Answers.Body: <p>As Hoacin gives in his answer, after 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7, both 4.f4 and 4.g4 are strong moves. They are not only aggressive, but also objectively speaking one of the best options in the position.</p>
  
  <p>Another way to spice up the game is the Shirov Gambit: 4.Nf3 e5 5.g4. If I'm not mistaken, he was the very first one to play this remarkable pawn sacrifice: against <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1568636" rel="nofollow noreferrer">GM Azmaiparashvili</a> in 2003. Later, GM Shirov used it again, winning some nice miniatures against <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1388160" rel="nofollow noreferrer">IM Klinova</a> and <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1513130" rel="nofollow noreferrer">GM Cyborowski</a>.</p>
  
  <p>According to the <a href="https://chesstempo.com/game-database.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Game Database of ChessTempo</a>, 5.g4 is the second most popular move, after 5.Bc4.
  There is analysis material on the gambit available, for example an article written by <a href="https://www.gingergm.com/blog/shock-and-awe-pulverising-the-philidor-with-g4" rel="nofollow noreferrer">GM Gormally</a>.
  One of the advantages of the Shirov Gambit is that you can play it against two popular move orders that lead to the Philidor: 3....Nbd7, 4....e5 and 3....e5, 4....Nbd7.</p>
  
  <pre>
  <code>
        [StartPly "5"]
  
        [FEN ""]
        1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 (3...e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7) 4.Nf3 (4.f4)(4.g4) e5 5.g4 (5.Bc4) Nxg4 6.Rg1 Ngf6 7.Bc4 h6 8.Be3
  
  </code>
  </pre>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-10-25T18:44:30.823Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-10-26T17:09:33.637Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-10-26T17:09:33.637Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Maxwell86
Answers.Body: <p>As you mentioned, 4.g4 is interesting and not as stupid as it may look. If you don't like the positional maneuvering game, I think <code>4.f4</code> could be try for you. </p>
  
  <p>There is one suicidal line that really isn't my taste, but for sure it is aggressive, at least till you get mated. It's </p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""] 
  1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.Ng5 O-O 7.Bxf7+ Rxf7 8.Ne6
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>even some correspondence player advocated it for white, but I'm not sure I would prefer white's position here. Anyway, good to know such a line exists and is probably not complete nonsense.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-10-25T03:37:16.263Z
Answers.Text: Actually, 4... c6 is a move to consider (after 4. Nf3), allowing the queen room to escape.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-10-25T07:31:53.010Z
Answers.Text: @JossieCalderon Isn't it just dropping pawn on e5?
Answers.UserDisplayName: hoacin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-10-25T08:43:45.613Z
Answers.Text: I think JossieCalderon has the move order 3....Nbd7 in mind, just like the OP.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Maxwell86
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-10-25T09:45:08.913Z
Answers.Text: @hoacin Oops! 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 c6 is the line that I meant.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-10-25T11:13:00.470Z
Answers.Text: @JossieCalderon Probably you still mean another one as it loses the pawn again due to dxe5 dxe5 Ng5... :-) Don't you mean the line without Nf6, with bishop on e7, where white can hop to g5 and after Bxg5 play Qh5?
Answers.UserDisplayName: hoacin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-10-25T21:46:42.067Z
Answers.Text: @hoacin You're right. Consider 10... b6 (after 8. Ne6).
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-10-24T19:17:42.903Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-10-25T11:20:52.140Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-10-25T11:20:52.140Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: hoacin
Body: <p>What is a sharp line for White against the Philidor Lion: </p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""] 
  1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>with 4...e5</p>
  
