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Philidor 
 
François André Philidor
Number of games in database: 50
Years covered: 1749 to 1795
Overall record: +17 -3 =4 (79.2%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      26 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 King's Gambit Accepted (8) 
    C38 C35 C33
With the Black pieces:
 Bishop's Opening (5) 
    C23 C24
 Sicilian (4) 
    B21 B20
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Philidor vs NN, 1749 1-0
   J Bruhl vs Philidor, 1783 0-1
   Smith vs Philidor, 1790 0-1
   Philidor vs NN, 1790 1-0
   Philidor vs NN, 1790 1-0
   H Conway vs Philidor, 1790 0-1
   NN vs Philidor, 1749 0-1
   Sheldon vs Philidor, 1790 0-1
   Philidor vs NN, 1790 1-0
   Philidor vs NN, 1790 1-0

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Archive Xerxes: The Birth of Modern Chess~pt. I by SirChrislov
   Philidor by Runemaster
   a-1749 by wina
   1 by gr2cae
   Chess Prehistory by Joe Stanley
   Blunder check: Francois Andre Philidor by nimh
   equanimus' favorite games by equanimus
   lotussutra's favorite games by lotussutra

GAMES ANNOTATED BY PHILIDOR: [what is this?]
   NN vs Philidor, 1749

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FRANçOIS ANDRé PHILIDOR
(born Sep-07-1726, died Aug-31-1795) France

[what is this?]
François-André Danican Philidor was born on September 7th, 1726, in Dreux France. He was both a chess and musical prodigy--his first musical composition was played before King Louis XV when he was only 11 years old. He was taught chess by Kermur Sire De Legal, who initially gave him rook odds, until the young Philidor became too strong for his teacher.

In 1744 Philidor played two chess games blindfolded simultaneously in public in Paris, a feat never before known to have been accomplished. In 1749 his "Analysis of Chess" was published in London, the first chess book to explain the openings, the middlegame, and the general strategy of chess. The book claimed that Les pions sont l'ame du jeu, a phrase that became widely known as 'the pawns are the soul of chess', a maxim known to chessplayers ever since.

His name is associated with the endgame commonly called the Philidor position, which is among the most important fundamental endgame positions.(1) Philidor's name is also associated with a fundamental chess tactic commonly known as Philidor's Legacy, a smothered mating pattern involving a queen and knight. However this is only a traditional name, as the tactic first appeared in print by a book by Luis Ramirez de Lucena.

He passed away in London, England in 1795.

(1) 100 Endgames You Must Know, Jesus Maria De La Villa Garcia, New in Chess.


 page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 50  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Philidor vs NN 1-040 1749 UnknownC23 Bishop's Opening
2. NN vs Philidor 0-132 1749 Analyse du jeu des ÉchecsC41 Philidor Defense
3. Bernard / Carlier vs Philidor 1-032 1780 Miscellaneous Game000 Chess variants
4. T Bowdler vs Philidor ½-½51 1783 London blind simB20 Sicilian
5. Maseres vs Philidor 0-158 1783 Blindfold Simultaneous000 Chess variants
6. J Bruhl vs Philidor 0-147 1783 Blindfold simulC23 Bishop's Opening
7. J Bruhl vs Philidor ½-½44 1787 LondonC23 Bishop's Opening
8. Leycester vs Philidor  ½-½79 1788 London000 Chess variants
9. J Bruhl vs Philidor 0-144 1788 London m/7C38 King's Gambit Accepted
10. Leycester vs Philidor 0-129 1788 Odds London000 Chess variants
11. Philidor vs J Bruhl ½-½49 1788 London000 Chess variants
12. Leycester vs Philidor 0-135 1788 Odds London000 Chess variants
13. Philidor vs J Bruhl 1-048 1788 London000 Chess variants
14. Nowell vs Philidor 0-160 1788 London Blind Simul000 Chess variants
15. Philidor vs J Bruhl 0-120 1788 London000 Chess variants
16. Philidor vs Cotter 1-022 1789 London000 Chess variants
17. Philidor vs J Bruhl 1-019 1789 London000 Chess variants
18. Philidor vs Joseph Wilson  1-044 1789 London000 Chess variants
19. Philidor vs J Bruhl 1-028 1789 London000 Chess variants
20. Philidor vs J Bruhl  0-139 1789 London000 Chess variants
21. Philidor vs NN 1-029 1790 UnknownC30 King's Gambit Declined
22. Philidor vs NN 1-016 1790 UnknownC38 King's Gambit Accepted
23. G Jennings vs Philidor  0-128 1790 London Blind000 Chess variants
24. Philidor vs NN 1-022 1790 UnknownC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
25. Philidor vs NN ½-½26 1790 UnknownC38 King's Gambit Accepted
 page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 50  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Philidor wins | Philidor loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 9 OF 9 ·  Later Kibitzing>
May-21-10  Marmot PFL: <SU1989> They both played NN.
May-21-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  alexmagnus: <So you can get from Steinitz to Anand in 4 steps: Lasker, Lilienthal, Smyslov, Anand>

