Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
38,613 games: White 49.9% / Draw 3.9% / Black 46.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 13,75014K | ||
| 13,43713K | ||
| 4,2604,260 | ||
| 2,6392,639 | ||
| 1,9241,924 | ||
| 741741 | ||
| 577577 | ||
| 449449 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.38 White is slightly better
Best play: 5... Ngf6 6. O-O Be7 7. Re1 O-O 8. Bd3 Re8 9. Qc2 Bf8 10. h3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation (ECO C41, Open Games) is a variation of the Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. c3 (5 moves).
In 38,613 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.9%, Black 46.2% and 3.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Be7, in 36% 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: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation
5…b5 scores best for Black: 51.0%, with Black winning 48.9% and White 46.8% of 13K games. The most played answer, 5…Be7, scores lowest: 45.5% in 14K games. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Ngf6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Hanham Variation, Delmar Variation (C41)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/philidor-defense-hanham-variation-delmar-variation