Rat Defense, Philidor Defense: Lion variation Transposition

Does anyone know where I could find any specific information about this line of play?

Will you be requiring whites moves? Black's 1st move would be 1.d6(The Rat Defense) (white's first move could be many different things, this is a perk and quirk of this defense, compared to many others)

After white's 2nd move, black has a few options for how to get there, but I usually continue with the 2nd move of the Rat... 2. Nd7

The next two moves for black are Nf6 and e5, but not in any particular order, to arrive at the transposition I described. As I stated previously, this line of play usually has options for how it can be played and yet still arrive at the same position.

So something like:

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nd7 3.Nf3 Ngf6 4.Nc3 e5 5.Bc4 Be7 6.O-O O-O 

Seeing Rat Defense, I immediately thought of the Yankee who chastised the Reb for fighting to protect slavery, and the Rebel perplexed the Yank when he replied in his lovely drawl that he wasn't fightin' to protect no slavery, he was defendin' his rats.  (the Yankee, of course,  heard "rights" as "rats"). - true story.

Reminds me of a silly joke I made up about two "distinguished" southern gentlemen who go look a new van...

Upon 1st glance, gentleman "a" says, ...wow...she shore(sure) is purty( pretty), isn't she a butte (beaut)? Gentleman " b" opens the side door as they begin to look inside and says," yeah, she's spacial(special) alright"...gentleman "a" replies, " and roomy too...

probably based on a true story...

it's all in the interpretation. 

I don't usually castle right away for a few reasons, but that is relatively close to the line I tend to play, as well as, how white often tries to attack it.

I used to play this variation, if I have understood you correctly:

I hope this helps.

To my inexperienced eye that diagram looks awful for black.

It does, however, I played it OTB in tourneys and it has some merit. The idea is that after the queens come of castling doesnt matter as much, the kings need to be central, all Blacks pieces get out no problem and it is really just an endgame, I believe the opening was originaly called the endgame variation.

High graded players rarely take the epawn and so I used to end up with Philidors Defence, which am not good at.

I am no expert but I did enjoy playing this variation OTB until they stopped taking the epawn :0).

There is a book out called "The Lion" that covers all the lines.

The general idea, but a bad move order...

Here is a game I played using the defense I am referring to...

Here is another against the English...

Sorry, I got the wrong variation, the one you have here has similarities to the "Old Indian" defence but don't know too much about it, good luck.

After move 10, you've moved that bishop 5 times and conceded a space advantage. Not a massive fan myself. White should really have won after sacrifice, which doesn't look sound at all.

When I started bouncing this off of the Chess.com computer, it started those bishop attacks, but without the pawn advance to e3. It was quickly repelled by c6. It's line starts taking it away from the Lion variation altogether. I am curious as to what my Chessmaster program says. I realize part of the issue with using a program to analize this, is that they are positionally and strategically retarded. This particular behavior doesn't surprise me after something I saw about them having a tendency to sacrifice a key pawn to the Sicilian Dragon prematurely.

I have played that line to avoid those common problems. I usually will shift the move order as needed to avoid overloaded pieces,etc.

I have learned my lesson about taking the extra time to try to do double fianchettoes, while leaving the option to castle either way. I have gotten chewed up a few times and always do to being a move or two behind.

The jury is still out for me, as to whether this is a playable line with a chance to win. It is the move order creating deterents to these tactics that hold the key, just like any other line. I can find so little on it, that I want to do some research. I haven't had many really chew me up using it. Maybe one or two, but I think I didn't play as well as it could have been.

 I use this defense to try to stay away from the traps and early tactical skirmishes that are commonly used against popular defenses. Very tactical players love to take away the continuity of black's position and wreck any plans it may have. I prefer to keep my material and control my position as opposed to being forced into a different position to keep my material. If it takes me a few more tempos than some sharper opening positions to get my attack going, I am ok with that. I would rather that be the case than to, have lost tempos struggling to keep my material and positional continuity and not end up in a position for an attack afterward. It really isn't a hard choice.

I find it funny how quickly I am admonished by other players for not playing a "good" opening defense. I can't help but think some guys don't like the idea of someone being able to circumvent the advantages they have had, from studying years of the most common openings and reduce the game to a battle of calculation. I really think guys who's egos swell from their tactical prowess, are especially bothered when they get manipulated into a positional and strategic game. My anwer to any of you who put this defense down. Make me play a different one... a few guys have mananged to make me change my plans, but I can only guess how they came up with a method to do so.

I really think after I study how to prevent and react to particular threats to a few weaknesses, I should have a good main stay defense that allows me to use it nearly everytime I play. That is a huge advantage, considering how often guys are forced back and forth between e5,d5, and c5. I prefer the expidited learning process of compounded knowledge.