And what is the shortest <winning> chain from Steinitz to Anand?

May-21-10  WhiteRook48: probably 20 players or so
May-21-10  HeMateMe: Happy birthday, Frank!
May-21-10  wrap99: <FHBRadley> Thanks for that list. It seems like it required so many players that it is probably just a limitation of historical records -- I bet it is closer in reality.

Is there any other human activity that has this linkage feature?

I guess one can see also in the Math Geneology project where people today have links (through thesis advisors) back to Gauss. Also, royalty and even US presidents (every US president probably met their predecessor).

May-22-10  catfriend: <alexmagnus> Well, we have Lasker vs Lilienthal, 1936, for starters. Then, Smyslov vs Lilienthal, 1938, Smyslov vs Kasparov, 1981 and Kasparov vs Anand, 1991. But it can perhaps be improved.

The key is the amazing span of Smsylov's and Lilienthal's victories :)

Unfortunately, we don't have a decisive Botvinnik-Kaprov\Kasparov game.

May-22-10  catfriend: <wrap99> Don't forget that chess was significantly less popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries. What makes the list so long (even after the improvements) is exactly that period of time - from Philidor to Andersen.

And yet, it can be shortened by yet another step!

Cochrane vs Zukertort, 1874 and Zukertort vs Steinitz, 1886.

So the revised optimal-so-far (non-beating) way from Philidor to Anand goes like this:

Philidor -> Atwood -> Wildon -> Lewis -> Deschapelles> - Cochrane -> Zukertort -> Steinitz -> Lasker -> Lilienthal -> Smyslov -> Anand.

May-22-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  alexmagnus: <catfriend> that would be a <losing> chain.
May-22-10  catfriend: <alexmagnus> Do you refer to my previous post about the winning chain from Lasker to Anand? It is of course a matter of definition:) I thought you're after a chain where each new player had defeated the previous one.

Here's the opposite chain: Lasker vs Alekhine, 1914, Alekhine vs V Mikenas, 1933, V Mikenas vs Smyslov, 1942, Kasparov vs Smyslov, 1975, Kasparov vs Anand, 1991.

It can also use Capablanca instead of Alekhine, Mikenas sure played lots of World Champions!

May-22-10  catfriend: Another interesting chain of the same length (defined, according to <alexmagnus> as <losing>) is Alekhine vs Lasker, 1934, Alekhine vs V Mikenas, 1937, V Mikenas vs Tal, 1968, Tal vs Anand, 1989.
May-22-10  catfriend: Sorry for the chain-spamming, but I've just found several new, revolutionary links:)

<winning> (and simply playing) - Lasker vs E Eliskases, 1936, E Eliskases vs Larsen, 1959, Anand vs Larsen, 1992

Most unfortunately for me, Lasker's other game against Eliskases is a draw.

However, we have another living legend helping us. And so we have the winning <losing> chain: Lasker vs Levenfish, 1925, Levenfish vs Korchnoi, 1953, Korchnoi vs Anand, 1991

May-22-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  sneaky pete: Another chain from Cochrane to Anand or Kasparov is with the links Staunton, Bird, Mieses, Euwe and Smyslov. William Lewis played a number of games, missing in this database, against Cochrane in 1820 and 1821. The Oxford Encyclopedia has 4 of them, with Lewis giving odds of QKt in one and pawn and 2 moves in the other three, so the link Deschappelles can be omitted.
Jul-31-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  vonKrolock: Some of his Operas: "Blaise le Savetier" (1759), "Emelinde Princesse de Norvège" (<"peut-être l'un des chefs-d'œuvre de Philidor"> according to Le Scribe) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLJv...

