I have a few questions about this opening, the Larsen philidor. The moves are: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 g6. I like closed positional games, would this fit the bill? If anyone has any opinions or experience with this please let me know what the games are like as I am very intrigued but I am worried that this opening is too tactical.
If you don't like sharp positions, I wouldn't play this. Plus it's just not good IMO. Whites best and most popular way to play is to castle long and start a Yugoslav style attack on blacks king. Play usually goes something like 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Qd2 0-0 8.0-0-0 Nc6 9.f3 Re8 10.g4 and I would not want to try defending this position as black.
If you like closed positions, then why do you open up with 3...exd4 instead of 3...Nf6?
The main line for white after 3...exd4 is 4 Qxd4.
The line by @ProfessionalPatzer is quite sharp, but black is not limited to defending. One point is that ...c5 wins a tempo, so the black counterattack is no less threatening than the white attack.
The main line for white after 3...exd4 is 4 Qxd4.
The line by @ProfessionalPatzer is quite sharp, but black is not limited to defending. One point is that ...c5 wins a tempo, so the black counterattack is no less threatening than the white attack.
If u like to play positional try french or caro-kan . That is much better!
French is quite tactical and Caro-Kann is usually not closed. The classical closed Ruy Lopez is closed and positional.
try the chimp opening. its got the culezt moves.
Not only does this line not really fit the bill of "closed and positional", it's also just regarded as plain bad if White simply plays a la the Yugoslav variation of the Sicilian and castles long.
@krecs Try the French defense, QGD slav, Queen's indian, etc.
If you want to give up the center in the philidor, then you should put the bishop on e7 after taking on d4. White can play Bf4, Qd2 and 0-0-0. It's not a nice position to defend but at least you dont wast time playing g6 + weakening your kingside.
Maybe 2. ... Nc6 is a better choice. In some variations you can keep your pawn on e5 and keep the position closed for some time. That's also possible with the Philidor but it's more passive.
Maybe 2. ... Nc6 is a better choice. In some variations you can keep your pawn on e5 and keep the position closed for some time. That's also possible with the Philidor but it's more passive.
Black is postponing development, having made 4 pawn moves in the first 4 moves. Black does not gain anything from postponing his development. Better moves instead of 4...g6 are 4...Nc6 and 4...Nf6. Note that 4...c5? would be no good because Black is giving up control of d5 too easily. Black would be better off trying to keep up in development.
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