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Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...Nf6/2. Bf4/2...d5/3. e3

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London System Main Line with ...d5

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London System - Main Base Position
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black kinge7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black kingd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black knightg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black pawne5 black kingf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 black kingd4 white pawne4 black kingf4 white bishopg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 white pawnf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 black kingd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)

rnbqkbnr/ppp1pppp/5n2/3p4/3P1B2/4P3/PPP2PPP/RN1QKBNR b

Moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. e3

The London System is a solid and flexible opening system for white that can be played against various setups by black. After the moves:

  1. 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 or
  2. 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. e3

The main ideas for both sides in the London System's main line are:

For White:

  1. Development and Structure: Nf3, Be2, c3, and often Nbd2 followed by a potential e4 break or the more restrained h3 and O-O. The pawn on d4 and the pawn on e3 provide a solid central structure.
  2. Queenside Expansion: With moves like a4-a5 or a queenside pawn storm with b4, aiming for a potential minority attack.
  3. King Safety: Usually achieved with O-O. The rook on f1 might later swing over to the c-file or e-file.
  4. Central Break: Depending on Black's setup, White can aim for e4 at some point.

For Black:

  1. Challenge the Bishop: ...c5 or ...Nh5 can be played to challenge White's strong Bf4.
  2. Development: e6 followed by Be7, O-O, and Nbd7 or Nc6. Depending on the situation, the light-squared bishop can be developed to d7, f5, or g4.
  3. Central Control: Black usually maintains a pawn on d5 and can consider playing ...e5 under the right conditions.
  4. Queenside Counterplay: Black can look for counterplay with moves like ...a6 and ...b5, depending on White's play.

For a general introduction to the London System, take a closer look at 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4

Theory table

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For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation..

1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3

3
System with e6 ...
e6		 =
Early c5 ...
c5		 =

.

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References

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Wikipedia has related information at London System

Bibliography

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