Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6
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Statistics from Lichess
24,970 games: White 45.3% / Draw 5.4% / Black 49.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,3137,313 | ||
| 4,1174,117 | ||
| 3,7493,749 | ||
| 3,2223,222 | ||
| 2,7922,792 | ||
| 1,8291,829 | ||
| 762762 | ||
| 428428 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.31 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. a4 a5 8. h3 O-O 9. Be3 exd4 10. Bxd4 Nc5 11. Bxc5 dxc5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 (ECO C41, Open Games) is a variation of the Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Be2 Be7 6. O-O c6 (6 moves).
In 24,970 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.3%, Black 49.4% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. h3, in 29% 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 Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6
7. a4 scores best for White: 52.8%, with White winning 50.0% and Black 44.3% of 4,117 games. The most played, 7. h3, scores 46.9% in 7,313 games, and 7. dxe5 scores lowest: 44.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. a4.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Philidor Defense: Lion Variation, Lion's Claw, with Be2 and c6 (C41)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/philidor-defense-lion-variation-lions-claw-with-be2-and-c6