The London System: how to play it, and the traps to know
The London System starts 1.d4 and 2.Bf4. White brings the dark-squared bishop out early, then builds the same solid setup almost every game: pawns on c3, d4 and e3, knights on f3 and d2, the other bishop on d3, and short castling. It is a system more than an opening: you learn one structure and play it against nearly anything. That is why it is so popular at club level, and why Magnus Carlsen and many top players use it too.
Is the London System good?
Yes. Stockfish gives White the usual small edge of the first move, and the full setup keeps that edge. It is not the most ambitious way to play 1.d4, but it is very hard to get a bad position with it, and the plans are the same from one game to the next.
2.Bf4 or 2.Nf3 first?
You can also start with 2.Nf3 and play Bf4 on move three. Both orders reach the same setup and Stockfish rates them the same. The modern choice is 2.Bf4 straight away: the bishop is out before e3 shuts it in, and White keeps the option of Nc3 instead of Nf3. Play the order you like and stick to it.
The setup: e3, Nf3, c3, Bd3, Nbd2
Once the bishop is on f4, White plays e3, Nf3, c3, Bd3 and Nbd2, then castles. The pawns on c3, d4 and e3 form a pyramid that is hard to break. Later the knight often jumps to e5, and with the bishop on d3 White can build an attack on the king. If Black is slow, the queen can join with Qe2 or Qf3.
1. The most testing plan: ...c5 and ...Qb6
Black’s best try is to hit d4 at once with ...c5, bring a knight to c6, then play ...Qb6. With the bishop gone from c1, the b2 pawn has lost a defender and the queen goes after it. White has two good answers. Qb3 guards b2 and offers a queen trade; if Black pushes ...c4 instead, the queen steps back to c2. Qc2 at once is just as good. Stockfish rates both close to equal. What White must not do is ignore the threat.
2. The trade offer: ...Bd6
Black can also play ...e6 and ...Bd6, offering to swap White’s best bishop. White has three good answers that Stockfish rates about the same: take on d6, put the bishop on d3 and recapture with the pawn, or the most common one, Bg3. After Bg3, if Black takes, White recaptures with the h-pawn and the rook on h1 gets an open file. Either way the setup stays intact and White keeps a small edge.
3. The King’s Indian setup
Against 1...Nf6 and ...g6, ...Bg7, ...d6 and short castling, Black aims for ...e5 or ...c5 later. White keeps the same plan with one change: h3 gives the bishop a retreat square on h2 so ...Nh5 cannot trade it off. Then Be2 or Bd3, c3 and castling. Stockfish gives White a small edge (and after ...Nh5 Bh2 White is a bit better still), and the game is a slow fight where Black hopes the ...e5 break opens the bishop on g7.
A famous trap: the queen grab on b2
After 2...c5 3.e3, Black often plays 3...Qb6 at once. Here White does not need to defend b2: 4.Nc3! is stronger, and White is already better. If Black takes the pawn, 5.Nb5! threatens Nc7+, forking the king and the rook on a8, and Rb1 will chase the queen. Black has to find 5...Na6 just to stay in the game, and after 6.Rb1 White is clearly better. The lesson for Black: only grab b2 when the queen has a way home.
Plans to remember
- White: play Bf4 before e3, build the c3, d4, e3 pyramid, then look for Ne5 and a kingside attack.
- White: when the queen lands on b6, always check b2. Qb3 or Qc2 are the safe answers; Nc3 is the sharp one when the knight can reach b5.
- Black: hit d4 early with ...c5, and challenge the f4 bishop with ...Bd6 or ...Nh5.
- Both sides: before taking a pawn, look at where your queen goes next. Most London traps start there.
Frequently asked questions
Is the London System good for beginners?
Yes. You learn one setup and play it against almost anything, so you spend your time on plans instead of theory. Just keep checking tactics: the London is solid, not automatic.
How do you beat the London System?
Hit the center early with ...c5, bring the queen to b6 to pressure b2, and challenge the f4 bishop with ...Bd6 or ...Nh5. Stockfish still gives White a small edge, so the aim is a fully playable game, not a refutation.
What is the Jobava London?
A sharper version where White plays Nc3 instead of c3 and Nf3, for example 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4. The knight supports e4 and Nb5 ideas. Stockfish rates it close to equal.
London System or Queen’s Gambit?
Both start with 1.d4. The Queen’s Gambit (2.c4) fights for the center at once and gives White a slightly bigger edge, but it needs more theory. The London is easier to learn and play.
More chess openings
- Caro-Kann Defense (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5)
- Italian Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4)
- Scandinavian Defense (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3)
- Scotch Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4)
- Vienna Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3)