Learn the London System

D02 · a repertoire for white · 6 chapters · 32 annotated lines

"The unbreakable fortress"

The London System is one of the most reliable and flexible openings for White. By playing 1.d4, 2.Bf4, and 3.e3, you build an unbreakable pyramid that works against almost anything Black plays. The dark-squared bishop gets outside the pawn chain before e3 locks it in — a key London principle. From this rock-solid foundation, you launch middlegame attacks with c4 pawn breaks, h-file pressure after hxg3, and smooth piece coordination. The London is the perfect opening for players who want a system they can play against everything.

What's inside

• Chapter 1: The London Formation
  Lines: Building the Fortress
• Chapter 2: Handling the Bishop Exchange
  Lines: The h-File & c4 Break, Meeting ...Bf5 — The Bishop Trade on d3, When Black Declines the Trade, The Copycat: 2...Bf5
• Chapter 3: Black's ...Nc6 Plans
  Lines: vs ...Nc6 and ...Bg4 Pin, vs ...Nc6 and ...Bf5 — Mirror Development, The Qg4 Trick
• Chapter 4: vs the King's Indian Setup
  Lines: KID Setup — Early ...Bg7, KID Setup — Early ...d6, vs ...e6 and ...c5 — The Flexible Break, KID Setup: Meeting the ...Qe8/...e5 Plan, KID Setup: The ...Nh5 Poke
• Chapter 5: The Main Line — ...d5 and ...c5
  Lines: Main Line: 3...c5 with ...Bf5, The Poison Pawn: 4...Qb6 5.Nc3!, Main Line: ...Bg4 Pin Version, Move Order: 2...c5 First, Early Poison Pawn: 3...Qb6 Before Nf3
• Chapter 6: Other Black Setups
  Lines: The ...Nh5 Hunt in the Main Line, vs the Grünfeld Setup (...g6 + ...d5), vs the Queen's Indian Setup (...e6 + ...b6), The Englund Gambit: 1...e5?!, The Slav Wall: ...c6 and ...Qb6

Free sample: the main line, move by move

• 1. d4 — 1.d4 — the London System starts here. White claims the center with the queen's pawn, preparing to build the classic London pyramid.
• 1... d5 — Black mirrors in the center. This is the most common reply — a classical approach that leads to solid, strategic play.
• 2. Bf4 — The London move! The dark-squared bishop comes out BEFORE e3. This is the whole point — if you play e3 first, this bishop gets trapped behind its own pawns forever.
• 2... Nf6 — Black develops the knight to its best square, controlling e4 and d5.
• 3. e3 — Now e3 is correct — the bishop is already out. This creates the London pyramid: pawns on d4 and e3 form an unbreakable structure. The e3 pawn supports d4 and gives the light-squared bishop a future on d3.
• 3... e6 — Black solidifies the center and prepares to develop the dark-squared bishop. The ...e6/...d5 structure is very solid but locks in Black's light-squared bishop.
• 4. Nf3 — Develop the knight to its natural square. Nf3 supports d4, controls e5, and prepares short castling. The London pieces all find their ideal squares smoothly.
• 4... Bd6 — Black challenges the London bishop directly. This is Black's most principled plan — exchanging the f4 bishop removes one of White's best-placed pieces.

Learn the London System — start your 7-day free trial →