Opening guide · ECO A46, A48, D02
London System
- Chosen by
- White
- ECO
- A46, A48, D02
- Lines in this guide
- 7
- Updated
The London System is a set-up rather than a sequence: White plays d4, Bf4 (before e3 shuts the bishop in), e3, Nf3, c3, Bd3 and Nbd2, usually followed by O-O or h3 and Bh2. It can be reached against 1...d5, 1...Nf6, the King's Indian set-up with ...g6 and most other Black replies, which is why it is so popular with players who want to spend their study time on the middlegame.
The structure is a pyramid of pawns on c3, d4 and e3 with the dark-squared bishop outside the chain. White's typical ideas are a knight on e5 supported by f4, a kingside attack with Bd3, Qf3 or Qe2 and Ne5, and the queenside break c4 when Black has committed to ...c5 and ...Nc6. The London's reputation for being 'boring' is only true when White plays it passively; played with purpose it is a genuine attacking weapon.
Black's most testing replies are an early ...c5 with ...Qb6 attacking b2, the mirror development ...Bf5 and set-ups with ...Bd6 to challenge the f4-bishop. The main line below shows the standard development against 1...d5 and ...e6.
The main line
| Move# | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | d4 | d5 |
| 2. | Bf4 | Nf6 |
| 3. | e3 | e6 |
| 4. | Nf3 | c5 |
| 5. | c3 | Nc6 |
| 6. | Nbd2 | Bd6 |
2.Bf4 develops the bishop before e3 locks it in. 4...c5 and 5...Nc6 are Black's most natural way to fight for the center, and 6...Bd6 challenges the London bishop. White now plays 7.Bg3, keeping the bishop (7.Bxd6 Qxd6 is also playable but gives Black an easy game), followed by 8.Bd3 or 8.Bb5, O-O and often Ne5. The important decision is whether to recapture on g3 with the h-pawn (opening the h-file) when Black trades bishops.
Plans for both sides
Plans for White
- Kingside attack: Ne5, Bd3, Qf3 (or Qe2 and Rf1-f3), f4 and sometimes g4, especially when Black has castled and played ...Bd6.
- The c4 break after Black commits to ...c5 and ...Nc6, turning the quiet set-up into a Queen's Gambit-type structure where White is better developed.
- Against ...Bd6, Bg3 and hxg3 to open the h-file, then Qe2 or Qf3 and a rook lift.
- The e4 break once Nbd2 and Qe2 are in place, especially against ...b6 set-ups that leave d5 under-protected.
Plans for Black
- Attack b2 with ...c5 and ...Qb6 early, before White can play Qb3 or Nbd2 comfortably.
- Challenge the f4-bishop with ...Bd6 or chase it with ...Nh5, accepting doubled g-pawns for White or a bishop trade.
- Develop the light-squared bishop actively with ...Bf5 or ...Bg4 before playing ...e6.
- Against the London versus the King's Indian set-up, play ...d6 and ...Nbd7 followed by ...e5 or ...c5 and ...Qb6 to contest the center.
Key variations
- 87654321abcdefgh
Classical set-up with ...Bd6D02
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nf3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.Bg3 O-O 8.Bd3
The main tabiya. Black has developed sensibly and challenges the f4-bishop; White keeps it with Bg3 and completes development. Typical continuations are 9...b6 and ...Bb7 for Black, while White plays Ne5, f4 and Qf3 for a kingside attack or dxc5 and e4 to open the center when Black's pieces are passive.
Drill this line - 87654321abcdefgh
London vs King's Indian set-upA48
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nf3 O-O 5.Be2 d6 6.h3
Against a fianchetto White plays e3, Nf3, Be2 (or Bd3), h3 to secure the bishop on f4 (or h2) and O-O, then c3 and Nbd2 or the more ambitious c4 and Nc3. Black's plans include ...Nbd7 and ...e5 or ...c5 and ...Qb6. The structures are calm and the h3/Bh2 setup makes the bishop very hard to trade.
Drill this line - 87654321abcdefgh
...c5 and ...Qb6 counterattackD02
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.c3 Qb6 5.Qb3
Black's most direct test: the queen hits b2, which the f4-bishop no longer protects. 5.Qb3 is the standard answer, offering a queen trade that leaves Black with a slightly worse structure after ...Qxb3 axb3, or 5.Qc1 and 5.Nd2 to keep queens on. Players who choose the London must know this position well.
