Chess openings: What is the London System?

Ready to add a new opening to your arsenal? Check out the London System!

Learning openings requires understanding chess notation, the system for naming pieces and moves. Get a refresher on chess notation here!

London System: 5 quick facts

• The London System is named after a 1922 tournament that took place in London.
• It’s a popular and flexible opening system for White that begins with 1. d4 and has a reputation for being extremely solid. It usually leads to positional, closed games without wild tactics and can also transpose to other openings.
• Because it’s an opening system, it doesn’t need to follow a specific move order like many other openings. Instead, it’s defined by White’s overall setup, which can be reached through a variety of move sequences.
• Most other openings may be ruled out depending on how Black plays, but not the London System! White can often achieve a similar setup no matter how Black responds.
• Because of its flexibility, the London System doesn’t rely as much on memorization as other openings. This is one of the reasons why it’s often recommended for beginners, though it also appears occasionally at the grandmaster level.

London System: the setup

Here is White’s setup for the London System:

Here is one possible move order (out of many) for the London System:

1. d4 d5
2. Bf4 Nf6
3. e3 c5
4. c3 Nc6
5. Nd2 e6
6. Ngf3 Be7
7. Bd3

All systems go

The London System is a versatile opening setup that’s advisable for any level, and especially for beginners, since it’s easy to learn and playable against most Black responses.

If you’re looking for more openings, check out our guide featuring over 30 options for every skill level!