KID vs the London System

u are playing KID against 1.d4?

Then just continue, KID has many advantages : it can be played against all set up by white after 1.d4.

But the problem with KID is to adjust according to what white does.

Here are some ways to play as black :

There are other choices, but this is just some systems which are very good against London.

Personnally, i prefer the last one, and the one with b6-Bb7 without playing c5-e5 (which will come later).

Notice I didnt play h3 for white, but if he/she does, he/she loses a tempo. About Nh5 if not h3, I am not sure it is so good, I prefer to continue the development like I gave above.

IM poucin, in your last one after 7...Be6, I would likely bail with 8 dxc5 dxc5 9 h3. 

GM Nikola Sedlak wrote that he is not a fan of the London System against 1...Nf6, especially not a fan against the King's Indian setup. Many London System players, including me, use the London System against everything. I have considered playing the Tromp against 1...Nf6, but the Tromp is not a system and quite different and therefore difficult for me to adjust to. I don't recall his handle but there is/was was a good player at Chess.com who said he plays the London against 1...d5 and the Tromp against 1...Nf6, possibly a good combo repertoire for players versatile enough. The Tromp (pseudo Tromp) is not so good against 1...d5.

I chose it as my main reply against 1.d4. I have a book on it and have been studying but I found the piece maneuvering a lot more complex that I thought. I'll probably go to the Leningrad instead which is kinda similar.

This is how I play against the London. This was shown to me by IM Chessexplained.

Watch his video here if you want to learn more:

Fight the London System with Black Pt 2 - ...Nf6,g6 Setups (Kings Indian, Grunfeld) 

Here's one of my games.

Another point to ponder, regarding playing the KID vs the London:

With the "London" Bishop sitting on f4, Black has an additional option for counter-play, beyond those usually associated with the KID.

Black can play a Panno-like ... Nc6, and respond to White's d5 (attacking the c6-Knight) with ... e5 (counter-attacking the f4-Bishop and clearing the e7 square for the c6-Knight's retreat).

I've tested this plan in OTB tournaments, with generally encouraging results.

Ressurecting this thread because I'm playing in a tournament in March and I just know I'll somehow get this god forsaken opening. It seems if you can get a quick e5 in, it kind of just "breaks" the London.

Pretty much, which is why the London is actually bad against the Modern and not very good against the Kings Indian. Back in the day when I played the Kings Indian as Black (roughly 2010-2020), I played the following, which I think Joe Gallagher may have covered in his anti-Kings Indians book in 1996:

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.h3 O-O and then a lot depended on move order by White.

Black's 6th move would always be 6...Nbd7. Then if White has played Nbd2 by move 7, Black plays 7...Qe8, typically followed by 8...e5 and assuming White retreats the Bishop, 9...Qe7. Of course, if 9.dxe5, recapture with the pawn.

If White has not played Nbd2 by move 7, like say, 6.Be2 Nbd7 7.O,-O, Black has an even better option, like an accelerated version - 7...Ne4, where now id 8.Nbd2, Black will trade knights first. Otherwise, the idea is to get in ...e5, since now, instead of the Queen, the Bishop covers e5, and Qd8-e7 straight-up in 1 move instead of 2.

And the London is not a "God Forsaken" opening. The London, or I should say the Neo-London, actually rocks, BUT ONLY AGAINST 1...d5.

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c3 e6 (3...c5 4.dxc5 e6 5.Be3!; 3...Bf5?! 4.Qb3!) 4.Bf4!

But you will never see me advocating the London against anything else:

1.d4 f5 2.Bf4?! Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nf3 b6!

The line above after 1...Nf6

1.d4 g6 2.Bf4? Bg7 3.e3 d6 4.Nf3 and now, if you want a middle game with queens, 4...Nd7 followed by 5...e5. If you are willing to trade queens in return for a sh*tty Bishop for White, then 4...Nc6 5.h3 e5! and now 6.Bg3 is barely equal and all other moves are worse for White, especially 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 8.Bg5 f6! 9.Bh4 h5 and the White LSB will never see the light of day. White is virtually playing down a piece, and Black can do what he wants, and even flick in ...g5 when and if he needs to. His "bad" Bishop can easily come out via ...Bf8. White's can't.

So unless you are a 1...d5 player, the London should not worry you. I had great results with Gallagher's line above when I played the Kings Indian, had good results except 1 game maybe 3 months ago with the Dutch, and now the Modern.

London players need to learn to play something else when Black does not play 1...d5. Against 1...d5, London away! I do it myself, and even Carlsen has a time or two.

The london is safer than King's Indian Defense