Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Krause Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
71,467 games: White 47.9% / Draw 4.7% / Black 47.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 60,45660K | ||
| 3,2163,216 | ||
| 3,1873,187 | ||
| 1,4621,462 | ||
| 1,4391,439 | ||
| 604604 | ||
| 236236 | ||
| 230230 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.96 White is better
Best play: 5... exd4 6. Qxd4 Ngf6 7. e5 dxe5 8. Nxe5 Bc5 9. Bxf7+ Ke7 10. Qc3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Krause 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. O-O (5 moves).
In 71,467 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.9%, Black 47.4% and 4.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Be7, in 85% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Steiner Variation.
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Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Philidor Defense: Hanham Variation, Krause Variation (C41)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/philidor-defense-hanham-variation-krause-variation