The Anti-Lion

[Rudel]

There was some talk about the Black Lion on the board about a week ago. Since people tend to use the opening against both e4 and d4, I thought I'd publish a quick solution for Zuke-Dukes.

I would suggest the following:

1. d4 d6
2.Nf3 (as I recommended earlier to hold back e5) Nf6
3.Nc3 (ready to go in for the 150 attack if you play that opening. Nbd7
4. Bf4!

This move is not discussed anywhere in the current edition of The Black Lion, so my guess is that most of your opponents will be rather at a loss. The ability to play ...e5 is more or less a given for the Lion, and now it is unclear how Black is going to do that. Of course, ...c6 with Qc7 to follow is possible, but White will just beat him to the punch: 4...c6 5.e4 Qc7 6.e5.

Indeed, not only is this sequence a practical solution, it appears to give White a good position in general.

People who play the Lion are unlikely to switch into the pirc at this point, but if they do with 4...g7 5.e4 Bg6 6.Qc2 O-O (6...c5 leads to pain after 7.dxc5 Nxc5 8.e5!), I might suggest the provocative 7.h4!? (though White has several other decent plays).

A common line of play here for Black is 4...c6 5.e4 Qa5, but White has nothing to fear from 6.e5! Ne4.

4...c5 is the other common move, though "common" is a rather relative term here. I suggest 5.e3 and if Black then switches into a KID with 5...g7 I would go with h3 (to protect against Nh5) and then Be2..., and we have an odd amalgam of the 150 and the Barry.

[liberion]

nice work ! I have defeated the authors of the lion books back in 2002 playing both agaist the white and black sides!
I mainly trasposed into a philidor (which i consider myself an expert on both sides )

[Mauro]

(05-19-2009 05:58 PM)liberion Wrote:  nice work ! I have defeated the authors of the lion books back in 2002 playing both agaist the white and black sides!
I mainly trasposed into a philidor (which i consider myself an expert on both sides )

I think that the issue with the 1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 move order is black 2....Ag4, the so called phantom pin variation by Soltis. I was not able to come out with a strong solution.

Have you got any nice line against this?

I currently prefer to play 1.d4 d6 2.e4 going towards a 150 attack.
thanks

[Rudel]

Hi Mauro,
We are actually discussing this on another thread because this is the suggestion made in "An Explosive Repertoire for Black."

Currently, for the sake of repertoire simplicity, I'm considering 3.Qd3 here. What do you think of that?

[Fromper]

I'm with Mauro. After 1. d4, if black doesn't respond with d5, Nf6, or f5 to prevent 2. e4, then I take the opportunity to push that e pawn. Against 1. ... d6, that's a standard Pirc, possibly a Lion, but I'm ok with that.