OpenChess

I bought a book a while back called "The Black Lion" purporting to be a cure all to facing either 1.e4 or 1.d4. I've read comments saying this book is crap. If that's true can somebody tell me what line is not discussed in that book which proves this shouldn't be used for OTB play? Thanks.

Bought the book years ago too and absolutely love this opening. In fact I became obsessed with it to the point i hardly play anything else. Just as the book implied it was kinda a cult like attraction. That said the book is also correct in that its proly only good up to 2000 or so rating...maybe it could stretch to 2200 but thats about it. There are a few very annoying answers to it (too much to go into here) that basically to some extent refutes the line or maybe i havent found answers too but all in all I still cant stop playing it due to the dynamic nature of play you get and makes playing so much more fun as black. Its actually gotten in the way at this point of my personal improvement in chess in the fact I dont want to play really any other lines as black even if more sound. So I have wasted a ton of time on a line that is a dead end and still cant get myself to play anything else. Most lines just bore me as black and at least the lion you fight and understand your objective of what your trying to accomplish. Be careful of getting sucked into the line if your trying to become professional because its a hard line to put down ....if you like a fighting defense that is. I rather fight in a defense that may not be 100 percent sound then just play passive like almost all the good defenses do. Nothing too exciting about lock down and wait type play....the lion gets after it and i have played thousands of games with it and still have not bored.

TC
BT

I would really, really like to see those lines which purport to refute this line because I want to play this one against a BDG Gambit player who is a fanatic about that opening. I need something to help me avoid it and the Lion would fit perfectly...unless of course you or somebody can tell me the lines which cause problems. I once read a comment describing such a line but can't find it anymore.

Don't worry about the BDG, I know some BDG players and they hate playing against the Lemberger counter gambit.This gambit is obtained after the moves 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 e5!?