Drill this line - 87654321abcdefgh
Jobava LondonD00
1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4
A sharper cousin: the knight goes to c3 instead of d2, supporting an early Nb5 (hitting c7) and e4. Play is much more tactical than the classical London and theory is still developing; Black's best responses involve ...c5 or ...a6 to blunt Nb5.
Drill this line - 87654321abcdefgh
Symmetrical ...Bf5D02
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Bf5 3.e3 e6 4.c4
Black mirrors White's development and solves the c8-bishop problem at once. White's best try for an edge is 4.c4 and Qb3, pressuring b7 and d5; alternatively White plays a slower c3 and Qb3 setup. Solid for Black, though the symmetrical structure gives White a small lasting pull.
Drill this line - 87654321abcdefgh
London vs Queen's Indian set-upA46
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 e6 3.e3 b6 4.Nf3 Bb7 5.Bd3
With ...b6 and ...Bb7 Black contests the e4-square and plans ...Be7, ...O-O and ...c5 or ...d6 and ...Nbd7. White develops normally and often plays Nbd2, c3, Qe2 and e4 or h3 and O-O, with Ne5 as a thematic post. A flexible, quiet battle in which both sides have easy development.
Drill this line
Strengths and weaknesses
Why play it
- One set-up against almost every Black reply means very little opening theory to maintain.
- The dark-squared bishop is developed outside the pawn chain, avoiding the classic 1.d4 problem piece.
- Solid structure with a clear attacking plan: Ne5, Bd3, Qf3 or Qe2 and f4, often with a kingside attack.
- Few early tactical pitfalls for White compared with sharper 1.d4 systems.
What it costs
- Objectively modest: Black equalizes with sensible play in several lines (…c5 and ...Qb6, or an early ...Bf5).
- The b2-pawn is unprotected once the bishop leaves c1, so ...Qb6 must always be taken seriously.
- The system can be played on autopilot, which hides the fact that the move order matters against ...c5 and ...Nh5 ideas.
- Opponents who know the London can neutralize it and steer toward drawish positions.
A trap to know
- 87654321abcdefgh
Good for White
The hanging bishop after ...c4
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.c3 Qb6 5.Qb3 c4 6.Qc2 Bf5
In the ...Qb6 line Black often plays 5...c4 to gain space and keep the queens on. The natural-looking follow-up 6...Bf5?? attacks the queen but simply loses the bishop: 7.Qxf5. The bishop on f5 has no defender because ...e6 has not been played. Black should prefer 6...Bg4, 6...e5 or 6...Nf6 and only later ...Bf5 once e6 supports it.
Advice if you are new to the London System
- Play Bf4 before e3, always; the whole system depends on the bishop being outside the pawn chain.
- Learn one answer to ...Qb6 (5.Qb3 is simplest) and never leave b2 hanging without a plan.
- When Black plays ...Bd6, keep the bishop with Bg3; if Black trades on g3, recapture with the h-pawn and use the half-open h-file.
- Put a knight on e5 when you can support it with f4 or recapture with a pawn: it is the London's best attacking piece.
When you have played a few games with it, run them through the game review. The report names the opening, marks the moves that were still book, and shows where you left the line and what it cost.
London System questions
Is the London System good for beginners?
How should Black play against the London System?
Why 2.Bf4 before e3?
What is the difference between the London and the Jobava London?
Related openings
- Queen's GambitD06–D691.d4 d5 2.c4 offers a pawn to pull Black's d-pawn off the center. Declined or accepted, it gives White a healthy space advantage and is the backbone of 1.d4 play.
- King's Indian DefenseE60–E99Black fianchettoes with ...Nf6, ...g6, ...Bg7 and ...d6, lets White build a big center and then attacks it with ...e5 or ...c5. The ultimate counterattacking defense to 1.d4.
- Italian GameC50–C591.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 aims the bishop at f7 and develops naturally. From the quiet Giuoco Pianissimo to the Evans Gambit and the Fried Liver, it suits every style.