"Le Soldat magicien" (1760), "Le Jardin et son seigneur" (1761),

"Le Maréchal ferrant" (1761) with the 'Trio des Ânes' (the donkey's trio) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50B9... ,

the Aria 'Oui, je suis expert' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROQh... ,

Recitativo and Aria 'Brillant dans mon emploi' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9wu...

<nota bene: in that channel, it seems that André, Philidor's father, and his son are confounded - author is François-André, the son>

"Le Sorder"(1762), "Le Sorcier" (1764) , "Tom Jones" (1765) after H. Fielding's novel,

"Sancho Pança, Gouverneur dans l'Isle de Baratariais" (1762), performed in the USA (Wahington), in 2010. With Darren Perry (as Sancho Pança), Elizabeth Calleo (Thérèse), etc, the Opera Lafayette Orchestra conducted by Ryan Brown. Chessical talk by Bruce Pandolfini before one of the performances http://www.chesscafe.com/skittles/s...

Aug-03-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  vonKrolock: better reading <<ERN->> <<"E<<rn>>elinde, princesse de Norvège">> (Paris 1767, reprise in Versailles 1773) some other titles:
"L'Amant déguisé, ou Le Jardinier supposé" (1769) ; "L'Huître et les plaideurs, ou Le Tribunal de la chicane" (1759) etc

Amongst his favorite colaborators, were librettista Michel Jean Sedaine (1719-1797), and prima-donna Marie-Thérèse Laruette (1744-1837)

Aug-03-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  vonKrolock: Some rewiews of the American "Sancho Pança" : the W. P. (by Anne Midgette) <..."a simple but adroit piece of work, with strong ensembles interspersed with set solo arias, and pat verse songs juxtaposed with rambling humorous monologues.".> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...

Tim Smith, 'The Baltimore Sun' <"The score reflects the composer's gift for charming melodic lines and colorful orchestration, not to mention occasionally vivid harmonic turns. Every now and then, the quality of the music really was striking, even -- dare I say? -- almost evocative of Mozart. "> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/ent...

Charles Downey, from 'Ionarts', quotes a contemporary criticism: <"on July 15, 1762 -- within days of hearing the premiere -- Baron von Grimm noted in his Correspondance littéraire with Diderot..."> ... <"A poet who could not make something of the governorship of Sancho Pança should be strangled. M. Poinsinet did not know how to provide situations to the composer either. Except for the scene with the coward who fights with Sancho, dying of fear just like him, I hardly see anything in it that merits the name of situation; and worse, most of the airs do not have much effect. M. Philidor spent a lot on harmony and noise, and not much on melody or musical ideas. He repeated himself in several places; in others he borrowed bits from On ne s'avise jamais de tout and even Annette et Lubin. In a word, this new work by M. Philidor will not hold up to the reputation of Le maréchal ferrant."> http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2010/05...

Aug-07-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  vonKrolock: Rating list (avant-la-lettre) of the most popular Comic Operas' composers (public performances in Paris between 1771 and 1780) 1 Grétry 1.222 (17); Monsigny 661 (10); 3 Duni 461 (10); 4 <Philidor> with 458 performances of (11) different titles, then follow Dezède 160 (8), Martini 139 (3), Gossec 102 (2) etc

Ranking, also for the period 1771-80 , of the most performed operas:

1 "Le Déserteur" (Monsigny) 154; 2 "Lucile" (Grétry) 142; 3 "Le Roi et le Fermier" (Monsigny) 141; 4 "Rose et Collas" (Monsigny) 133; "Zémire et Azor" (Grétry) 128; <<"Rom Jones">> <(PhilidoK)> 124; then follow works by Sacchini, Duni , Martini with his "L'Amoureux de 15 Ans" from 1771 with 102 etc

Next to "Tom Jones" (here an extract from an English performance with Brian Burrows etc)

Philidor&id=Z8NL--C4ocA&pos=18">http://www.voobys.com/video/video.p...

