Philidor Position





The name Philidor Position is actually given to two different positions and both are covered here. The Lucena Position is a way of securing a forced win for a rook and a pawn against a rook. How can the weaker side avoid defeat in this endgame? Clearly by preventing the stronger side from getting to the Lucena Position.


There is another position, a drawn position that the lone rook and king must reach. One that prevents the promotion of the pawn or the rook sacrifice that comes in the Lucena. You can upload articles or games on this topic if you wish.


They must prevent the stronger king and pawn from getting to the final two ranks. The other position concerned is arises in a queen vs rook endgame.


Two Philidors




Chess Strategy: Philidor Position







Philidor Position

Francois-Andre Danican Philidor (September 7, 1726 - August 31, 1795) was a famous French master of the 18th Century. He was without doubt the best player of his time and was virtually unbeatable.


He studied chess and wrote works based on his findings such as Analyse du jeu des Echecs. He pioneered ideas such as pawn structure being of pivotal importance to the outcome of the game. Some of his analysis is still cutting edge even now.


He has a defence which takes his name, the Philidor Defence. There are also two endgame positions that are named for him following his analysis of these. One is the preventative medicine for the Lucena and the other is a Queen vs Rook endgame. Play through the moves to get a flavor of both instances of the Philidor Position.









Did You Save the Day with the Philidor Position?

The Philidor Position is a crucial piece of rook and pawn endgame theory. If you're down in a rook and pawn vs rook endgame you need this in your armory. It is the procedure you must use to prevent your opponent from reaching the Lucena Position which is a forced win. Maybe you would like to leave an article here on the Philidor. If you like you could enter an annotated game that reached the Philidor Position, either a game played by prominent players or perhaps a game you played yourself. Maybe you salvaged a draw with this technique. Did you save the day with the Philidor Position?.

Philidor Position Articles and Games by other Contributors

Click below to see Philidor articles from other Contributors...

The Three Philidors 
The Philidor position is an important position in chess. It arises in the endgame at the time in which the climax of the game arrives. This kind of chess …

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Moving On




Philidor Position: Queen vs Rook







There are two endgames that take this name; this is the Queen vs Rook endgame

The Philidor is the correct plan for preventing the Lucena. It will keep you in the game. Once set up correctly the defenders can keep the king off that sixth rank with ease.

The other Philidor is the difficult queen vs rook endgame. Even with the stronger piece, this endgame is no gimme. The king and rook can put up a stubborn defence. Careless play from the king and queen can also quite easily lead to defeat. Playing for this position by herding king and rook into a corner is the key for securing the win.

We've done quite a bit of work on the endgame so now you understand what conditions we need to create. This is the goal in the second phase of the game, to create a winning if not won endgame. To succeed in the endgame and win you must conduct a strong middlegame.


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