1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
d6
Philidor's Defense has a long and rich tradition. Modern theory, however, suggests that it might be slightly inaccurate to play it via this move order. The modern preference is to enter it via 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 and only now either 3...Nbd7 and 4...e5 or else 3...e5 immediately. In either case White has some interesting sidelines but play most often leads to a Philidor (for example 3...Nbd7 4.Nf3 e5 or 3...e5 4.Nf3).
3.d4
White has a lternatives here, but the text is considered to be the most challenging move. [Instead 3.Bc4
has been played often, when Black has a few reasonable choices. Standard development with ...Be7 and ...Nf6 is possible, but I really like 3...Be6
when 4.Bxe6
fxe6
gives Black good central control and a half open f-file. White will likely play d4 at some point when Black can undouble his pawns too.]
3...exd4
Black chooses a plan involving the surrender of the center. [The old main line, often called the Hanham variation, runs 3...Nf6
4.Nc3
(4.dxe5
Nxe4
5.Qd5
is the problem with this move order, when White has a solid advantage. This line may be playable for Black at club level but it provides White with easy pressure while there is little risk.) 4...Nbd7
5.Bc4
Be7
6.0-0
0-0
when Black has a solid position. This position forms the basis of a repertoire proposed by Christian Bauer in his excellent book The Philidor Files, albeit via the move order 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.Nf3 e5 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0.]
4.Nxd4
[4.Qxd4
is an old Tony Kosten favorite. He gave fairly good coverage of it in Winning with the Philidor back in the 1990s, but Black gets a good enough game by delaying ...Nc6. An immediate 4...Nc6
is well met by 5.Bb5
]
4...Nf6
[Black has a sharp alternative in the form of 4...g6
5.Nc3
Bg7
but this is a much riskier approach. For instance, play often continues 6.Be3
Nf6
7.f3
0-0
8.Qd2
Nc6
9.0-0-0
On a superficial level this is similar to a Sicilian Dragon Yugoslav Attack. However, in the Sicilian Black has a half-open c-file with which to gain counterplay. Here, it is the e-file that Black has available, and this difference is considered to favor White.]
5.Bg5
This is an odd and perhaps overly commital move. An immediate Nc3 is more common. White knows the knight belongs on c3, but the best square for the bishop is not yet clear. Still, White does prevent ...Nxe4 at least for one more move. My main concern, though, is that Black may be able to either initiate exchanges (after ...Be7 and a knight move, maybe even ...Nxe4) or strike out quickly in the center with ...d5. The bishop is probably better off on f4.
5...Be7
6.Nc3?!
This is a move too late. If Black is alert he will spot a way to free his game.
6...0-0
[It's hard to fault such a natural move, especially since Black is probably still equal after castling. However, the surprising 6...Nxe4!?
seems to be slightly better for Black in all cases. 7.Nxe4
(7.Bxe7
Qxe7
8.Nd5
Qd8=/+
is a bit better but still leaves Black slightly better. White will have some initiative for the pawn but probably not enough to fully compensate.) 7...Bxg5
simply leaves Black up a pawn. White can try to stir up a bit of trouble but it isn't nearly enough.]
7.Bd3
Nbd7?!
[7...d5!
8.e5
(8.exd5
Nxd5
9.Bxe7
Qxe7+
favors Black as well) 8...Ne4
is quite comfo rtable for Black. The move played in the game allows White access to the f5 square.]
8.Nf5!
The bishop on e7 has nowhere to go and is an important part of Black's possibilities to free himself. White quite rightly seizes on an opportunity to take the bishop off the board.
8...Ne5?!
[Something like 8...Re8
would probably have been better, accepting a slight disadvantage and working to free the position with moves such as ...c6 and ...d5. Now White gets a very good game.]
9.Nxe7+
Qxe7
10.Nd5
Now we can see White's possibility. He can wreck the pawn structure on Black's kingside with exchanges on f6.
10...Nxd3+
11.cxd3
Qe5
This is Black's best choice. He accepts the weakness but forces White to act immediately. Black also gains a possibility here by forcing White to choose how to capture.
