Lion Defense Bayonet Attack
Lion Defense
Definition
The Lion Defense is a modern reinterpretation of the Philidor Defense in which Black develops quickly behind a compact pawn shield, “lurking” like a lion waiting to pounce. The typical move-order runs:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 followed by …Be7, …c6, …Qc7 and only later …e5-e4 or …exd4. The setup may also be reached from 1. d4 systems (via a reversed move-order sometimes called the “Lion’s Jaw”).
How the Defense Is Used
- Flexibility: By avoiding an early …e5-e4 or …exd4, Black keeps the center fluid. White must show their hand first.
- Piece Placement: Knights sit on f6 and d7, the dark-squared bishop usually stays on e7, and the queen often drops to c7. Castling short is the norm.
- Typical Middlegame Plans:
- …e5-e4 to gain space and clamp the d3-square.
- …exd4 followed by …d6-d5 to strike back in the center once development is complete.
- Pawns roll on the kingside with …g5 or …h5 in the razor-sharp “Lion Bishop Attack.”
Strategic & Historical Significance
The line first gained independent identity in Dutch club circles during the 1990s. FM Leo Jansen and IM Jerry van Rij coined the “Lion” name—both a nod to the Dutch national symbol and to the coiled, predatory stance of the position. A series of articles in the New in Chess Yearbook spread the system internationally.
While never a top-GM mainstay, the Lion has remained popular in rapid and online play thanks to its:
- Low theoretical burden compared to the heavily analyzed mainline Philidor and Pirc defenses.
- Potential to surprise 1. e4 players who expect an open game after 1…e5.
Illustrative Mini-Game
The game fragment (often used in Lion primers) shows the typical “g-pawn spear” and lurking queen that suddenly springs to life with checks and mates.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Early promotional material advertised the line tongue-in-cheek as “The opening that roars!” complete with a lion’s paw print as a logo.
- In 2004 the Dutch Chess Federation hosted a thematic Lion Defense internet match between national youth squads; Black scored a respectable 46% despite rating disparities.
- Because the Hanham Philidor and even some Closed Sicilian setups can transpose into Lion structures, many offbeat 1…e5 players adopt a universal repertoire centered around this compact setup.
Bayonet Attack (King’s Indian Defense)
Definition
The Bayonet Attack is a sharp, space-gaining system against the King’s Indian Defense characterized by the early thrust 9. b4 in the classical main line:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg6 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4!
The move advances the b-pawn “like a bayonet,” threatening to stab at Black’s queenside before Black’s typical …f7-f5 break can get rolling.
How the Attack Is Used
- Queenside Expansion: White follows up with c4-c5, a2-a4, and sometimes Nd2-c4 or Nb1-d2-c4 to clamp down on b6 and d6.
- Provoking Weaknesses: Black must choose between:
- (a) The traditional 9…a5, fixing the queenside but weakening b5 and c6.
- (b) The dynamic 9…Nh5 10. Re1 f5, racing on the kingside.
- Central Tension: White’s pawn on d5 often becomes an octopus for supporting breaks like c5 or exf5 depending on Black’s setup.
Strategic & Historical Significance
The idea was popularized in the late 1980s by Soviet GMs such as Mikhail Gurevich and eventually became the main anti-King’s-Indian weapon at the super-GM level during the 1990s and early 2000s. Players like Vladimir Kramnik, Peter Leko, and Boris Gelfand scored important wins with it, forcing KI specialists to broaden their repertoires.
The Bayonet refined earlier attempts featuring 9. Nd2 or 9. Ne1 by adding direct queenside space, giving White both positional grip and tactical chances.
Canonical Game
An oft-cited masterpiece is:
Kramnik vs. Topalov, Dortmund 1998
White’s queenside push immobilized Black’s army; Kramnik’s eventual passed a-pawn decided the game, a textbook demonstration of Bayonet strategy.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- The term “Bayonet” was coined by Russian trainers, inspired by the pawn on b4 “jabbing” into Black’s position like a soldier’s blade.
- During the 1995 World Championship Candidates cycle, no fewer than 12 games featured the Bayonet—an unprecedented concentration for a single sub-variation.
- Even King’s-Indian legend Garry Kasparov temporarily shelved his beloved defense rather than face the Bayonet in his 2000 match against Kramnik.
- An analogous idea exists in the Caro-Kann (Advance 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Be2) where White also plays b4, but the epithet “Bayonet” almost always refers to the King’s Indian version.