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Practice the London System

Learn openings in a new way!

This course will teach you the fun, trendy London System by giving a series of instructive puzzles. You can work your way through these key strategic and tactical positions until you are ready to win with the London in your own games! Get started with the London or sharpen your attacking play today!

Here is what you will learn:

Learn the common tactics and sacrifices in the London!
Learn the key positional ideas of the opening!
Learn the key traps to set and which to avoid each game!

Kovacevic - Tokaji

One of the greatest specialists in the London System is the Serbian Grandmaster, Vlatko Kovacevic.

1 défi

Blatny - Seifried

Pavel Blatny likes to play Queen's Pawns Games as they lead to original positions in which he can use his raw tactical talent.

3 défis

Kovacevic - Fressinet

Many players can attack, but far fewer can obtain the positions from which to do so. A lot of this is about getting as many pieces as possible into the kill zone.

1 défi

Hartston - Lawton

The outpost squares that arise out of the London system offers the side that possesses them an advantage. And knowing what to do with these outposts is an art in itself.

2 défis

Kovacevic - Martos

I've noticed that Black often plays ...c5-c4. The problem with this is that White no longer has to worry about defending the d4 Pawn which would not be the case if Black's c-Pawn were still on c5.

1 défi

Kovacevic - Palau

Black often feels obliged to exchange on d4 in the London System, but this tends to be quite useful for White if he then gets to operate along the half open e-file. This example features this theme.

2 défis

Lein - Maki

Players often think of just piece play when they're attacking, but often it's just Pawn levers that do the real damage.

1 défi

Petrosian - Chistiakov

The former World Champion, Tigran Petrosian, was renowned for his strategic insight. In this example he conducts a masterful campaign on Black's weakened dark squares.

2 défis

Bronstein - Thorsteinsson

David Bronstein often played the London System, which contradicts the commonly held view that it's a dull opening. Here we see some typical Bronstein fireworks against a young Icelandic player.

2 défis

Blatny - Sutter

One interesting London System idea is to delay the obvious idea of castling on the Kingside so as to be able to advance Pawns over there. Here we see a direct attack using this theme.

6 défis

Tseitlin - Leismann

Wilhelm Steinitz argued that a castled position was at its strongest when there were no Pawns moved in front of it.

7 défis

Hort - Dueckstein

Another noteworthy idea in the London System is to play c4-c5 at the right moment and put pressure on the Queenside.

3 défis

Yusupov - Fuller

When adopting the London System against the King's Indian Defence, the key piece is White's dark square Bishop, bearing down on the h2-b8 diagonal.

3 défis

Spassky - Bukic

Here we see a World Champion in action with the London system and a theme very similar to Yusupov - Fuller.

3 défis

Bronstein - Zuidema

Once again we see David Bronstein in action and making the London System look like an attacking line.

3 défis

Averbach-Polugayevsky, Riga 1958

Having stopped Black from castling, many players would think only of attacking the enemy king. However, positional considerations must always be taken into account.

1 défi

Practice the London System

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