The Modern Philidor Revolution
For most of its long life, the Philidor has been filed under "solid but passive" — an opening you reach for to hold the balance, not to fight for the initiative. In this new edition, GM Baadur Jobava and GM Pier Luigi Basso argue that the reputation is out of date.
The whole repertoire turns on a single reassessment. Where Black used to keep the central tension with ...c6 and settle into a slightly cramped position, the authors now release it at once with ...exd4, plant a knight on e5, and obtain fast, comfortable piece play.
That one idea runs through the entire course, and it is why this is a genuinely new course rather than a revision of the previous edition. The authors are explicit about it: the main directions have been rebuilt, and many chapters rewritten from scratch.
What makes this edition different
The heart of the repertoire lies in the two principal lines, 7.Re1 and 7.a4. In both, Black answers with the immediate 7...exd4 — the recommendation the authors describe as the core of the whole system.
After 7.Re1 exd4 8.Nxd4 Ne5, Black reaches the position that defines the repertoire — one Jobava and Basso argue has been underrated for years, and which Aravindh Chithambaram has already tested twice at the top level.
The 7.a4 line follows the same logic with a small twist: 7...exd4 8.Nxd4 Ne5 9.Ba2 Nc6. Because White's bishop is pushed to a2 instead of f1, Black immediately makes it a target with the ...Nb4 idea.
The rethink carries into the queenless middlegame as well. After 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.Bc4, the authors abandon the old 6...Ke8 for the modern 6...Bb4 — the endgame many opponents steer toward hoping to grind Black down without risk.
Where to start
The authors' advice is to begin with Chapters 1 and 2: once you feel how comfortable Black is after ...exd4, the rest of the repertoire falls into place. From there, coverage is complete — from the quiet Be2, Bd3 and g3 set-ups to White's most dangerous modern try, 5.Rg1, which prepares g4 and h4 without castling and is treated across three full chapters.
Map of variations
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.O-O O-O
- 7.Re1 exd4 8.Nxd4 Ne5 → Chapter 1
- 8.Qxd4 Nc5 — the queen recaptures → Chapter 3
- 7.h3 and the remaining seventh-move sidelines → Chapter 4
- 7.a4 exd4 8.Nxd4 Ne5 9.Ba2 Nc6 → Chapter 2
White's fifth-move alternatives:
- 5.a4 — the accelerated a4 → Chapter 5
- 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Bc4 — sharp and concrete → Chapter 6
- 5.Be2 (with Bd3 and g3) — the quiet set-ups → Chapter 7
- 5.g4 — the Shirov Gambit → Chapter 8
- 5.Rg1 c6 6.g4 h6 — g4 and h4 without castling:
- 7.h4 exd4 8.Nxd4 Ne5 → Chapter 9
- 7.Be3 Be7 8.h4 Nf8 → Chapter 10
- 7.Be3 Be7 8.Qd2 b5 9.a3 Qa5 → Chapter 11
- 5.h3 — Cheparinov's move → Chapter 12
The queenless middlegame — 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8:
- 6.Bc4 Bb4 — the modern recommendation → Chapter 15
- 6.Bg5 → Chapter 14
- 6.Nf3 → Chapter 13
White's other fourth moves:
- 4.Nge2 — keeping f2-f4 in reserve → Chapter 16
- 4.f4 — the aggressive try → Chapter 17
- 4.d5 — closing the centre → Chapter 18
White's early deviations:
- 3.Bd3 — met by the timely ...d5 → Chapter 19
- 3.f3 e6 — a fresh, engine-approved direction → Chapter 20
New in this edition
Three elements appear here for the first time, and each answers a different practical need:
The Memory File. A single condensed chapter containing the absolute minimum you must know one hundred per cent before playing the line. Not a summary of everything — the irreducible core, where every single move matters. All twenty chapters distilled into one.
5 Things to Know. The five typical patterns and concepts that recur throughout the repertoire — the key decisions a Philidor player has to make, isolated so you recognise them at the board rather than working them out from scratch.
3 model games. Complete, high-level games presented without commentary, so you follow the repertoire's ideas as they unfold and draw the conclusions yourself.
A Platinum Course: guaranteed evolution
As a Platinum Course, this is not a static theoretical product. It is a living repertoire with guaranteed long-term development: free updates every six months for two years, always exactly six months apart, always included automatically. Each update delivers substantial, practical improvements — new theoretical developments, new video explanations, new chapters, new model games, new exercises and new learning tools.
You are also part of the process. You can ask questions and upload your own games; the strongest and most instructive material is selected and integrated into future updates.
Course features
- 20 theory chapters with video instruction throughout
- Basso's 15-minute video — the whole repertoire in condensed form
- The Memory File — all 20 chapters condensed into one, with the key lines
- 5 Things to Know — the typical patterns and concepts of the repertoire
- 3 model games — the ideas shown in complete, high-level play
- 50 test positions — critical moments with tactical and strategic solutions
- 5 training positions for interactive practice against the engine
- Memory Booster — for long-term recall of the main ideas
- To-Go version of every chapter — condensed files for fast pre-game review
- Multilingual PGN — English, German, French and Spanish
- Full download access — all materials are yours to keep
Get the repertoire
Whether you already answer 1.e4 with ...d6 and ...e5, or you are looking for a reliable, low-maintenance system, this edition hands Black an active, clearly defined game straight out of the opening. Start with Chapters 1 and 2, as the authors suggest, and the ...exd4 idea will carry you through the rest.
Add The Modern Philidor Revolution by GM Baadur Jobava and GM Pier Luigi Basso to your library, and reinforce your Black repertoire.
INTRODUCTION BY GM PIER LUIGI BASSO
SAMPLE CHAPTER
SAMPLE VIDEO