Beating the London System

Note: London is extremely solid, so it's rare Black can get a much better position out of the opening. This reccomendation aims to give Black a more pleasent position, not to blow your opponent of the chessboard.

This is part 2 of my series on how to play against the London, and how to beat it. Today I'll focus on the classical Nf3 London System. It's much harder to beat, but we can still get dynamic positions.

I will focus on only 3 White's setups - e3-c3, e3-Nbd2, and c3-dxc5. I don't think it's worth going very deep with analysis, as the positions are easier to play with Black in my opinion. I'll get you through the weeds, and tell you about ideas I know, but in these kinds of positions experience is much more important than anything else.

The main setup against the London is d5 Nf6 e6 with wellprepared c5. That's long and boring, so let's speed things up with immediate c5.

The aim of playing c5 so fast is to disrupt the London Pyramid, before White finishes seting up. We will pressure b2 and d4 with Nc6, and Qb6. Additionally we have this move Nh5 to win the bishop, if White plays e3 locking it outside.

The e3-c3 pyramid

e3-c3 is the most natural, and the most common setup by players even at my level. White want's to continue their usual plan, eventaully defend the b pawn with Qc2. But we can harass White's misplaced bishop with Nh5. Our goal is to win it, counter White's light-squared bishop with our pawn chain, and dominate the dark-squares.

Bg3 - most natural

Bg3 is a typical idea against Bd6, where White invites the trade to open up the h-file, and often launch a deadly attack.

If the queen goes to b3, it doesn't really matter what you play, right now I'm playing e6, but everything is around 0.0 White has only one counterplay idea e4. If you want a draw, you can go early f5, the position is almost impossible to break through for any side. If you want to play on, you can do so either on the queenside wih b5-b4 (after Qxb6), or in the centre with f6-e5. It's useful to throw in c4, but remember about e4.

If White doesn't play Qb3, go g6. You don't want to block your c8 bishop with e6, and with the pressure on b2 and d4, the bishop is pretty useful. Follow it up with Bg4/Bf5 and O-O, and you have a much more comfortable position.

Bg5 - most common (higher elo), but wrong lol

This move doesn't achieve anything, we will still get the bishop with h6-g5-Ng3 and we have kingside space for free

Now we have g4 kicking out the knight, and getting even more pleasent position than after Bg3. Without the knight on f3, e5 is not defended, so we can play it much more easier, sometimes immidietely (depending on where White retreats). After g4 Black scores ~60%.

Nbd2 - Masters Main line

This is rare. And with every move, even more rarer. If you aren't 2500+ you don't have to worry about learning this line. Black's moves are very natural, and it is on White to prove any advantage for given pawn.

All you have to remember, is develop. Once your king is safe you are allowed to take on c5. The queen stays on c3, to not allow any c4 counterplay. If White tries to pressure the c6 knight with Ne5, just defend with Bd7. Don't worry, your and mine opponents won't be able to find counterplay for the pawn, and you will simply be up material.

c3-dxc5

It looks scary at first, but Black has fast enough counterplay. Still it's pretty annoying if you aren't preapared.

All you have to remember is Ne7 not Na7 against b5, and against Bd6 trickery Ne4! targetting the bishop.

That is all!

Well this is a super short post. But the London isn't very threatning. I don't want to show you long lines to grind some endgames with miniscule advantages, my goal is to give you a more pleasent game, and tale the London played out of the comfort zone. White can avoid all of that by delaying Nf3, and playing the accelerated London. That's why I have a seperate weapon against it.

Thank you for reading. You can find the study here.