François-André Danican Philidor

François-André Danican Philidor
Portrait of Philidor, 1772
Born
François-André Danican

7 September 1726 (1726-09-07)
Dreux, France
Died31 August 1795(1795-08-31) (aged 68)
London, England
Occupations
  • Composer
  • chess master
Signature

François-André Danican Philidor (7 September 1726 – 31 August 1795), often referred to as André Danican Philidor during his lifetime, was a French composer and chess master. He contributed to the early development of the opéra comique. He is widely regarded as the best chess player of his age; his book Analyse du jeu des Échecs was considered a standard chess manual for at least a century. A chess opening, an endgame position, and a checkmate method are all named after him.