[Event "Black Opening: 1...d6: Introduction"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/l3yqT7CF/3tTrmi9z"] [Result "*"] [UTCDate "2018.01.29"] [UTCTime "08:07:37"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C41"] [Opening "Philidor Defense: Lion Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/PhiBrain"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/l3yqT7CF/3tTrmi9z"] [Orientation "black"] 1. e4 { [%csl Gd7,Gd6][%cal Gd7d6] } 1... d6 { d6 is meant to support a future e5 push. } 2. d4 Nf6 { Nf6 attacks white's undefended pawn on e4. } 3. Nc3 { Nc3 to defend the pawn on e4. } { [%csl Gb8,Gd7][%cal Gb8d7] } 3... Nbd7 { Nbd7 does block off the development of the light-squared bishop, but it puts pressure on the e5 square and it's not threatened to be pinned to the king like it would be on c6. } 4. Nf3 { [%csl Ge7,Ge5][%cal Ge7e5] } 4... e5 5. Bc4 Be7 { Be7 prepares a future Knight maneuver to f8, then to g6, then to f4. } 6. O-O c6 { Be sure not to castle too soon because the idea of the Black Lion is to play h6 and then g5. If you castle too soon, playing h6 and g5 is a little riskier than if you hadn't castled. } 7. a4 { [%csl Gd7,Gf6,Ge7][%cal Gb8d7,Gg8f6,Gf8e7,Ge8g8] } 7... Qc7 { The first move in the sequence of moves that define the Black lion. However, a5 is also a good prophylactic move to play before Qc7 because it stops counter play from white on the queen's side by covering the b4 square. } (7... h6 8. b3 Qc7 9. Bb2 Nf8 10. Re1 Ng6 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Nxe5!! Qxe5 13. Nd5) (7... a5! { [%csl Gb4][%cal Gb2b4,Ga5b4] }) 8. h3 h6 9. Be3 Nf8 10. Re1 { [%csl Gf4,Gg8][%cal Gf8g6,Gg6f4,Gh8g8,Gg8g1] } 10... g5 { The final move in the defining sequence of moves of the Black Lion. GM Simon Williams points out that g5 is much more effective after White has played h3 because if black Pushes his pawn to g4, white doesn't want Black to take his pawn on h3 because that will create an open g file for Black's rook. White's best move in that scenario is probably to capture on g4 with h3. } { [%csl Gh3][%cal Gg7g5] } *