Beating the Accelerated London

Hopefuly this blog is a part 1 out of 4 i think on playing against the London system. I chose the Accelerated London first, as I like this line the most. The next part will be about the pure London, part 3 will be on the Jobava Londons, and part 4 will include the sidelines, and the Delayed London System...

Ahh the infamous London Systems. Easy to learn, hard to beat. The London is often associated with lazy players, who can play the same moves every game, never having to learn opening theory. This gave London a bad reputation, even though it's played at every level, and is much more flexible and interesting, than it seems. If you are interested in a interesting idea as a London player, here is a well-written post on Sam Shankland's very recent game.

But that's not what you are here for. You want to beat the London. So let me show you a very interesting weapon, that still works very well, even at my rating, and at around 1900 FIDE OTB (yes, classical 90+30).

I told you it's gonna be interesting. the plan is simple, go e5. White has 2 (technically 3, if you include Bg3) ways of preventing that - Nf3, and Bb5. Other than these moves, White has also an interesting idea of Bd3, looking to counter e5 with Qh5+. In this post I'll focus only on these three, but the public study will include some more responses.

Nf3 - the most common, and the best

The best, means the most scary, right? Hahaha, no. Not only, is it not scary, I think it is the most fun for us! But where is the fun? White stopped our idea of e5, now we have a stupid pawn on f6. How do we proceed? We play g5!

Since Nxg5 isn't scary, White has to deal with our threat with either h3, or h4. Engine claims h3 is the only move to get an advantage with White, but only 0.3% of players can follow it up correctly, so don't worry about it ;p (it isn't even that scary lol ~+0.25)

h3 - again the most common, and the best

---

I decided to split both responses, as I think the positions differ enough, to be worth analyzing them individually.

Nh6! our plan is very simble, and very hard to stop. Against most common Bd3 you can play either Nf5, or Bf5. I prefer the latter, as we don't have to worry about e4 ideas.

Most annoying here is Be2, as we can't go Bf5-Qd7-O-O-O due to weak pawn on c5, and Whites fast pawn storm. We sadly have to settle for only a slightly more pleasent position.

dxc5 is interesting, if White holds on to the pawn. Black can get a dominant position with g4, so White most likely has to drop back immidietely to d2, after which we can strike with a5! breaking apart Whites structure.

I didn't bother covering c4, as it isn't practically worth it in my opinion.

h4 - the good stuff

---

h4 allows us to have the whole kingside. The positions are very enjoyable and quite easy to play.

If you get to take on g3, a very easy game. And stoppind that with Bd3-Bxf5 gives up all the light sqyares we can take advantage of with Qh7.

Bb5 - kinda annoying, but not really

White stops e5, and the bishop is very annoying. I think it's best to get rid of it immidietely.

Proving any advantage with White is very difficult after Bxc6+. Ba4 is pretty annoying, as we can't really close the diagonal with b5, as we have weakened the kingside already.

Bxc6 - no longer annoying

---

Getting White to commit to the capture, is what we want, when playing a6. Most likely we will get a familiar position.

Do you know whats Whites best move is? Ne2. Nobody is playing that. The most popular Nf3 leads to similar positions, like in the last chapter. White has an interesting idea of letting us trap the bishop, but getting enough counterplay to get a perpetual check with Qd3/Qc2, but we don't have to allow that, and play Nh6.

Ba4 - the more annoying

---

We can't go g5, we can't go e5, we can't go b5. Sadly we have to develop with Bf5, like a normal chess player. Yikes! (just kidding)

Our idea is to allow b5, and therefore e5. After Nf3 we can go g5 h5 and get to familiar positions.

Bd3 - tactical mess

White aims to meet e5 with Qh5+ winning material. But we accept the challenge! e5!!

White can play Qh5 right away, or throw in dxe5. The latter gives them better practical chances I think.

Qh5+ - free queen?

---

Our main idea is to straight up trap the queen with Bg7-g5-g4-Rh8, or develop iniciative using ideas of trapping the queen.

But if White is aware of that, and quickly escapes with the queen to h4, we might have to take some risk with Qb5!? or settle for an endgame with O-O-O

dxe5 first - a little annoying

---

Now, since you recaprured with the f6 pawn, you have an option of playing Qg5. I covered both Qg5 and Bf5. Bf5 is a more trappy move, since if White forgets about the queen, we will just be winning in a few moves, but otherwise we are worse. Qg5 gives both colors chances. Engine evaluates it at 0.0, so black has enough counterplay to cause problems, or win the material back.

If and only if White plays Ne2-fxe3 they have a playable position, where we don't have that many threats. But the position is still equal, even though White is up so much material already.

The end <3

In the study you will find some more responses (if they aren't covered yet, that means I'm still working on them). I really like this line, as otherwise we have to play a typical, boring game.

While writing this blog, I played a WFM OTB in the London System, and I quite easily beat her. More on that in the next part. If you wan't me to covevr some more responses, DM me, or comment on this blog, and I'll make sure to add those in Part 4, all about sidelines.

Well then, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed, and you like my idea.

Study link: https://lichess.org/study/NnuN76eY/ETvRfpze