Why the London System is not boring

Hi everyone,

most of you should know the London System which is one of the most controversial openings in chess. Today we will talk about the reason behind this and you will learn the London is, look at the title and thumbnail, not a boring opening.

But to those who don't know the London, let me show it to you. As the word "System" already says, the London is a system based opening and no theory based opening, so you can play the London against almost anything in the same way. But what moves do you play? Here you have an example.

Let's come to the whole point of his blog: Why is the London so controversial as opening? A lot of players say that the London is boring and you don't need really need any knowleadge to play it and some people even think learning this opening will have negative effects on your chess skill.  In the following I am going to present each point against the London and I will tell you my opinion on them.

First of all, why do people think the London is boring?

The London System starts with d4 and not e4 which leads typically to a more positional and less agressive way of playing chess.  Also there is no way to immediately "punish" someone who plays the London against you. It is true that d4 openings aren't as agressive as e4 openings most of the time but there are always sidelines and traps to learn for an opening, even with the London!

Another reason why titled players don't often play the London and many dislike it is the high draw rate. However especially for beginners and advanced players this is not the case due to mistakes, blunders and nowhere near perfect play. 

With the London you get usually your typical setup,  which you can just memorize. Not all that exciting, I know, but the more you improve your chess skills, the more you react to your opponent's moves in the opening. Even a system based opening can be flexible if the player is flexible. Here an easy example, where you get a transition from a London to a Queen's Gambit.

Last but not least, why do some players think the London can have a negative effect on your chess skills?

A system based opening tends you to memorize all moves you need to play, but understanding is not completely requiered. Chess is a game with great depths and can become very complex but the London is the completely opposite of that, some say. Obviously the London is an easy opening to learn which proofs the complexity point. However there are still game plans you want to fulfill as London player, like to plant the knight on e5. The better you get as player, the more ideas you have and the more depths the London gets. If a beginner plays the London, it is a simple concept for sure, but that is not certainly a bad thing: An opening servs the purpose to get a playable position in the middlegame and especially for beginners the London is a great way to fulfill this easily.

Maybe I could convince you that the London is not that boring , maybe I couldn't. I would be be happy if you would share your opinion on this matter in the comments. Thank you for reading my second blog !