Oscar de Prado - The London System in 12 Practical Lessons: Strategic Concepts, Typical Plans and Tactical Themes

Lesson 5

Typical attacks in the London System

In this lesson were going to see some typical attacking games using the London System, which is more dangerous than many players think. There are certain positions in particular where there are great opportunities for launching very powerful attacks. There is a general impression that the London System is an opening for playing solidly or for a draw and often the player with black lowers his guard and ends up receiving an unpleasant surprise.

Were going to see one of the most typical attacks, based on the sacrifice of the bishop on h7, known as the Greek Gift. This occurs quite often and allows White to launch a devastating attack. It can arise in various positions.

Well also see some typical London System attacks involving the advance of the kingside pawns, as well as a type of attack common not only in the London System but also in other openings, such as the Torre and the Stonewall Attack, based on playing N e5 and f2-f4, followed by transferring a rook or the queen to the kingside.

Well begin with a quite common tactical idea when Black plays ...d7-d5, in the style of the Queens Gambit. Even though the tactic is now quite well known, players at all levels keep falling for it.

Game 10 Systems with ...d7-d5 and ...e7-e6
Gata Kamsky 2709
Samuel Shankland 2611
Sturbridge 2014 (4)

1.d4 N f6 2. B f4 e6 3.e3 c5 4.c3

Our usual response when Black plays ...c7-c5 is c2-c3, to support the centre.

4... N c6 5. N f3 d5 6. N bd2 B d6 7. B g3

The bishop on f4 is one of the key pieces in the London System. We shouldnt allow it to be exchanged without receiving something in return. Thus the idea of B g3 is to gain the half-open h-file in the event of an exchange on g3.

7...0-0 8. B d3

This is one of the key positions of this variation. Black has several options at this point and White should prevent Black from playing ...e6-e5.

8... Q e7

One of the traditional lines, together with 8... R e8 (both aimed at implementing the advance ...e6-e5). Currently the most fashionable line for Black is 8...b6 .

9. N e5

Placing a knight on e5 is one of the main ideas when Black plays systems with ...d7-d5 and, in addition, in this case we prevent Blacks ...e6-e5 pawn break.

9... N d7

Black continues with his typical plan of expelling the annoying knight from e5 and here he threatens to play ...f7-f6, but White now makes use of an unexpected sequence of moves, which are all very strong.

Not at all satisfactory is 9... B xe5 10.dxe5 N d7 11.f4 f6 12. B h4!? ( 12. N f3 ; 12. Q h5 ) 12... Q f7? (12... Q e8 = ) 13.exf6 N xf6 ( 13...gxf6 14.e4 ) 14.0-0 Kramnik-Rasmussen, Berlin blitz 2015.

10. N xd7! B xd7?!

This natural move is dubious here. If Black had been able to see what lay in store he would have recaptured with 10... Q xd7 . Now White can force a draw if he wants with 11. B xd6 Q xd6 12.dxc5 ( 12.f4 cxd4 13.cxd4 B d7 14.a3 N e7= Korpa-Banusz, Austria Bundesliga 2019/20) 12... Q xc5 13. B xh7+ K xh7 14. Q h5+ K g8 15. N e4! g6 16. Q g5 Q e7 17. N f6+ K g7 18. N h5+ K h7 19. N f6+ K g7 20. N h5+ , with a draw.

If White wants to play for a win then he can opt for either 11.0-0 b6 ( 11... B xg3 12.hxg3 Q e7 13.f4 Mousavi-Gholami, Tehran 2017) 12. B xd6 Q xd6 13.f4 (Grischuk-Hammer, Stavanger 2015) or 11.dxc5 B xc5 12.0-0 (Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son-Magalashvili, Batumi 2018).

11. B xd6! Q xd6 12.dxc5 Q xc5

This whole sequence of exchanges, which seems to favour Black, is justified by a line developed in his home analysis by grandmaster Eric Pri, one of the greatest specialists in the London System. You might be surprised when we tell you plainly that Black is already lost now.

