Chessstack

London System

ECO code
D02
Moves
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About the London System

The London System (1. d4 followed by Bf4, e3 and Nf3) is a set-up opening that White can play against almost any defense.

Its appeal is that the same plan and pawn structure come up again and again, so there is less theory to learn. White builds a solid pyramid with c3, e3 and d4 and often aims for a kingside attack.

Main ideas

For White

  • Use the same set-up against almost anything: d4, Bf4, e3, Nf3, c3, Nbd2, Bd3 and castling.
  • Put a knight on e5, supported by the f4 bishop and often by f4 later, and attack the kingside with Qf3 or Qh5, Rf3-h3 or g4.
  • Keep the f4 bishop: when Black offers a trade with ...Bd6, retreat to g3 or let Black take on f4 only when it opens a useful file.
  • The Greek gift, Bxh7+ followed by Ng5+, is a recurring attacking idea when Black castles short with few defenders.

For Black

  • Hit the b2 pawn with ...c5 and ...Qb6: the bishop on f4 no longer defends it.
  • Challenge the f4 bishop with ...Bd6 or ...Nh5 and trade off White's best minor piece.
  • Play in the center with ...c5 and ...Nc6, or choose a King's Indian set-up with ...g6 and ...d6 followed by ...e5.
  • Don't let White settle a knight on e5 for free: ...Nd7 or ...Nbd7 covers the square.

Pawn structure

White's pawns usually stand on c3, d4 and e3, a solid triangle with the bishop already outside it on f4. The e5 square is White's key outpost. The structure gives up some ambition in the center in return for safety and a plan that hardly changes from game to game.

Traps and common mistakes

Ignoring the b2 pawn

After ...c5 and ...Qb6, b2 is attacked. With Nf3 played, White usually offers the pawn with Nc3; in the 2. Bf4 c5 move order White defends with Qb3. Simply carrying on with the set-up loses a pawn for nothing.

Castling into the attack

For Black, castling short early with no knight on f6 and no way to meet Bd3 and Qh5 invites the Greek gift sacrifice on h7. Keep a defender near the king or challenge White's bishop first.

Who should play the London System?

Players with White who want a reliable system with little theory, and club players who would rather spend their study time on middlegames. Strong players use it too, but it is less ambitious than the lines with an early c4.

History

The name comes from the London tournament of 1922, where several players used the set-up. It was seen as a quiet sideline for decades, until a wave of top players, including Gata Kamsky and Magnus Carlsen, took it up in the 2010s, and it became popular well beyond the top level.

London System statistics

The London System was reached in 146.4K master games (0.7% of all master games), and White scored 53% from there.

Master games

146.4K

0.7% of games between players rated 2500+

White wins Draws Black wins

Most common next moves in master games

MoveGamesPlayedResults
3... c580,59055%
3... e636,49025%
3... Bf514,89310%
3... c67,1114.9%
3... g64,1672.8%

Master games from the Chessmont database (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Main variations

  • Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London System

    D00 · 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4

    White plays 2. Bf4 straight away, before Nf3. It is the more common London move order in master games because it avoids some of Black's sharpest set-ups.

  • Indian Defense: London System

    A46 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4

    The London System against 1...Nf6, reached with 2. Nf3 and 3. Bf4 or 2. Bf4 directly. Black often chooses a King's Indian set-up with ...g6.

  • London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation

    D02 · 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Qb6 5. Nc3

    Black attacks b2 with an early ...Qb6. White usually offers the pawn with Nc3, or defends it with Qb3 or Qc1.

Related openings

  • Queen's Gambit

    D06 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4

    The Queen's Gambit (1. d4 d5 2. c4) offers a wing pawn to pull Black's d-pawn away from the center.

  • Trompowsky Attack

    A45 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5

    The Trompowsky Attack (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5) attacks the knight on f6 at once and sidesteps the main lines of the Indian defenses.

  • King's Indian Defense

    E61 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3

    The King's Indian Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7) lets White build a big pawn center and then attacks it.

  • Dutch Defense

    A80 · 1. d4 f5

    The Dutch Defense (1. d4 f5) fights for the e4 square and prepares a kingside attack from the first move.