← London System

Practice: London vs King's Indian Setup

London against the fianchetto

White plays the London against a King's Indian-style setup. Solid and reliable - White avoids the sharp KID theory entirely.

1. d4 Nf6
2. Nf3 g6
3. Bf4 Bg7
4. e3 O-O
5. Be2 d6
♟

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Key strategic ideas

  • White plays the same setup against almost anything: Bf4, e3, Nf3, c3, and Bd3. This system requires very little memorisation.
  • The main plan is to build a solid centre with c3 and d4, then attack on the kingside with Ne5, Qf3, and sometimes Bh6.
  • Black often struggles because there is no obvious way to disrupt White's setup. Every Black move has a predictable White response.

Common mistakes & traps

  • One annoying line for White: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 d5 3.e3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nd2 Bg5! trades bishops and reduces White's attacking potential.
  • The Jobava London (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4) avoids the Bg5 trade and adds new threats. Black who plays ...Nc6 too early can get hit by Nb5.

Pawn structure notes

White has a solid d4-c3-e3 centre with the bishop on f4. White avoids pawn weaknesses and builds a position that is hard to attack. The structure is similar to the Colle but with Bf4 instead of Bd3.

Tips

  • White sidesteps all the complex King's Indian theory with a simple London setup
  • After Be2 and O-O, White can expand with c4 or keep a solid centre with c3
  • Magnus Carlsen helped popularise the London at the highest level

About this line

This line is rated beginner. Practice it repeatedly until you can play the entire sequence without thinking. The in-app trainer tracks your perfect streaks and celebrates milestones.