Philidor's most popular operas were "Le Maréchal Ferrant" and "Le Sorcier" with sixty performances each. His success was quite standing, was the only title retired from the repertoire was "Le Jardinier de Sidon", while his last work to appear in that period, "Les Femmes Vengées", had forty-six presentations since 1775

"Ernelinde" was a 'serious' opera, and regarded by the critics as an invasion attempt by the Italian style - but nonetheless studied and copied, by Philidor's rivals, for it's novelties. More specificly, the ambitious Grétry, was caught, in post-mortem analysis, borrowing <sic 'unashamedly' - op. cit.> from both Monsigny and Philidor (account based in researches by David Charlton in his important work "Grétry & the Growth of Opéra-Comique (CUP 1986)

Aug-22-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  vonKrolock: <"Le Diable à quatre, ou La double métamorphose"> text by Michel-Jean Sedaine, was composed partly by Philidor, and the remaining by Jean-Louis Laruette, and staged in 1756. ( <!!> Therefore before 'Blaise')

further titles not quoted in the above posts:
<"Le Quiproquo, ou Le volage fixé"> 1760; <"Le Bûcheron, ou Les trois souhaits"> 1763; <"Les Fêtes de la paix "> 1763; <"Le Tonnelier"> 1765; <"La Nouvelles École des femmes "> 1770; < "Le Bon Fils"> 1773; <"Zémire et Mélide"> 1773 <"Protogène"> 1779 (unfinished score available); <"Persée"> 1780 this one is a 'lyrical tragedy', performed in Paris, at the Académie Royale de Musique in 1780; <"Thémistocle"> , also a tragedy, 1785; <"L'Amitié au village"> comedy 1785; <" La Belle Esclave, ou Valcour et Zéïla"> Philidor music for this 'comédie en prose'>presented in 1787 Paris, in the Théâtre du Comte de Beaujolais, where also wa presented <"Le Mari comme il les faudrait tous, ou La nouvelle école des maris"> in 1788

Philidor's last Opera, <"Bélisaire"> with libretto by Bertin d'Antilly, staged posthumously in October 3th 1796, was finished by composer Henry Berton. (source for this post so far: operone.de)

<"Carmen Saeculare">, with texts in Latin by Horace, is a profane 'Oratorio'. Presented first in London, in 1779, and then in Paris, in 1780

caution <?!> with the title 'Le Sorder' - found just in one amateur french source: more details?!

Aug-31-10  Marmot PFL: Evidently there were several generations of composers in the Philidor family, like the Bachs, but not at that level. Danican was the original family name, the name Philidor was given to one of FAP's ancestors by Louis XIII in the 17th century.
Dec-27-10  myschkin: . . .

"Philidor and the Café de la Régence Chess Masters"

http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpress...

source:

"Crescendo of the virtuoso"
(P.1, Ch.1, 17ff, by Paul Metzner, 1998)

Jan-29-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: François-André Danican Philidor - Pavane pour la petite guaire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDR7...

Starts at 0:11...

Jan-29-11  Xeroxx: He hasn't been playing much lately.
Feb-22-11  SirChrislov: More Philidor games:

http://www.amazon.com/Analyse-jeu-d...

Jun-24-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  vonKrolock: <"Tom Jones" (here an extract from an English performance with Brian Burrows> correct link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8NL... and the Aria <"Ô toi qui ne peux m'entendre"> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8SO...

Further pair of arias from Philidor sung by the same C. Eda-Pierre

<"Tout dormait"> From "Mélide ou le navigateur " http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99ct...

and the comical <"De la Coquette volage"> from "Les Femmes vengées" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9EY...

...but that <"Pavane pour la petite guaire">, so typically Seventeenth-century music - is by an older Philidor, for sure

Aug-25-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Quote of the Day

< Skittles are the social glasses of chess - indulged in too freely they lead to inebriation, and weaken the consistent effort necessary to build up a strong game. >

-- André Philidor

???

Sep-01-11  sfm: When asked about the greatest player of all time Larsen said something like: "Philidor! As I can think of no better way to evaluate that question, than to look at how much the greatest player of the time was ahead of their contemporaries".
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