Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave, Lion Claw Gambit is a chess opening with the ECO code B07, part of the Lion Defense family. It goes 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. f4 e5 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Qxd4 c6 7. Bc4 d5. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... d6. After 14 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6
2. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
3. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
3... Nbd7 – Black plays the knight to d7
4. f4 – White plays the pawn to f4
4... e5 – Black plays the pawn to e5
5. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
5... exd4 – Black captures on d4 with the e-pawn
6. Qxd4 – White takes on d4 with the queen
6... c6 – Black plays the pawn to c6
The line goes on for 2 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
About the Lion Defense
Black plays ...d6, ...Nf6, ...Nbd7 and ...e5 against 1.e4, a Philidor-like setup. It is solid and flexible but a bit passive.
Black keeps a strong e5 pawn supported by ...Nbd7 and ...c6.
Later ...Be7, ...O-O and sometimes ...b5 or ...h6 and ...g5.
White grabs space; aggressive setups with f3, Be3 and g4 test Black.
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