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London System

A system you can play against almost anything: d4, Bf4, e3, Nf3, c3 and Nbd2. Solid structure and easy plans, very popular with club players.

Beginner · Queen's pawn openings · 15 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

London System (D02). You play White. A system you can play against almost anything: d4, Bf4, e3, Nf3, c3 and Nbd2. Solid structure and easy plans, very popular with club players.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. It opens a line for the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 25% of 1.4 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Bf4

White plays bishop to f4. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 4% of 357k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 59% of 15k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.e3

White plays pawn to e3. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 90% of 14k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...e6

Black plays pawn to e6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 29% of 12k games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 47% of 4924 games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...c5

Black plays pawn to c5. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 36% of 8318 games.

Step 10

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.c3

White plays pawn to c3. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 60% of 4063 games.

Step 11

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 67% of 3202 games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Nbd2

White plays knight to d2. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 85% of 3218 games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...Bd6

Black plays bishop to d6. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (e5). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 53% of 6361 games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Bg3

White plays bishop to g3. It controls the centre (e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 84% of 3428 games.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the London System. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Queen's pawn openings

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