Openings
- Chess Atlas Subsections
- VOL. I • Chess HistoryFrom Chaturanga to Neural Engines
- VOL. II • Classic ChessPieces, Notation & Rules
- VOL. III • Legendary PlayersPantheon of Chess Immortals
- VOL. IV • Great GamesInteractive game studies
- VOL. V • OpeningsOriginal CAISSORA Opening Articles
- VOL. VI • Tactics & StrategyForks, Pins & Board Geometry
Lion Defense
A Philidor that came in through the Pirc door
- Hypermodern
Black plays …d6, …Nf6 and …Nbd7 and puts off the decision about the centre. Then comes …e5, and the result is a Philidor with the knights already in good places. The opening is little known and mostly sound, but Black has to accept less space. People pick it to drag the opponent out of familiar theory and play a patient game.
6…c6
Moves
(12 plies • 6 moves)- 1–6moves
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
Defining move
3…Nbd7 — the knight backs up …e5
The move that makes the Lion set-up flexible
The d7 knight covers e5 and c5 but does not rush Black into a pawn move. If White takes on e5, Black can recapture with the knight. Flexibility has a price: the d7 knight gets in the way of the c8 bishop, so development is slower.
Tabiya
Black is compact, not passive
White has taken space and castled, with the c4 bishop eyeing f7. Black has built a sturdy chain on c6, d6 and e5, the bishop on e7 is safe, and the queen and rooks are still waiting. White looks for the right moment for dxe5 or Qe2 with a4. Black waits for a chance to prepare …b5 or …d5.
White’s plan
- Hold the space in the centre and play dxe5 when it pays.
- Play a4, Qe2 and Rd1 to keep Black from freeing the position.
- Use the c4 bishop against f7 and the quick castling.
Black’s plan
- Keep the c6, d6 and e5 pawns and castle without fuss.
- Prepare the freeing moves …d5 or …b5.
- Be patient: White has no easy road to an advantage.
Games in the Atlas
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