Editing Philidor Defence (section)

===Hanham Variation===
{{Chess diagram 
| tright
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|rd|  |bd|qd|  |rd|kd|  
|pd|pd|  |nd|bd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |pd|pd|  |nd|  |  
|  |  |  |  |pd|  |  |  
|pl|  |bl|pl|pl|  |  |  
|  |  |nl|  |  |nl|  |  
|  |pl|pl|  |  |pl|pl|pl
|rl|  |bl|ql|  |rl|kl|  
|Position after 7...c6. Black's aim in the Hanham is a {{chessgloss|strongpoint}} defence of e5.
}}

The other main option for Black is to maintain the central tension and adopt a setup with ...Nd7, ...Be7, and ...c6. This plan is named the Hanham Variation (after the [[United States of America|American]] chess master [[James Moore Hanham]]) and was favoured by [[Aron Nimzowitsch]]. A common line is: 3...Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 (6.Ng5 is an interesting alternative: after 6...0-0 7.Bxf7+ Rxf7 8.Ne6 Qe8 9.Nxc7 Qd8 10.Nxa8, White is up {{chessgloss|material}}, but Black can develop a strong [[Initiative (chess)|initiative]] after, for example, 10...b5 11.Nxb5 Qa5+) 6...0-0 7.a4 (to prevent ...b5) c6 ({{em|see diagram}}).

[[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]] (GM) [[Larry Kaufman]] notes that the Hanham Variation aims to maintain Black's pawn on e5, analogously to closed lines of the [[Ruy Lopez]], and opines that "it would be quite popular and on a par with the major defences to 1.e4, except for the annoying detail that Black can't actually reach the Hanham position by force."<ref>Kaufman 2004, p. 65.</ref>

As an alternative to 4.Nc3 in response to Black's 3...Nf6, according to both Kaufman and GM [[Christian Bauer]], White retains some advantage with: 4.dxe5{{chesspunc|!}} Nxe4 5.Qd5! (the [[Ludwig Rellstab (chess player)|Rellstab]] Variation;<ref>Hooper & Whyld 1996, p. 334. ''Rellstab Variation''.</ref> 5.Nbd2 is the [[Alexey Sokolsky|Sokolsky]] Variation<ref>Hooper & Whyld 1996, p. 378. ''Sokolsky Variation''.</ref>) 5...Nc5 6.Bg5 Be7 7.exd6 Qxd6 8.Nc3.<ref name="Kaufman p.69">Kaufman 2004, p. 69.</ref><ref>Bauer 2006, p. 32.</ref>

====Alternative move order====
Black sometimes tries 3...Nd7 intending 4.Nc3 Ngf6, reaching the Hanham Variation. But then 4.Bc4! is awkward for Black to meet, since 4...Ngf6 loses to 5.dxe5 Nxe5 (5...dxe5{{chesspunc|??}} 6.Ng5! wins) 6.Nxe5 dxe5 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8 Bb4+ 9.Qd2 Bxd2+ 10.Nxd2 winning a pawn, and 4...Be7 loses a pawn to 5.dxe5 Nxe5 (5...dxe5?? 6.Qd5! wins) 6.Nxe5 dxe5 7.Qh5!<ref name="Kaufman p.69"/><ref>Bauer 2006, p. 16.</ref> So 4...c6 is best for Black, but leaves White with the advantage of the {{chessgloss|bishop pair}} after 5.0-0 Be7 6.dxe5 dxe5 (6...Nxe5 loses a pawn to 7.Nxe5 dxe5 8.Qh5) 7.Ng5! Bxg5 8.Qh5! Qe7 and now 9.Bxg5 or 9.Qxg5.<ref>Bauer 2006, pp. 17–22.</ref>

====Black experiments to reach the Hanham Variation====
In recent years, Black has experimented with other {{chessgloss|move orders}} in an attempt to reach the Hanham Variation while avoiding 3...Nf6 4.dxe5! and 3...Nd7 4.Bc4! 
*One such line is 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 intending 4.Nf3 e5. White can deviate, however, with 4.f4{{chesspunc|!?}}<ref>Bauer 2006, p. 179.</ref><ref name="Kaufman 2004, p. 199">Kaufman 2004, p. 199.</ref> or even 4.g4!?<ref>Bauer 2006, pp. 197–206.</ref> 
*Another try is 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 which [[Transposition (chess)|transposes]] to the Hanham after 4.Nf3 Nbd7, but White can instead try to gain a small advantage with 4.dxe5 (Kaufman opines that 4.Nge2 is "also promising") 4...dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.Bc4.<ref name="Kaufman 2004, p. 199"/> After 4.dxe5, Bauer concludes that "White stands a trifle better", but that "provided he plays accurately, Black doesn't have much to fear following 6.Bc4, by choosing any of the three valid replies, 6...Ke8, 6...Bb4, or 6...Be6. Then 7.Bxe6 fxe6 his position remains a hard nut to crack."<ref>Bauer 2006, p. 174.</ref>