Learn the Black Lion! Developments, and information about new course. 

Thats the best thumbnail picture i have seen in quite some time.

I play chess for 9 months and I am rated around 1300-1400. I went to my local chess club and play against 1800-1900. It was pretty funny when I say "I will be with black" and started attacking with the lion and the others were like "why tf someone like him can attack me that good". Even though I lose in the end it was pretty fun games and everyone enjoy them. Thank you Simon

Great stuff Simon!! -The Chessable Team

I got it this morning, I was refreshing the website every hour 😀 Never got rid of 100 euros so quickly and so gladly 😀The course is awesome I'm a couple of hours into it, very in-depth and answering a ton of questions I had about the opening. Simon, if you are reading, to answer your question I think the Old Indian that you mention in one of the videos would be a very natural complement, I would love to hear your ideas on it 👍 As I play the Black Lion, I always play the Old Indian hoping it transposes, which most often it does LOL 😀, even though I know that's not much of strategy against d4 to say the least LOL 😀 But the c4 lines aren't bad either and I rarely get in serious trouble, the thing is I can't find much material on it at all. Thanks for the course it's awesome, Black Lion fans will have a definitive resource for years to come 👍👍

As a newcomer to chess, the beginning reminds me much of the Caro-Kann, so this is very enjoyable to learn. Thank you for this!

Already bought the course and also got the short and sweet as well. I like to study the short and sweet first and get a foundation for the larger course. Did that with the Jobava London System and it's working out very well. A big thanks to my favorite chess instructor...

1. d4 d6 2. c4 { A41 Old Indian Defense } Nd7 3. e3 e5 4. Nc3 c6 5. Nf3 Qc7 6. b3 h6 7. Bb2 Ngf6 8. g3 Be7 9. Bg2 a5 10. O-O g5 11. Nd2 Nf8 12. Nde4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 f5 14. Nc3 Ng6 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Qc2 h5 17. Rad1 h4 18. Na4 g4 19. Rd2 Be6 20. Rc1 hxg3 21. hxg3 Bb4 22. Bc3 Qh7 23. Kf1 Be7 24. Ke2 Qh2 25. Bf1 Qh1 26. Qd3 e4 27. Qc2 Qf3+ 28. Ke1 Rh2 29. Re2 Rh1 30. Kd2 O-O-O+ 31. Bd4 Bb4+ 32. Nc3 Rxd4+ 33. exd4 Bxc4 34. bxc4 Nh4 35. Qb3 Qd3+ 36. Ke1 Ng2# 0-1

Love the mane line!

Have a huge amount of fun at a [very] amateur level on lichess with this. All out attack, no castling.

Thanks for covering 4. F4 after 3...nbd7. i commented on another of your videos that 4. F4 was the best response for white.

Thanks Simon. You always come up with some really interesting stuff.

I've been enjoying your youtube content so much I've made my first chess investment in your black lion course on chessable. First chance to play it I was way up but got caught in a perpetual check. Second time Garry did some major damage and I got the checkmate. Pretty sure I'm just a couple games away from Grand Master now. lol.

Thanks! I bought the basic without video (unfortunate, but lost my job recently). I won my first game playing it vs. my wife, but we're not very good yet. Appreciate what you contribute!

That thumbnail drawing is nothing short of GLORIOUS

Hey Simon, this is grrrrrreat. On a pedantic point, I think you mean the Phildor defence, not the Petroff,

Perfect video, Mr.Simon., I will play this opening. THX...

I so was looking forward to buying, but I lost all my money in the stock market crash today. Maybe next time, looks great!

Big fan of this opening since 2010. After being inspired by Van Rekom & Leo Jansen but also combined their book with Lakdawala book "1...d6". Recently also looked at Barsky book "A universal weapon 1.d4 d6". Still need moore and... This course is another chessbolt on my chesstank openings as black. Great work Simon! Hats of for helping out :)

Simon I love your black lion and London videos I think you should do more openings with your simple rules they are great I even looked on chessable at your videos but I think they are overpriced for a beginner like me £30 is a lot to spend for a beginner you should do some £5 courses but keep up the great work I use London for white and black lion for black I've only learned a few of the lines but your opening Principe rules are great as it leaves me in a fairly decent position after about 10 moves even if it all goes down hill after that

I've been playing the quiet black lion for years (not knowing what it was). Thanks for the new ideas - I'll be purchasing the DVD for sure.

You should do a course on the white lion. Maybe that's the best answer to the tricky traps you pointed out.

Je ne comprends pas bien l’anglais 😩mais vos vidéos sont excellentes merci thanks Mister Ginger !!!! Excellent !!!!!👍👍👍

I'm a huge fan of your videos (and your style of play), Simon, so I'll be purchasing this one, too!

Bought! I also have Jobava 😀 So next time the Dutch is on sale.... Looking forward learning. Thanks Simon

I've been playing the Philidor (modern move order) for years. It was a happily under-rated opening with an undeserved reputation for passivity. And now Simon goes and ruins it for me...

really great video simon, thank you very much for it.

Informative as ever, many thanks.

