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London Opening (System)

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Knight0815x_x
Knight0815x_x
Jan 16, 2021
0
#21

Hmmm ... Magnus Carlsen is now the best chess player in the world. He is a true legend

NikkiLikeChikki
NikkiLikeChikki
Closed: Inactive
Jan 16, 2021
0
#22
I think that the mistake that a lot of beginner London players make is always trying to get the London pawn triangle setup no matter what.

For instance trying to force a London when black goes for an early c5 Benoni type setup will leave you worse. Also, if you know your opponent is a Chigorin player, the Jobava variant is just better than the London against a knight on c6 and a bishop on f5. White can get into trouble against a Chigorin playing the standard London. Finally, playing Nc3 (Jobava) instead of c3 is just better against a King’s Indian.

So it’s fine, but it’s better to be a little flexible depending on what black plays.
Pat_Zurr
Pat_Zurr
Show your flair!
Jan 16, 2021
0
#23

@Nikki, totally agree.  That is the problem for most of us relatively low rated players and beginners.  Many think that there is a "magic" opening and if we just execute the opening correctly, we are golden. A lot of time is spent on learning openings, gimmicks and gambits when the focus should be on why you are doing what you are doing, tactics and positions. 

I believe the London is good because it does not contain a whole bunch of gimmicks and allows you play a more quiet focused game.  London wins often come down to the middle game and more often than not, the endgame, which can't help but help lower rated players and beginners. 

Winning a game with the latest "trick" may be fun, but it really doesn't help a person to become a well rounded player. 

TestPatzer
TestPatzer
Closed: Inactive
Jan 16, 2021
0
#24
Knight0815 wrote:

 
What do you think of the London opening?

I think it's solid. But if White wants to play it properly, he should study each crucial variation.

The wrong way to play it would be to just learn the basic system and then "figure it out" over the board, as if it's the same approach against everything.

The better way to learn the London is to sit down and study how to wield it against each main response that Black can give (because there are slightly different ideas in each main line that White should know).

If Black adopts a QGD-style setup, for example, then White's ideas are notably different than if Black adopts a KID-style setup. (And so on ...)