The Black Lion (ROAR)

The Black Lion

So while analyzing my games I noticed a cool opening called the Black Lion! ROARRR

What is the Black Lion U say? Well according to Grandmaster Simon Williams, the Black Lion is the opening you do not castle for as Black! Check it out

Looking for an interesting, exciting, aggressive and flexible opening to play against 1 e4!? Then the Black Lion is just the opening for you! The Lion gets ready to roar after 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0–0 c6 – and now Black wants to attack with an early ...g5. This opening, first brought into the limelight by Dutch amateur players Jerry van Rekom and Leo Jansen.

The lion defense is a opening for Black that is considered a Hanham Philidor Defense

hmmm... interesting

i play 9 qd3 (or maybe 10 qd3 with re1 and some move for black inserted) with the idea of routing the knight over to g3 via e2. i don't think be3 is necessary, especially if white intends to take on f4 anyway later.

you can also play this opening (as white):

the White Lion

wait wdym anti-Philidor the Lion Defense is literally just the Hanham Philidor

against the black lion maybe just do

White can delay castling and see what black does

As I understand it there are a variety of  so called Lion Defences.

The Lions Den

The Lions Mouth

The Lions Head

The Lions Claw

The Lions Roar

The Lions Yawn

Now, I'm pretty rubbish at chess, so I don't see or understand the subtleties of these lines and variations.  Until I'm a better player I'll stick with the advice to avoid openings and defences that are named after animals ( whether real or mythical)  because they are as much about marketing and promoting  books than  about tactical skill 

Lions jaw or chameleon Sicilian (ne2) isn't bad

I used to love the Black Lion … until the Delayed Caveman.

Great and safe opening to use as a secret weapon

First saw this line in notes by Alekhine in best game book, to a game of his from 1912 or so, the idea of h6 and g5 in the Philidor, followed by Nd7-f8-g6. The young Alekhine played quite a few Philidor games, and his early books have a lot of good e4 e5 information. It's probably dubious if white reacts to the unusual plan appropriately. 

There is nothing phenomenal about it.

The whole opening name is a complete joke and is only there as a marketing scheme.  Some idiot chess players will think the name is cool and play it.

What if I told you that you should play the Philidor?  Would you go running to play it?  Well, hate to break it to you but the Black Lion IS the Philidor!

In a book from about 15 years ago called "The Philidor Files", he talks about the 3 move orders and the pros and cons of each.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 and all of Black's responses have issues.  The Lasker, Antoshin, and Exchange Variations are all advantageous for White.

The second approach, trying to reach the Hanham, is 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5.  Black intends 4.Nf3 Nbd7, reaching the Hanham Variation, but must be willing to deal with dxe5 and Qxd8+, which is fine for Black.  4.Nf3 and going Hanham is far more challenging to Black.

The third approach is 3...Nbd7, intending 4...e5, also certain anti-hanham lines like 4.f4 and 4.g4.

The "Black Lion" is nothing more than Approach Number 2 above to try to reach the Hanham.  You are playing Philidor's Defense.  The "Black Lion" is nothing more than a Marketing Scheme.  It is just like trying to call The Modern Defense the Tiger.

Maybe every opening should have a violent animal name to replace it for sheer marketing reasons.  The Sicilian is now the Moose while the French is the Bull and the Caro-Kann is the Rhino.

It is the same thing as the Philidor.

And the Patriots Suck!  Can't even beat a lousy team like the Giants!

True but I somehow managed to beat it in an irl game in Nationals

Guys if your gonna play the black lion then don't play g6