Here White has one of the tactical shots that every London System player should know and its surprising that a strong 2600+ (currently 2700+) player was unfamiliar with this idea, which was already popular:

13. B xh7+!!

And once again a thematic bishop sacrifice on h7, although in this position it appears that White has few attacking pieces available. Nevertheless...:

13... K xh7 14. Q h5+ K g8 15. N e4!

The key to Whites idea. Owing to the pin, the knight gains a crucial tempo by attacking the black queen and is thus able to reach the critical square g5, from where it will mount a decisive attack.

15... Q c4

There is no defence. 15... Q b5 is answered similarly with 16. N g5 R fd8 17. Q xf7+ K h8 18. Q h5+ K g8 19.0-0-0! , while 15...g6 also loses after 16. N xc5 gxh5 17. N xd7 R fc8 18. N f6+ K f8 19. N xh5 Hoang Thanh Trang-Stefanova, Riyadh blitz 2017.

16. N g5 R fd8

If 16... Q d3 then 17.e4 R fd8 18. Q xf7+ K h8 19. R d1 Q b5 20.a4 Q a6 ( 20... Q xa4 21.0-0 N e5 22. Q h5+ K g8 23.f4 N c4 24. Q f7+ K h8 25. R d3 ) 21.f4 N e7 22. Q h5+ K g8 23. R f1 dxe4 24. Q f7+ K h8 25. Q xe7 ; or 16... R fe8 17. Q xf7+ K h8 18. Q h5+ ( 18. Q xd7 ) 18... K g8 19. R d1 .

17. Q xf7+ K h8 18. Q h5+ K g8

19. R d1!

In the stem game of this line, Pri played 19. Q f7+ K h8 20.h4 , which also wins, but Kamskys move is better. Now after 20... N e5 there followed 21. Q h5+ K g8 22.0-0-0! Q xa2 23. Q h7+ K f8 24. Q h8+ K e7 25. Q xg7+ K d6 26. N e4+ K c6 27. Q xe5 Pri-Svetushkin, France tt 2009.

19...e5 20. Q f7+

20.f4! exf4 21. Q f7+ K h8 22. R xd5 also wins.

20... K h8 21.e4

Or 21.h4! Q g4 22. Q g6 K g8 ( 22... B f5 23. N f7+ K g8 24. N h6+ K h8 25. Q xf5 Q xf5 26. N xf5 ) 23. Q h7+ K f8 Gorovets-Niemann, Philadelphia 2018.

21... N e7

21... N b4!? also loses after 22. Q h5+ K g8 23. Q h7+ K f8 24. Q h8+ K e7 25. Q xg7+ K d6 26.cxb4 Q xb4+ 27. K f1 .

22. Q xe7 B b5

23. R d2!

Defending against the mate.

Now Whites threats are unstoppable.

23... Q xa2

If 23...d4 then 24. Q xe5 dxc3 25. Q xc3 Q xc3 26.bxc3 and White wins.

24. Q f7 Q a1+

Or 24... R d6 25. Q f5 R h6 26. N f7+ K g8 27. N xh6+ , with a winning advantage.

25. R d1 Q xb2

Now White launches the final assault; its a forced win now.

26. Q h5+ K g8 27. Q h7+ K f8 28. Q h8+ K e7 29. Q xg7+ K d6 30. R xd5+ K c6 31. Q f6+

Shankland resigned without waiting for 31... K c7 32. N e6+ K b6 33. N xd8+ .

Game 11 Jobava Attack
Baadur Jobava 2673
Alexey Sarana 2432
Minsk rapid 2015 (11)

1.d4 N f6 2. N c3 d5 3. B f4

This is the so-called Jobava Attack, a cross between the Richter-Veresov Attack and the London System, popularised by the strong and creative Georgian GM Baadur Jobava, and with which he has gained many victories. At present its quite popular and we studied it deeply in Chapter 8 of our previous book on the London System.