The London tournament in 1922 was considered one of the top chess tournament. In that tournament, most of the games played with London Opening. This tournament attracted the world’s top chess players to London Opening.

London Opening starts with (1.d4, 2Nf3, 3.Bf4) No matter what black plays whether king’s Indian or sth white will always play these 3 moves. This simple and solid opening system attracted many strong players in the world to play London Opening.

Ideas behind the London Opening

This is the starting position of London system. The idea is very clear in this opening. White will setup the pieces like this. And in the middlegame, white will attack the black king. one of the main manoeuvre in this opening is to transfer the Nf3 to e5 square and transfer other d2 knight on f3. This setup of pieces and pawns will create domination in the centre and it’s hard for black to break the centre. White’s centre is very solid and the plan is very clear to launch a direct attack on the black king.

Strong grandmasters who played London Opening

Here is the list of strong grandmasters who played this London opening with success and with the highest score. if you want to play London system or you are playing a London system, i suggest you to watch these player’s games so you can understand more details about the London opening.

Magnus Carlsen (Scored 6.5/8 ) Vladmir Kramnik (Scored 6/8 ) Wesley So (Scored 3/5)

Other Notable Players in London System

Elina Danielian (Scored 23/33 ) Pavel Blatny (Scored 21.5/34 ) Christopher Repka (Scored 21.5/36 ) Gata Kamsky (Scored 20/33 ) Nikola Sedlak (Scored 19/23 )

So we will look one game for each, and we will see what are plans and move orders they chosen because they are strongest chess players right now and they know better than us. So Lets start with Magnus Carlsen.

Game Carlsen, Magnus vs Ghaem Maghami

[Event "Olympiad-42"] [Site "Baku"] [Date "2016.09.12"] [Round "10.1"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Ghaem Maghami, Ehsan"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "2857"] [BlackElo "2566"] [PlyCount "57"] [EventDate "2016.09.02"] [EventType "team-swiss"] [EventRounds "11"] [EventCountry "AZE"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 e6 4. e3 Bd6 5. Bg3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Nbd2 Bxg3 8. hxg3 Qd6 9. Bb5 Bd7 10. Bxc6 Bxc6 11. Ne5 Qc7 12. Qf3 h6 13. Qf4 Qe7 14. g4 Nh7 15. Qg3 Rg8 16. O-O Nf6 17. Rac1 Rc8 18. c4 dxc4 19. dxc5 Qxc5 20. Ndxc4 Ke7 21. b4 Qxb4 22. Nd3 Ne4 23. Nxb4 Nxg3 24. fxg3 Bb5 25. Rxf7+ Kxf7 26. Nd6+ Ke7 27. Nxc8+ Kd7 28. Nxa7 Ba4 29. Nd3 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Game Kramnik, Vladimir vs Rasmussen, Allan Stig

[Event "Wch Blitz 9th"] [Site "Berlin"] [Date "2015.10.13"] [Round "1"] [White "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Black "Rasmussen, Allan Stig"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "2777"] [BlackElo "2498"] [PlyCount "43"] [EventDate "2015.10.13"] [EventType "swiss (blitz)"] [EventRounds "21"] [EventCountry "GER"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bg3 O-O 8. Bd3 Qe7 9. Ne5 Bxe5 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. f4 f6 12. Bh4 Qf7 13. exf6 Nxf6 14. O-O e5 15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. e4 Kh8 17. exd5 Qxd5 18. Be4 Qd6 19. Nc4 Qe7 20. Qh5 exf4 21. Rxf4 Ne5 22. Nxe5 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Game So, Wesley vs Dominguez Perez

[Event "Saint Louis Champions Showdown G05"] [Site "Saint Louis"] [Date "2017.11.12"] [Round "5.3"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Dominguez Perez, Leinier"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "2788"] [BlackElo "2739"] [PlyCount "64"] [EventDate "2017.11.12"] [EventType "match (blitz)"] [EventRounds "12"] [EventCountry "USA"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 e6 4. e3 c5 5. Nbd2 Nc6 6. c3 Nh5 7. Bg5 f6 8. Bh4 g6 9. Bd3 Be7 10. O-O b6 11. Re1 O-O 12. e4 Bb7 13. exd5 exd5 14. Nf1 cxd4 15. Nxd4 Nxd4 16. cxd4 Bb4 17. Re3 Qd7 18. Qb3 Bd6 19. Rae1 Nf4 20. Bg3 Rf7 21. Bb5 Qf5 22. Rf3 g5 23. Bd3 Qd7 24. Bb5 Qf5 25. Ne3 Qe4 26. Qd1 Qg6 27. Ba4 Kh8 28. Bb3 Rg7 29. Bc2 Qh5 30. Nf5 Rd7 31. Nxd6 Rxd6 32. Re7 Kg8 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

And now we will look into other chess players who played London system successfully.

