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Queen's Pawn Game · V. Opening Systems with 1.d4

London System

The London System is an opening system that has gained enormous popularity in recent years for its simplicity and consistency. The London piece setup is naturally well-suited for a kingside attack, with the light-squared bishop aimed at h7 and both knights ready to hop into action on the kingside.

Side
white

Characteristics

  • 🔱 FlexibleCan branch into either sharp or quiet structures depending on move order and player choices.
  • 👥 PrevalentCommon enough that opponents are likely to have experience and prepared responses.
  • ⚙ SystematicCan often be played from recurring setup ideas rather than heavy memorization of exact lines.
  • 🍂 Very AttainableAppears extremely often relative to other openings, so practice opportunities are abundant.

Strategic guide

Plans and motifs

  • White usually meets ...Bd6 with the retreat Bg3. If Black trades bishops, White will gladly recapture with the h-pawn and end up with a dangerous rook on the semi-open h-file.
  • Black aims for the pawn break ...e5, which is often a strong move because it threatens to fork White's minor pieces by advancing ...e4.
  • White can play for a kingside attack with Ne5, which builds kingside pressure and stops Black from playing ...e5 themselves.
  • Alternatively, White can opt to play in the center by preparing the pawn break e4.
  • It is not uncommon for White to postpone, if not completely forego castling. This is because the king is relatively safe in the center when it is closed, giving White time to focus their efforts on the kingside.

Train the opening

Training paths

A repertoire plan turns an opening into an ordered set of positions and branches to learn, practice, and review. Foundation paths cover the core branches. Mastery paths add deeper variations after the foundation is complete.

Foundation path

London

intermediate

Start training this opening
Chapter 1

Imported Lines

  1. 01

    G7 Heist

  2. 02

    F-Pawn Folly

  3. 03

    Rook Lure

  4. 04

    Queen Ransom

  5. 05

    C7 Sting

  6. 06

    E5 Overload

  7. 07

    C7 Crush

  8. 08

    Rook Reaper

  9. 09

    Hanging Bishop Trap

  10. 10

    Discovery Blitz

  11. 11

    Fork Detonator

  12. 12

    Dual Daggers

  13. 13

    Rook Harvest

  14. 14

    Greek Avalanche

  15. 15

    Double Knightfall

  16. 16

    Center Sweep

  17. 17

    Quiet Bind

  18. 18

    A-File Awakening

  19. 19

    A-File Anchor

  20. 20

    London Spine

  21. 21

    A-File Edge

  22. 22

    Center Restore

  23. 23

    Long Castle Clamp

  24. 24

    G-Pawn Probe

  25. 25

    Solid Shell

  26. 26

    London Lattice

  27. 27

    Pin Breaker

  28. 28

    C4 Blueprint

Mastery path

London Mastery

advanced

View mastery plan
Chapter 1

Imported Lines

  1. 01

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 e6 3. e3 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qb6 6. Nb5

  2. 02

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 e6 3. e3 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nb5 e5 7. Nxe5

  3. 03

    Center Sweep

  4. 04

    F Pawn Folly

  5. 05

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Nbd2 Bd6 6. Ne5 Nxe5 7. dxe5

  6. 06

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 e6 5. Qb3 b6 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. cxd5

  7. 07

    Queen Ransom

  8. 08

    E5 Overload

  9. 09

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Bb5 a6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. c4 e6 8. Qa4 Qd7...

  10. 10

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 Nb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. cxd5 Qxd5 7. Nc3 Qa5 8. Qxa5 N...

  11. 11

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nb5 Qa5+ 6. c3 e5 7. Bxe5 Nxe5 8. dxe5 Ne4...

  12. 12

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 Nb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. cxd5 Qxd5 7. Nc3 Qd7 8. d5 Nb8...

  13. 13

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Bf5 3. c4 c6 4. Qb3 b6 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nc3 e6 7. Nb5 Na6 8. Qa4 Bb4+...