I am a working man who likes to play chess in the evenings. You know my type. So if should choose one line to learn from you Simon against E4, would the black lion be it? Against D4, I play dutch, but don't know much theory behind it either. For white, I'm learning the London System. Also, hard to justify big expenditures to the wife. Is the course without video worth it?

I think the BL can often be achieved against 1.d4, by answering with 1.... d6. Most White players would then opt for 2.e4 thinking they're heading for a Pirc/Modern, but Black has 2. ... Nd7, keeping the BL on the table.

Congrats Simon.

Please bring any course against D4 other than Dutch defense

Another great vid!!

I actually lost a long OTB game with the 11:00 trick a few months ago... But still a huge fan of the Black Lion!

Why is it called the black lion? How did it get its name?

Reminds me of the Czech Pirc

Thank u so so much First of all We really need the old indian defense against 1d4 Secondly I hope u give the tactic and attacking checkmate ideas more importance...because sometimes I got the position that we talk about it in the repertoire but I don't know how I can get through checkmate 🙂🙃🙃 thank you so much again U are the best GingerGM 😍😍😘

Very interesting opening that you Made a DVD of, Simon!

Am I wrong, or is it very similar to the czech pirc opening?

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So what if white castles queenside? And how would you play against this if your opponent tried this opening?

Can you still play this if 2. d4 is not played? What is the best move for black if d4 is not played by white?

I just bought it, hope it'll be good! :-D

Just a theoretical thought. If White plays a4-a5 before you get in b6 in the hanham, the position can become positionally a bit suspect.

Simon I really like your video and your amazing work here but , I can’t buy your DVD because I can’t get it in iraq so i wish you find way to allow me get your DVD or do more videos about black lion please . Thank you

I'd had success with the tame Lion and would try the ...nbd7 lines. I also include the Old Indian in my repertoire so would like to see a course in that.

At 20:13 you say you don't want to trade queens, but then recommend a line where white can force the queen trade anyway (after f4 and your ...e5 there, simply dxe5 dxe5, fxd5. ...Nxe5 is forced, allowing white to trade queens (all other lines Stockfish says is losing +3.0 or more, e.g. ...Ng8 gives up the pawn and black's position is horrible).

If white delays playing d4 and plays modest with Bc4 and d3, is there an aggressive wat to play as black (h6 and g5?), or is black forced to play along in a normal Italian game (with f.e. the two knights defence)? Thanks

Collapse of the Lion system after 5 moves with 5. dxe5? after: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.e5d xe5 5.dxe5 Nxe5 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 Because white in move 5 takes black's pawn on e5, and then black has to take with Kxe5, white captures my queen with his queen (Qxd8+), I take back with the king, and it seems that the whole Lion system collapsed in 5 moves: I cannot castle, my king is exposed, I have no e5 pawn to establish attack on king side, etc. What to do? (Maybe instead of moving the knight to d7 on move 3, move it to c6 to counter/prevent 5. dxe5?) Does it mean this whole system can collapse so early and so easily just by white 5. dxe5? Thank you, Dan Mintz

I find the Black Lion setup works fine for me vs d4 openings. What is my patzer mind missing here?

WOW Thanks for the ideas! Could you make a video what to do vs d4? Also Ideas in the Middle-game :) Thank you

Needs a guest appearance on Vikings, the great tv show

Everything goes out window and I never get to follow the plan as my opponents always take on e5 as soon as I push the pawn!

I bought your book on this, do I need the course as well?

If you purchased The Black Lion Chessbase DVD, can you explain what is new and how much is the same in the Chessable version?

Do you have an account on lichess???

@GingerGM what about black lion for white? with extra tempo! have you tried it?

Hi coach Simon If a buy the course I will be able to play black lion against d4 and another opening Or just for e4 Best regards for you I like your attitude and your behavior 👍

At 16:13 what if white plays a5 instead of Re1?

What..?! I gotta fork over *more* money for Simon's pub crawling...?? Will do!

I wish a shorter (free) version will come out for us "amateur" players like on Jobava and Dutch, I kept 1 slot of my 5 free lessons for an other GingerGM lesson :)

A question about all your Chessable courses: Is the Chessable book course the same content as the Chessable video, only without the video? Or is there more content in the video course? #Suggestion French Defense, esp. some aggressive Ginger ideas in playing against the exchange French as black

Will you make a new Black Lion for Chessbase?

Sold!

What is the advantage of learning this opening if one already has your Killer French DVDs?

Hey Simon, any info on your next project? (perhaps black opening vs d4? :D).

!!!! Excellent !!!!!👍👍 Ginger but I don't have money to buy the course

Ooiiiiiiii nice

Sadly its in chessable, the mobile ui is very bad. Byed the jobava course and it really hard to find the video lessons in there. The videos are good when you actually find those.

Need a tattoo of that thumbnail!!!

I am rated 130p and will be playing this on chess.com :]

It's Philidor Defense. Why do you call it the Black Lion!?

After 4 f4 I think white has the better game.

Lions are not black, they are Ginger!

riknuo kao lav ...

If you ever come to my neck of the woods in the heart of South America I will trade your course for delicious bananas and/or other knick knacks of interest. I took what I could from your free lessons and play it.

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