishop pair for pawn structure damage
- Bc4 - Which white often tries control d5 square with pieces.
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You are playing the Nimzo move order so the only line which is pertaining to you is Bc4 line.
The above line is the line you will face.
It is same line which can be played in the Philidor.
It is 1 of whites 6 moves which they can play.
When white elects to play Bc4 in the Philidor, They will never follow up with d5.
The Philidor move order allows them to play d5.
If they elect not to do it and play Bc4 instead, they are aiming to play a different way.
The reason they play Bc4 is to add attackers to d5 square.
Their plan isn’t to occupy the d5 square with a pawn. They want to occupy the square with a piece. They want to use it as out post square.
Pushing the d4 pawn to d5 would block the Bishop they developed to c4.
Why would a good player do that? A good player wouldn’t do it.
This is what I am telling you.
The d4 pawn will be traded 1 way or another. You will either take d4 pawn with your e5 pawn or they will take your e5 pawn with their d4 pawn to open up the position.
By doing the above, the bishop they developed to c4 never gets blocked in.
Than they open the file to add more attackers to d5 so they can pivot on d5 with pieces.
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The lines your showing were white plays d5 are bad lines for white.
You will have great game if your opponents make the above mistake.
You might get lucky and face bunch of players who don’t understand the position and play d5.
In the line that @darkunorthodox88 gives, white has already played Bc4. Meanwhile, if black plays your move order, white does not have to play Bc4. In fact, Bc4 is not a good move at all.