Philidor 3

[Henk]

Using Stockfish 8:

[pgn]
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "?"]
[Round "-"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Ng5+
Kg8 8. Ne6 Qe8 9. Nxc7 Qg6 10. Nxa8 Qxg2 11. Rf1 exd4 12. Qxd4 Ne5
*
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "?"]
[Round "-"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Ng5 O-O 7. Bxf7+
Rxf7 8. Ne6 Qe8 9. Nxc7 Qd8 10. Nxa8 b6 11. d5 Bb7 12. Be3 Qxa8
*
[/pgn]

[Henk]

[pgn]
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "?"]
[Round "-"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. Bc4 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. a4 a5 8.
Qe2 c6 9. Ba2 exd4 10. Nxd4 Nc5 11. Rd1 Re8 12. f3 Be6 13. Qf2 Bxa2 14.
Rxa2 Na6
*
[/pgn]

[Dann Corbit]

[d]N1b3kr/pp2b1pp/3p1n2/4n3/3QP3/2N5/PPP2PqP/R1B1KR2 w Q -

For the first position, the usual move played in actual games is f4 {with f3 being choice number 2}, SF chose f3 with the following eval:

34/58 08:15 5,226,225,075 10,627,355 -1.14 f3 Nh5 Rf2 Bh4 Ke2 Qg6 Rf1 h6 Qg1 Qf7 Nd5 Bd8 f4 Ng4 Be3 b6 Rad1 Nhf6 Nxf6+ Bxf6 Rd3 Bxb2 Bd4 Bxd4 Qxd4 Nxh2 Rg1 Bg4+ Rxg4 Nxg4 Qd5 Nf6 Qxf7+ Kxf7 Nc7 Nxe4 Nb5 Rd8 Nxa7 Nc5 Re3 Ra8 Nb5 Rxa2 Nxd6+ Kg6 Kd2

[Dann Corbit]

[d]q5k1/pb1nbrpp/1p1p1n2/3Pp3/4P3/2N1B3/PPP2PPP/R2QK2R w KQ -

For the second position, SF thinks f3, with a bit of the famous sewing machine eval/search:
38/48- 05:50 3,610,538,059 10,313,554 +0.19 f3 Nh5

[Dann Corbit]

[d]r2qr1k1/1p2bppp/n1pp1n2/p7/P2NP3/2N2P2/RPP2QPP/2BR2K1 w - -

For the third, SF likes Nf5, with the sewing machine action, as we often see.

36/57- 09:44 6,258,760,545 10,723,629 +0.11 Nf5 d5

[AdminX]

with a bit of the famous sewing machine eval/search

Dann, I love this expression. Forgive me for taking it and making it my own.

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

[d]q5k1/pb1nbrpp/1p1p1n2/3Pp3/4P3/2N1B3/PPP2PPP/R2QK2R w KQ -

For the second position, SF thinks f3, with a bit of the famous sewing machine eval/search:
38/48- 05:50 3,610,538,059 10,313,554 +0.19 f3 Nh5

this one should favour black though.

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

Using Stockfish 8:

[pgn]
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "?"]
[Round "-"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Ng5+
Kg8 8. Ne6 Qe8 9. Nxc7 Qg6 10. Nxa8 Qxg2 11. Rf1 exd4 12. Qxd4 Ne5
*
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "?"]
[Round "-"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Ng5 O-O 7. Bxf7+
Rxf7 8. Ne6 Qe8 9. Nxc7 Qd8 10. Nxa8 b6 11. d5 Bb7 12. Be3 Qxa8
*
[/pgn]

is not 3...g6 better?

[Henk]

6. .. c6 perhaps only good move ? Might as well play caro kann. Or french if 4... e6 is better.

Looks like philidor is difficult to play correctly.

[pgn]
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "?"]
[Round "-"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. f4 e5 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Qxd4 c6 7. Bd2 Qb6
8. O-O-O Be7 9. Re1 O-O 10. g3 Nc5 11. h3 Ne6 12. Qe3
*
[/pgn]

[Henk]

Using Stockfish 8:

[pgn]
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "?"]
[Round "-"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Ng5+
Kg8 8. Ne6 Qe8 9. Nxc7 Qg6 10. Nxa8 Qxg2 11. Rf1 exd4 12. Qxd4 Ne5
*
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "?"]
[Round "-"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Ng5 O-O 7. Bxf7+
Rxf7 8. Ne6 Qe8 9. Nxc7 Qd8 10. Nxa8 b6 11. d5 Bb7 12. Be3 Qxa8
*
[/pgn]

is not 3...g6 better?

That would be pirc. If you don't understand fianchetti then don't play them. How often do I get a position where bishop is only watching and protecting it's own blocked pawn while opponent flank pawns crushing your king shield.

If you know how to play pirc correctly then this message is not for you of course.

Perhaps bishop on e7 is even worse. Not doing much either.

Perhaps best is to exchange f8 bishop on c3 and then play d6 e5. But if there is no knight on c3 but a pawn ..

Maybe d6 is a bad move for people that don't understand fianchetti for then you can't put a bishop on b4 unless you play d5 later but then it is too late.