12.Bxf6!
Jerry makes the correct choice. Sometimes people think bishops are slightly better than knights, and in this position those folks might be tempted to capture on f6 the other way. Unfortunately, the knight is more effective in this position. [12.Nxf6+
gxf6
13.Bh6
Re8
still slightly favors White, but Black has possibilities of play on the e-file with ...f5xe4. It would still be a reasonable position for Black.]
12...Qxd5??
It's hard to annotate such a move accurately. What prompted Black to play this queen sacrifice? It's possible he was in time pressure, but since the game was another 32 moves that seems unlikely. More likely was a simple miscalculation of some kind. (Note: after the original report was posted, Jerry told me that the mistake was due to the touch-move rule.) [12...gxf6
was necessary, when White has the better position but Black still has reason to play on.]
13.exd5
Re8+
14.Kd2
gxf6
So how do things stand? White essentially has a queen for a bishop. Both sides have weak pawns but with such a material imbalance that is unlikely to matter much. White's goal should be to simply trade off the rooks and make the power of his queen pay off. He immediately sets about doing this.
15.Re1
Rd8
We all know that you want to keep pieces on the board when you are down material, but notice how the threat of exchange forces Black to place his rook on a more passive square. White is now able to add domination of the e-file to his list of advantages.
16.Re3
Bf5
17.Qf3
Bg6
18.Rae1
f5
19.h4
This introduces a tactical threat - Black must not let White trap his bishop with h4-h5 - but I like an immediate invasion on the seventh rank better. [19.Re7
Rac8
20.Rc1
gives White a very strong position.]
19...h5
20.Qd1
Rab8
21.Qa4
c6
22.dxc6
bxc6
23.b3
Rbc8
24.Ke2
d5
25.d4
f4
26.Re5?!
How can I assign a dubious mark to a move like this when White is up so much material? Well, the truth is that there is not much fundamentally wrong with the move itself. However, White could, at any time in the past seven moves, played his rook to the seventh rank with huge pressure. Now Black practically begged him to do so, and he instead selected e5. It's not a horrible choice, but it's not the best.
26...c5
27.Kf1?!
Again, I'm not trying to unnecessarily pick on Jerry. However, the King should be activatd in the endgame. Black is not about to launch a mating attack, so it is not necessary to seek shelter like this. Better is a capture on c5 and then the king might even find d4 to be a good square!
27...f6
28.Re6
[28.Qa6!
is devastating! Black cannot capture on e5 or White will have a mating attack: 28...fxe5
29.Qxg6+
Kf8
(29...Kh8
30.Rxe5
Rd7
31.Rxh5+
Rh7
32.Rxh7#
) 30.Qf6+
Kg8
31.Rxe5
Rd7
32.Rg5+
Kh7
33.Rxh5+
Kg8
34.Rh8#
]
28...Rf8
29.dxc5
Rxc5
30.Qxf4
Kg7
31.Re7+
At last!
31...Rf7
32.Rxf7+
Kxf7
33.Qh6?!
This allows Black some unnecessary counterplay. Better would be to play the queen to b8 or d6. Of course, White is still winning...
33...d4
34.Qh8
Rc7
35.Qe8+
Kg7
36.Re7+
Rxe7
37.Qxe7+
Bf7
38.Qd6
[The sadist in me would probably be tempted to play 38.Qxf7+
Kxf7
39.Ke2
when White has a winning pawn endgame, or perhaps the even slightly more tortuous; 38.Qxa7
intending to capture on f7 next move. Of course, when you're up a queen against bishop, it's not necessarily always a good idea to trade into a pawn ending! (This time it would be fine, though.)]
38...Bg6
39.a3
d3
40.b4
a6
41.Qxa6
Be4
42.Ke1
f5
43.g3
Kf7
44.Kd2
Black really has no hope of holding this position. This was an excellent game and a strong upset by White! (To see a game where Faron got the chance to upset a stronger player, see Brewster-Schulte in this very tournament!) 1-0