The Black Lion defenses

I believe you should play Nd7 before e5 to avoid exchanging queens.

Nope, I believe that runs into f4 and the exchange of queens is not to be feared at all, not a way for white to play for advantage at all!

GM Simon Williams reviews this game on his deeee veeeee deeee:

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.f4 e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Qxd4 c6 7.Be3 d5 8.e5 Ng4 (Karjakin,S - Nepomniachtchi,I)

Black Lion DVD

The Black Lion, 2nd Edition by Jerry van Rekom & Leo Jansen (2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627122350/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen123.pdf
A Cunning Chess Opening for Black by Sergey Kasparov (2015)
http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Cunning-Chess-Opening-for-Black-A-76p3899.htm
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9008.pdf

actually that is avoided with Nd7

BUT THIS IS HANHAM PHILIDOR?!

I've been watching IM John Bartholomew's videos and he had a nice rule of thumb (I believe he borrowed it but none the less): Don't play openings named after animals.

The Hanham is very good, under specific circumstances.

In the order of moves presented, 3. Bd3 is much stronger than 3. Nc3, and after 3...e5 4. d5, we get
here:

White has big advantage:

- spatial central advantage

- Nf6 blocks the f7 pawn

4...Na6 5. Bb5 Bd7 6. Bd7 Qd7 7. f3

4...Be7 5. c4, followed by Nc3, etc.

My theory is solving openings by the sheer power of patterns.

Can anybody try the The London System again the Black Lion?

Black Lion is an e4 defense

White has advantage here but nobody as black is gonna let you achieve this position. There are better moves for both sides

Rule of thumb: never play the London System against less common moves by black. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 and 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 ONLY (and even that is more suspicious than 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4). If you want a system opening, 1.d4 2.Nc3 is a better option, though you will still need to learn what to do against specific black responses but you'll get familiar positions more often than with the London.

Aggressive, Trustworthy, and even God line.

Any tips on playing the Black Lion as a transposition of the Hanham Philidor, for example using Black Lion theory after this (this might be a bad example line but you get it):