Elina Danielian (Scored 23/33 )

Game Danielian vs Zaiatz

[Event "Olympiad Women-31"] [Site "Moscow"] [Date "1994.12.16"] [Round "14"] [White "Danielian, Elina"] [Black "Zaiatz, Elena"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "2320"] [BlackElo "2325"] [PlyCount "35"] [EventDate "1994.12.01"] [EventType "team-swiss"] [EventRounds "14"] [EventCountry "RUS"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 e6 4. e3 Be7 5. Bd3 b6 6. c3 O-O 7. Nbd2 Bb7 8. Ne5 c5 9. Qf3 Nbd7 10. h4 Ne8 11. Rh3 Nd6 12. O-O-O a5 13. h5 f6 14. Ng6 e5 15. h6 e4 16. Qh5 hxg6 17. Qxg6 Rf7 18. Rdh1 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Pavel Blatny (Scored 21.5/34 )

Game Blatny, Pavel vs Priehoda, Vitezslav

[Event "CSR-ch"] [Site "Brno"] [Date "1990.??.??"] [Round "9"] [White "Blatny, Pavel"] [Black "Priehoda, Vitezslav"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "2510"] [BlackElo "2415"] [PlyCount "53"] [EventDate "1990.??.??"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "15"] [EventCountry "CSR"] [EventCategory "6"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 d5 3. Bf4 c5 4. c3 e6 5. e3 Be7 6. Bd3 Nbd7 7. Nbd2 b6 8. Ne5 Bb7 9. g4 O-O 10. Nxd7 Qxd7 11. Qf3 cxd4 12. exd4 Qc6 13. Bg5 Rfe8 14. Qh3 h6 15. Be3 Nh7 16. f4 Nf8 17. Nf3 Qc7 18. Rg1 Bd6 19. g5 hxg5 20. Rxg5 f6 21. Rg4 f5 22. Rg3 Bxf4 23. Bxf4 Qxf4 24. Ne5 Re7 25. Ke2 Ba6 26. Bxa6 Qe4+ 27. Kd2 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Christopher Repka (Scored 21.5/36 )

Game Repka, Christophe vs Baleja, Marian

[Event "Martin op"] [Site "Martin"] [Date "2011.11.18"] [Round "4"] [White "Repka, Christopher"] [Black "Baleja, Marian"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "2129"] [BlackElo "1934"] [PlyCount "33"] [EventDate "2011.11.16"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "7"] [EventCountry "SVK"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 d5 3. Bf4 c6 4. e3 Bg4 5. h3 Bh5 6. g4 Bg6 7. Ne5 Qa5+ 8. c3 e6 9. Nd2 Be7 10. h4 h5 11. Nxg6 fxg6 12. g5 Nfd7 13. Bd3 Nf8 14. Qc2 Na6 15. Bxg6+ Kd7 16. Nf3 Nxg6 17. Qxg6 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Gata Kamsky (Scored 20/33 )

Game Kamsky, Gata vs Carlsen, Magnus

[Event "FIDE World Cup 9-10"] [Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"] [Date "2005.12.17"] [Round "7.3"] [White "Kamsky, Gata"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D14"] [WhiteElo "2690"] [BlackElo "2570"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2005.11.27"] [EventType "k.o."] [EventRounds "7"] [EventCountry "RUS"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 c5 4. c3 cxd4 5. cxd4 Nc6 6. Nc3 Bf5 7. e3 e6 8. Bb5 Bb4 9. O-O O-O 10. Rc1 Bxc3 11. Rxc3 Ne4 12. Rc1 g5 13. Bg3 h5 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Ne5 h4 16. Nxc6 Qd7 17. Be5 f6 18. f3 Nd6 19. Bxd6 Qxd6 20. Qd2 Rf7 21. b4 Rg7 22. h3 Re8 23. Rfe1 Rc7 24. b5 a6 25. a4 axb5 26. axb5 Rb7 27. e4 dxe4 28. fxe4 Bh7 29. e5 Qf8 30. Rc5 Rg7 31. exf6 Qxf6 32. Ne5 Bf5 33. Rf1 Qd8 34. Qe3 g4 35. hxg4 Bxg4 36. Nc6 Qc7 37. Rg5 h3 38. gxh3 Bf5 39. Rfxf5 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Nikola Sedlak (Scored 19/23 )

Game Sedlak, Nikola vs Brkic, Ante

[Event "EU-chT (Men) 20th"] [Site "Reykjavik"] [Date "2015.11.20"] [Round "7.4"] [White "Sedlak, Nikola"] [Black "Brkic, Ante"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "2557"] [BlackElo "2599"] [PlyCount "65"] [EventDate "2015.11.13"] [EventType "team-swiss"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "ISL"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 e6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bg3 O-O 8. Bd3 b6 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. f4 Rc8 11. Bh4 Be7 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Ndf3 Be7 14. h4 Nxe5 15. Nxe5 f5 16. g4 cxd4 17. exd4 Bxh4+ 18. Kd2 Bf6 19. gxf5 Bxe5 20. fxe5 Qg5+ 21. Kc2 exf5 22. Qf3 g6 23. Rag1 Qe7 24. Bxf5 Qf7 25. Rh5 Kh8 26. Rxg6 Qxg6 27. Bxg6 Rxf3 28. Rxh7+ Kg8 29. Rxb7 Rc6 30. Be8 Rf2+ 31. Kb3 Rh6 32. Ka3 Rhh2 33. Bc6 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

So i hope you learned about London Opening, Good Luck!.