Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw
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Statistics from Lichess
718,851 games: White 48.6% / Draw 5.0% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 376,921377K | ||
| 91,79892K | ||
| 90,50291K | ||
| 84,99585K | ||
| 22,28822K | ||
| 15,84216K | ||
| 15,32715K | ||
| 4,7804,780 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.29 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... e6 4. Be3 Be7 5. c4 O-O 6. Nc3 c5 7. d5 a6 8. a4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 48% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up and 58% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 321K | |
| 1400–1799 | 331K | |
| 1800–2199 | 413K | |
| 2200 and up | 132K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,065 |
Master games
- Gelfand, B. – Kramnik, V.
- Giri, A. – Caruana, F.
- Ponomariov, R. – Dominguez Perez, L.
- Topalov, V. – Dominguez Perez, L.
- Gelfand, B. – Eljanov, P.
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: Lion's Jaw (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Pirc Defense, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. f3 (3 moves).
In 718,851 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.6%, Black 46.4% and 5.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…g6, in 52% of those games.
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: Lion's Jaw
The most played answer, 3…g6, also scores best for Black: 49.6%, with Black winning 47.3% and White 48.1% of 377K games. Of the main answers, 3…c6 scores lowest: 47.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…e6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Lion's Jaw has gained ground since 2016: 0.031% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.026%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.026% | 9,299 |
| 2017 | 0.029% | 15,882 |
| 2018 | 0.029% | 22,625 |
| 2019 | 0.027% | 33,420 |
| 2020 | 0.026% | 75,581 |
| 2021 | 0.024% | 92,150 |
| 2022 | 0.027% | 102,161 |
| 2023 | 0.027% | 103,067 |
| 2024 | 0.03% | 105,829 |
| 2025 | 0.031% | 109,127 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.033% | 36,256 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Lion Defense: Lion's Jaw (B00)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/lion-defense-lions-jaw