Lion Defense

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7

The Lion Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B07, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7. White is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 4,528 times by this move order. White won 48%, 5% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 4. Nf3 (37% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.57 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 4. f4 e5 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Qxd4 c6)

ECO: B07
Moves: 6 plies
FEN: r1bqkb1r/pppnpppp/3p1n2/8/3PP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 3 4
PGN: 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
0-1499	719	50%45%
1500-1999	2,233	47%49%
2000+	1,576	50%45%
All	4,528	48%47%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
4. Nf3	1,674 (37%)	48%48%
4. f4 Anti-Philidor	802 (18%)	51%44%
4. Bd3	359 (8%)	49%47%
4. Be3	349 (8%)	48%47%
4. Bc4	349 (8%)	49%47%
4. Bg5	317 (7%)	41%57%
4. f3	142 (3%)	54%40%
4. Bf4	83 (2%)	45%52%

Master games

3,390 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 16%, Black 43%). The strongest:

GM Fabiano Caruana (2783) – GM Levon Aronian (2748) 1-0 · American Cup Elim · 2025-03-21
GM Jorden Van Foreest (2695) – GM Richard Rapport (2752) 0-1 · Armageddon Euro&Africa W · 2023-06-12
GM Onischuk, V. (2609) – GM Praggnanandhaa R (2737) 1-0 · Titled Tue 10th Dec Early · 2024-12-10
GM Alexandr Predke (2676) – GM Alexander Morozevich (2659) 0-1 · World Blitz 2019 · 2019-12-30
GM Andrey Esipenko (2681) – GM Sam Shankland (2649) 1-0 · FIDE World Cup 2025 · 2025-11-19

Search all games of the Lion Defense and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

IM KAPUTVSEMU (2825) – Sunrise34 (2897) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Nana_jede_cevape (2829) – puziko52 (2751) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
CM Sultai (2700) – Haunting_Games (2652) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s

Comes from

Pirc Defense (2. d4 Nf6) 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6

Continuations

Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor B07 · 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. f4
Lion Defense: Bayonet Attack B07 · 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. g4
Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Delayed Bishop Sacrifice C41 · 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. Bc4 Be7 6. dxe5 dxe5 7. Bxf7+

More Lion Defense lines (all)

Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.