Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave
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Statistics from Lichess
325,445 games: White 48.8% / Draw 5.4% / Black 45.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 145,433145K | ||
| 88,50589K | ||
| 75,28475K | ||
| 8,3448,344 | ||
| 3,9663,966 | ||
| 1,9651,965 | ||
| 1,0771,077 | ||
| 156156 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.62 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Qxd4 c6 7. Be3 d5 8. e5 Ng4 9. Bg1 h5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 47% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 40% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 6,739 | |
| 1400–1799 | 54K | |
| 1800–2199 | 208K | |
| 2200 and up | 77K | |
| Masters, over the board | 576 |
Master games
- Karjakin, S. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Tiviakov, S. – Khismatullin, D.
- Smerdon, D. – Aronian, L.
- Shirov, A. – Ftacnik, L.
- Andriasian, Z. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave (ECO B07, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. f4 e5 (4 moves).
In 325,445 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.8%, Black 45.8% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nf3, in 45% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave, Lion Claw Gambit.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave
The most played answer, 5. Nf3, also scores best for White: 53.5%, with White winning 51.1% and Black 44.2% of 145K games. Of the main answers, 5. fxe5 scores lowest: 47.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. Nf3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave has gained ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0099% (its peak: 0.015% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0099% | 3,523 |
| 2017 | 0.014% | 7,472 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 12,118 |
| 2019 | 0.014% | 18,074 |
| 2020 | 0.015% | 43,696 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 47,060 |
| 2022 | 0.011% | 42,518 |
| 2023 | 0.012% | 43,722 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 42,261 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 44,893 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.014% | 14,975 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Lion Defense: Anti-Philidor, Lion's Cave (B07)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/lion-defense-anti-philidor-lions-cave