  <p>The majority of games seem to be slow positional battles where Black is quite solid.  4.g4 looks interesting, but are there other aggressive ideas?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-10-25T08:42:52.577Z
Comments.Text: There are several other move orders for black to try to reach the Philidor, e.g. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 and 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7. Are you looking for a sharp line against all of them or only the specific move order you mention?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Maxwell86
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-10-25T17:33:46.450Z
Comments.Text: Good question; I think (maybe wrongly), that White has a slight pull in: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.de5 de5 5.Qd8 line.  While, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 Be7 5.de5 de5 6.Ng5 is supposed to be better for White (6...Bg5 7.Qh5).
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ywapom
Tags: <opening><1.e4><philidor-defense>
Title: What is a sharp line against the Lion?
ThreadText: # What is a sharp line against the Lion?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-10-24)
  
  What is a sharp line for White against the Philidor Lion:
  
  ```
  [FEN ""] 
  1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7
  
  ```
  
  with 4...e5
  
  The majority of games seem to be slow positional battles where Black is quite solid. 4.g4 looks interesting, but are there other aggressive ideas?
  
  **Tags:** opening, 1.e4, philidor-defense
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: There are several other move orders for black to try to reach the Philidor, e.g. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 and 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7. Are you looking for a sharp line against all of them or only the specific move order you mention?  
  > **username_0**: Good question; I think (maybe wrongly), that White has a slight pull in: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.de5 de5 5.Qd8 line.  While, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7 4.Bc4 Be7 5.de5 de5 6.Ng5 is supposed to be better for White (6...Bg5 7.Qh5).  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-10-25. Score: 0 | Accepted answer
  
  As username_2 gives in his answer, after 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7, both 4.f4 and 4.g4 are strong moves. They are not only aggressive, but also objectively speaking one of the best options in the position.
  
  Another way to spice up the game is the Shirov Gambit: 4.Nf3 e5 5.g4. If I'm not mistaken, he was the very first one to play this remarkable pawn sacrifice: against [GM Azmaiparashvili](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1568636) in 2003. Later, GM Shirov used it again, winning some nice miniatures against [IM Klinova](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1388160) and [GM Cyborowski](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1513130).
  
  According to the [Game Database of ChessTempo](https://chesstempo.com/game-database.html), 5.g4 is the second most popular move, after 5.Bc4.
  There is analysis material on the gambit available, for example an article written by [GM Gormally](https://www.gingergm.com/blog/shock-and-awe-pulverising-the-philidor-with-g4).
  One of the advantages of the Shirov Gambit is that you can play it against two popular move orders that lead to the Philidor: 3....Nbd7, 4....e5 and 3....e5, 4....Nbd7.
  
  ```
  
        [StartPly "5"]
  
        [FEN ""]
        1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 (3...e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7) 4.Nf3 (4.f4)(4.g4) e5 5.g4 (5.Bc4) Nxg4 6.Rg1 Ngf6 7.Bc4 h6 8.Be3
  
  ```
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-10-24. Score: 7
  
  As you mentioned, 4.g4 is interesting and not as stupid as it may look. If you don't like the positional maneuvering game, I think `4.f4` could be try for you.
  
  There is one suicidal line that really isn't my taste, but for sure it is aggressive, at least till you get mated. It's
  
  ```
  [FEN ""] 
  1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.Ng5 O-O 7.Bxf7+ Rxf7 8.Ne6
  
  ```
  
  even some correspondence player advocated it for white, but I'm not sure I would prefer white's position here. Anyway, good to know such a line exists and is probably not complete nonsense.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: Actually, 4... c6 is a move to consider (after 4. Nf3), allowing the queen room to escape.  
  > **username_2**: @username_3 Isn't it just dropping pawn on e5?  
  > **username_1**: I think username_3 has the move order 3....Nbd7 in mind, just like the OP.  
  > **username_3**: @username_2 Oops! 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 c6 is the line that I meant.  
  > **username_2**: @username_3 Probably you still mean another one as it loses the pawn again due to dxe5 dxe5 Ng5... :-) Don't you mean the line without Nf6, with bishop on e7, where white can hop to g5 and after Bxg5 play Qh5?  
  > **username_3**: @username_2 You're right. Consider 10... b6 (after 8. Ne6).  
  
  ---
  
  