London System

@chessknight80

White may choose from among various plans. Because of that, flexibility is the key.

That is why it's almost always best to preserve the bishop with h2-h3, as you suggest, and to play Bf1-e2 instead of Bf1-d3. With O-O, White does usually opt for c2-c4 and Nb1-c3, which is just good, solid play in the center. Adopting a kingside berzerker attack is also possible though - but look up the Barry Attack, which is better suited to that than the London.

jlconn you are right, for a game on this level black definetely shoudlnt have resigned. But the mistake that you made and that many people do is that they dont calculate properly and forget about the best opponents moves. They just calculate with moves they like their opponent to play and not with the best moves and they end their calculation to early. After 26... Bxc2 white can checkmate black with 27.Nh7+ Kf5, 28.G4#. Black also wouldnt be a rook up when this mate wouldnt be possible, you forgot about he bishop he gave up for the rook(Bxh6). He would not even be an exchange up because Nh7 check will win it back and lead to a winning rook endgame with many pawns up. Cheers, Till

Ah quite right, thanks Till.

But even though I was simply galncing, the fact that I didn't see that means there's a good chance someone rated ~1100 might not see it either. And instead of 26...Bxc2, 27.bxc4 still sets problems for White, so no matter what, I wouldn't be so quick to resign.

i think london is just quiet development

you are playing a reversed Baltic Defense.

most black and white openings are mirror images of themselves but have different names  like

1. English and Sicilian

2. King's Indian Defense and King's Indian Attack

3. Bird's Opening and Dutch Defense

4. Baltic Defense and London System

5.  King's Gambit and Latvian gambit

Rowsweep, you magically got significantly hotter over the past 24 hours...hmmm lol

I think openings should match a player's style of play. I also believe a good opening book that points out critical lines and also points a player in the right direction in regards to themes/plans is helpful. However, I also consider it futle and perhaps even counterproductive for club players to bother with trying to learn all the lines in an opening book. 

In regards to your bringing up the London and Baltic, if a player chooses to play both the London and Baltic and they want something against 1 e4 to fit in then the Scandinavian with 3...Qd8 seems like a good choice. Such a repertoire will not appeal to the vast majority of players, but it is quite practical in a sense. It's the repertoire I'm going to use. 

There has been very little help available on the Baltic. But this fall New In Chess publisher is releasing a 368 page book titled The Liberated Bishop Defense. It will cover 2 Nf3 Bf5 and 2 c4 Bf5. The author is a former Russian champion. I'm going to buy it but have no intention in trying to memorize the entire book.  

System players should all be cast into the pit ..... 

I just had to save that image ^_^

Anyway I used to dabble in systems but then decided to invest some time into serious opening such as the Nimzo-Indian and Bogo-Indian, Berlin Defense, Najdorf and Moscow variation, and as white the occasional Nimzo-Larsen attack.  As black if I don't know the theory against something (usually English and somewhat offbeat 1.Nf3 lines) I'll go for a Queen's Indian setup and aim for a Hedgehog if possible, but that's the closest thing I get to a system.