Tree path 6 levels King's Pawn Game › King's Knight Opening › Philidor Defense › Philidor Defense › Philidor Countergambit › Zukertort Variation
- Caissa Codex
- King's Pawn Game C20
- King's Knight Opening C40
- Philidor Defense C41
- Philidor Defense C41
- Philidor Countergambit C41
- Zukertort Variation C41 you are here
Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Zukertort Variation
Overview
Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Zukertort Variation is a sacrificial opening line filed under ECO C41 in the Open Games group. The defining idea is the early concession of material to seize the initiative and unbalance the position.
The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.
The line arises from 7 plies — specifically the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. Nc3.
In the opening tree, this line branches off from Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, part of the broader King's Pawn Game system.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- C41
- Group
- Open Games (C)
- Plies
- 7
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
126,543 games · White 56.2% / Draw 4.1% / Black 39.7%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| fxe4 | 81,643 | |
| exd4 | 17,352 | |
| Nf6 | 10,637 | |
| Nc6 | 8,361 | |
| f4 | 4,614 | |
| Nd7 | 758 | |
| Be7 | 620 | |
| Qe7 | 588 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 01:38:58
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Submissions are reviewed before publishing.