Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...d6/3. d4/3...Nd7/4. Bc4/4...exd4/5. Nxd4/5...Be7

The position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 exd4 5. Nxd4 is a critical juncture for Black. The seemingly natural move 5...Be7? is a blunder, and 5...Ngf6 is a safer and superior alternative.

White can exploit the blunder with 6. Bxf7+!, intending to win the Black's queen with 7. Ne6 and 8. Nxd8+.

The move Bxf7+ is beneficial for several reasons:

• It sets up the Ne6 threat, prevents the defense of e6 with fxe6, and captures the black pawn on f7.

• The white knight on d4 can move to e6 to capture the black queen on d8.
• The white knight threatens the black queen on d8.
• White utilizes the a2-g8 diagonal to capture the black pawn on f7.
• Additionally, White can consider playing Qd5, while Black can play g6 and use the 8th rank to control the square d8 with the rook on h8.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Be7?

Wikipedia has related information at Philidor Defence.

Bibliography

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.

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• Panov, Vasily (1973). Teoría de Aperturas, Tomo I: Aperturas Abiertas - Aperturas Semiabiertas. ISBN 84-270-0132-0.
• Schiller, Eric (2002). Standard Chess Openings. ISBN 1-58042-048-6.

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