Philidor Defense: Boden Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
54,576 games: White 51.5% / Draw 4.9% / Black 43.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 21,87722K | ||
| 12,28612K | ||
| 5,5455,545 | ||
| 4,0394,039 | ||
| 3,3743,374 | ||
| 1,3381,338 | ||
| 1,2161,216 | ||
| 1,1781,178 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.99 White is better
Best play: 5. Be3 Nc6 6. Qd2 Nf6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. O-O-O Rb8 9. h4 b5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Philidor Defense: Boden Variation (ECO C41, Open Games) is a variation of the Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Qxd4 Bd7 (4 moves).
In 54,576 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.5%, Black 43.6% and 4.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nc3, in 40% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Philidor Defense: Boden Variation
5. Bg5 scores best for White: 60.1%, with White winning 58.2% and Black 38.1% of 4,039 games. The most played, 5. Nc3, scores 54.7% in 22K games, and 5. e5 scores lowest: 48.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Be3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Philidor Defense: Boden Variation (C41)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/philidor-defense-boden-variation