  14. 14

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Bb5 Qd7 6. Ne5 Qe6 7. c4 a6 8. Qa4

  15. 15

    F Pawn Folly

  16. 16

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 Nb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. cxd5 Qxd5 7. Nc3 Qe6 8. d5

  17. 17

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nf3 e6 6. c5 b6 7. Bb5 Qd7 8. Qa4 O-O-O 9....

  18. 18

    C7 Crush

  19. 19

    Rook Reaper

  20. 20

    Hanging Bishop Trap

  21. 21

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Bb5 Qd7 6. Ne5 Qe6 7. c4 O-O-O 8. Bxc6 bx...

  22. 22

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 Nb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. cxd5 Qxd5 7. Nc3 Qa5 8. Qxa5 N...

  23. 23

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nb5 Qa5+ 6. c3 e5 7. Bxe5 Nxe5 8. dxe5 Nd7...

  24. 24

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Bb5 a6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. c4 e6 8. Qa4 Qd7...

  25. 25

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 e6 3. e3 Bd6 4. Qg4 Bxf4 5. Qxg7 Ne7 6. Qxh8+ Kd7 7. Qxd8+

  26. 26

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nb5 e5 6. Bxe5 Nxe5 7. dxe5 Ng4 8. Qxd5 Qx...

  27. 27

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Bf5 3. c4 c6 4. Qb3 b6 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nc3 e6 7. Nb5 Na6 8. Qa4 Qc8 9...

  28. 28

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Bf5 3. c4 c6 4. Qb3 b6 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Nb5 Na6 8. Qa4

  29. 29

    Rook Lure

  30. 30

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Bb5 a6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. c4 e6 8. Qa4 Qd7...

  31. 31

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Bb5 a6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. c4 e6 8. Qa4 Qd7...

  32. 32

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Bf5 3. c4 c6 4. Qb3 Qd7 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. e4 dxe4 7. Bxb8

  33. 33

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 Nb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. cxd5 Qxd5 7. Nc3 Qd8 8. d5 Bd7...

  34. 34

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 e6 5. Qb3 b6 6. Nc3 c5 7. Nb5 Na6 8. Qa4 Qc8 9. Nd6+

  35. 35

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Bf5 3. c4 c6 4. Qb3 Qd7 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. e4 Bxe4 7. Bxb8 Rxb8 8. Bb5 B...

  36. 36

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 Nb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. cxd5 Qxd5 7. Nc3 Qa5 8. Qxa5 N...

  37. 37

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Bb5 e6 6. h3 Bh5 7. g4 Bg6 8. Ne5 Bd6 9....

  38. 38

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Bb5 e6 6. Ne5 Qd6 7. Qe2 Qb4+ 8. c3

  39. 39

    Discovery Blitz

  40. 40

    Queen Ransom

  41. 41

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 Nb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. cxd5 Qxd5 7. Nc3 Qd7 8. d5 Nb8...

  42. 42

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Bf5 3. c4 c6 4. Qb3 Qd7 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. e4 Bxe4 7. Bxb8 a6 8. Bf4 Nf6...

  43. 43

    Fork Detonator

  44. 44

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nb5 Qa5+ 6. c3 e5 7. Bxe5 Nxe5 8. dxe5 Ne4...

  45. 45

    Dual Daggers

  46. 46

    Greek Avalanche

  47. 47

    Double Knightfall

  48. 48

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 e5 4. dxe5

  49. 49

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Bb5 e6 6. Ne5

  50. 50

    G7 Heist

  51. 51

    Quiet Bind

  52. 52

    A-File Awakening

  53. 53

    A-File Anchor

  54. 54

    London Spine

  55. 55

    A-File Edge

  56. 56

    Center Restore

  57. 57

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Nbd2 Bd6 6. Ne5 O-O 7. c3 Ne4 8. Nxe4 dxe4...

  58. 58

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 c6 5. Qb3

  59. 59

    G-Pawn Probe

  60. 60

    1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Bb5 e6 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3

  61. 61

    Solid Shell

  62. 62

    London Lattice

  63. 63

    C4 Blueprint