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The London System

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Arcanus_Lupus

Is there a set reason why the London System is considered not as good as 1 d4, 2 c4?  Besides the fact that the London doesn't quite try as hard for an advantage, are there any specific lines that make playing White unpleasant?

Expertise87

Arcanus_Lupus, the System (which involves d4, Bf4, c3, e3, Nf3, Nbd2, etc) is basically refuted by the line 1.d4 d5 (or 1...Nf6 and 2...d5) 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 (or 5.Nd2 Bf5) 5...Qb6! 6.Qb3 c4 7.Qc2 Bf5! where Black emerges from the opening with a slight advantage.

moonnie

King indian setups are very strong against the london system as well.

plutonia

You need to be careful with the Bf5 move. If white takes your bishop and you take on b2, white simply plays Be2. Now white's rook seems to be hanging, but you cannot take it. If you take it white brings his queen back to c2 and your queen is stuck. The f3 knight will come for you.

So before you take the rook you need to maneuver your pawns and knights in a way that the white queen can't come back, as such:

 



Expertise87

plutonia - the game you showed features an inaccurate move-order, Black should meet 6.Qc2 with 6...cxd4 before playing Bf5, or just play 6...Bg4. 6...Bf5?! is met by the strong 7.dxc5! where White is going to keep an advantage.

In the 6.Qb3 c4 7.Qc2 Bf5 8.Qxf5 Qxb2 line, Black should indeed play e6 and Ne4 before taking the Rook. Valid point.

Sommerswerd
Expertise87

Rather than 4...Qa5+, Black does better to play either 4...Nc6 or 4...e6 (which seems to lead to a strange reversed Noteboom with the extra move Bf4)

plutonia

Nobody said that you can refute the London OTB.

But we can prepare for it.

Expertise87

IM Cyrus Lakdawala, who wrote a quite well-respected book on the London, refers to the move-order with d5, Nf6, and c5 in the first three moves as an 'inconvenient move-order' and claims Black is at least slightly better in the variation I gave. NimzoDave, who didn't get their move-order right in a forum? I posted only accurate move-orders, and commented that the game posted above from an OTB tournament featured an inaccurate move-order and that Black could improve on his play there.

Expertise87

Anything wrong with 2...Nf6 intending c5 against normal London moves?

NimzoDave
pellik wrote:

 

I haven't watched that particular video, but [...]

There is no advantage for white in some lines of the London. 

Well, then maybe it is time to buy it now. 

No advantage in "some lines"? Yes. True for any opening. E.g., the English

Serg10L

7.dc5

pdve

london system is irritating for black.

SocialPanda

A nice game: