Chessville - Chess History - Philidor Annotates - Edited by Robert T. Tuohey (Past Pawns)

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Philidor Annotates
Edited by Robert T. Tuohey

The Soul unto itself
Is an imperial friend—
Or the most agonizing Spy—
An Enemy—could send.

Emily Dickinson

Certainly, François-Andre Philidor (1726-1795) must be counted among the fathers of modern chess. Indeed, any contemporary introduction contains at least his eponymous defense, mate, and dictum (“Pawns are the soul of chess”), and probably a game or two by this early master.

And yet, odd to say, Philidor’s own textbook, The Analysis of Chess, (first published in 1748, and then greatly expanded in a second edition in1790), is almost unknown today.

This is even stranger when we consider that for the next hundred years (until Staunton’s 1849 Chess-Player’s Text Book) The Analysis of Chess was universally regarded as the standard work on the Royal Game. (For example, Benjamin Franklin, an avid chess player, while serving as the U.S. ambassador to France in 1781, visited the famed Cafe del la Regence, in order to get his copy autographed by Philidor.)

Today, however, finding a copy of The Analysis of Chess is about as easy as working Philidor’s (smothered-mate) Legacy OTB! My own copy was obtained completely by luck: while visiting London, some years back, I took a wrong turn or two, somewhere near the British Museum, and found a small used bookstore. There, in the back, at the bottom of a dusty stack, lay a dog-eared 1957 reprint of the 1790 edition.

My edition is an exact reprint of the original, which, with 18^th century English and “pre-descriptive” notation, is more than a bit curious to the modern chess player’s eye. To wit:

Imagine, 300 pages of this… Still, I consider the time well-spent, in that I now know Philidor “first-hand.” In what follows, I’ve modernized both the English and the notation, and added diagrams.

(The first game from “The Analysis of Chess”, by François-Andre Philidor.)

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 This pawn is pushed two steps for two reasons: the first, to hinder your adversary’s King’s Bishop; the second, to bring the strength of your pawns into the center of the chessboard. exd4

5. cxd4 When you find your game in the perfect situation, viz. two pawns in a front line, you must take care not to push either of them, before your adversary proposes to exchange pawns: which you will then avoid, by pushing the attacked pawn. Bb6 If, instead of being withdrawn, this Bishop gives check, you are to cover the check with the Bishop; and, in case he takes your Bishop, you must retake the Bishop with your Knight, who will then defend your King’s Pawn (i.e., …Bb4+ 6. Bd2 if then Bxd2 7. Nxd2 +=).

N.B. In the former (1749) edition, the Author thought it best not to be precise in the direction of this move, in order that he might have an opportunity of giving several examples, on the best way of playing the Pawns.

6. Nc3 O-O

7. Nge2 Great care must be taken not to play the Nf3 before f4, because, otherwise, the Knight would prove an hindrance to the motion of the Pawn.

N.B. Black, on that move, could take the White King’s Pawn; and afterward push d5, which would break White’s center (i.e., 7. Nf3 Nxe4 8. Nxe4 d5). c6

8. Bd3 The Bishop retires, to avoid being attacked by the adversary’s Queen Pawn, because you would then be forced to take his Pawn with yours, which would separate your Pawns. d5

9. e5 Ne8 10. Be3 f6 He plays his Pawn to give an opening to the Rook; and this cannot be hindered, either he or you take.

11. Qd2 You should not take the Pawn which is offered, because your King’s Pawn would then lose its column; whereas, leaving yours to be taken, you supply its place with the Queen’s Pawn, and sustain it afterwards with your King’s Bishop’s Pawn: these two pawns united will undoubtedly win the game. fxe5 He takes the Pawn to pursue his design, which is, to give an opening to his Rook.

12. dxe5 Be6 He plays this Bishop, to enable him to push afterwards his Queen’s Bishop’s Pawn: you could, it is true, oblige him to double a Pawn, by taking his King’s Bishop with your Queen Bishop, but this would make an opening to his Queen’s Rook: besides, a double Pawn, when tied to other Pawns, is by no means disadvantageous; however, this will be the subject of a variation game.

13. Nf4 Your King’s Pawn being as yet in no danger, your Knight attacks immediately his Bishop, in order to take him, or to have him removed. Qe7

14. Bxb6 It is always dangerous to let the adversary’s King’s Bishop stand on the direct line which attacks your King’s Bishop’s Pawn; and, when your Queen’s Pawn cannot close that line, it is necessary to oppose him by your Queen’s Bishop, and to take his Bishop with any other piece, as soon as the occasion offers. axb6

15. O-O You castle on that side, in order to sustain and strengthen your King’s Bishop’s Pawn, which you will advance to f4 as soon as e4 is attacked. Nd7

16. Nxe6 Qxe6 17. f4 Nc7 18. Rae1 g6 He is forced to push this Pawn, to hinder you from playing f5 upon his Queen, which would give you two Pawns in a front line upon his ground.

19. h3 This Pawn is played to enable you to push g4. d4

20. Ne4 h6 He plays this Pawn to hinder your Knight entering into his game, and forcing his Queen to retreat, which would immediately make an open field for your Pawns.

21. b3 b5 22. g4 Nd5 23. Ng3 You play this Knight to enable yourself to push f4 next, which will then be supported by three pieces, the Rook, the Bishop, and the Knight. Ne3 He plays this Knight in order to cut off the communication between your pieces and break the strength of your Pawns; but you prevent his design by sacrificing your Rook.

24. Rxe3 dxe3 25. Qxe3 Rxa2 26. Re1 You play that Rook to support e4, which would be left in the lurch, were you to now push f4. Qxb3

27. Qe4 Qe6 The Queen returns to this square, in order to hinder checkmate, now ready prepared.

28. f5 gxf5 29. gxf5 The Queen offers to be exchanged in order to break the scheme of checkmate. Qd5

30. Qxd5+ cxd5 31. Bxb5 Nb6 32. f6 You are to observe, that when your Bishop runs upon the white squares, you must put your Pawns upon the Black; or, if your Bishop runs upon the Black, you must have your Pawns upon the white; because, then, your Bishop may prevent the adversary’s pieces getting between your Pawns. When you are attacking and have some Pawns advanced, this rule is hardly ever to be dispensed with; but, when defending, the rule must be reversed, and the Pawns set upon the Bishop’s color. Rb2

33. Bd3 Kf7 34. Bf5 Here is an example of the above-mentioned note: if your Bishop was black, your adversary’s King might get in-between your two Pawns. Nc4

35. Nh5 Rg8+ 36. Bg4 Nd2 37. e6+ Kg6 As the King may retire to f8, we will make it the subject of a second variation game.

38. f7 Rf8 39. Nf4+ Kg7 40. Bh5 1-0