# Week 6: London System setups, the Englund Gambit and a +53 week

> 860 → 913 (+53) in 25 games: my London System setups went 4–0, and the London bishop beat the Englund Gambit twice before losing to it once.

- URL: https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w07/
- Updated: 2026-10-22
- Author: Ignacio Soler

Week 6 (February 12–18, 2024) was the first real climb since my first week: **25 games, 12 wins, 11 losses, 2 draws, and 860 → 913 (+53)**. White did the heavy lifting (8 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw), and most of it came from setups with the bishop on f4: the London System lines went 4 wins out of 4, and when Black tried the Englund Gambit against my 1.d4, the London bishop beat it twice before I lost to it once.

## The week in numbers

| | |
|---|---|
| Games | 25 (#176–#200) |
| Rating | 860 → 913 (+53) |
| Wins / losses / draws | 12 / 11 / 2 |
| As White | 8 W, 4 L, 1 D |
| As Black | 4 W, 7 L, 1 D |
| Longest winning streak | 4 (#185–#188) |
| Highest rating this week | 944 (after game #190) |
| Average accuracy (Stockfish) | 78.5% |
| Blunders | 59 |
| Most played openings | Queen's Pawn Opening Accelerated London System (3); Englund Gambit (3); Giuoco Piano Game Giuoco Pianissimo Variation (3); Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation (2); Indian Game (2) |

Tuesday, February 13, was the best day so far: games #185 to #188 were four wins in a row, and after game #190 I reached 944. From there it went flat and then down: two long draws (game #195 lasted 223 half-moves and ended in stalemate, with 11 blunders of mine in it) and four losses to finish the week, the last one abandoned after five half-moves. Of my 59 blunders, 16 came in endgames, more than in any earlier week.

## The London System against the Englund Gambit, three times

The Englund Gambit is 1.d4 e5: Black gives up a pawn straight away. All three times I took it with 2.dxe5 and put my bishop on f4 by move 4, the same square it goes to in the London System.

- **Game #185, win** against arieljon (1014), 94.7% accuracy. Black's queen went to b4 with check and took my pawn on b2. I kept developing, and a few moves later my knight took the black queen on a3.
- **Game #188, win** against walid0817 (964), 98.1%. Black's sixth move dropped a piece and the game was over in 15 half-moves.
- **Game #197, loss** against UnclBck (927), 52.7%. This time *my* queen went hunting: queen to d5 on move 7 was already a blunder (+4.41 to +0.74), and on move 12 I left it on d5 where a knight could take it.

So the London bishop was fine against the Englund. The queen adventures, on either side, decided the games.

## Three moments the engine flagged

Evaluations are from White's side; in all three I had White.

### Game #176: one knight move, three jobs

Against kurtoglu27 (946), in an Accelerated London (1.d4 d5 2.Bf4), I was winning (+5.26). I moved my queen from b3 to d3. The engine's move was knight from f3 to e5, and it does three things at once: it attacks the knight on g4, attacks the knight on c6, and opens the long diagonal so my bishop on g2 attacks Black's queen on d5. After my quiet queen move it was still clearly better, but only +2.37.

> **Game #176, White to move: Black's queen sits on my bishop's diagonal**
> Position (FEN): `r1b1k2r/1pp4p/p1n1p3/3q1p2/2NP2n1/1Q2PNP1/PP4BP/R4RK1 w kq - 1 18`
> Played: Qd3 — Qd3, a quiet queen move
> Better: Nfe5 — Nfe5 hits both knights and uncovers the bishop on the queen

My opponent blundered right after, and I [won by checkmate](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101472116753).

### Game #177: the free pawn

Same opening, same day, against PJDLK (871): +3.98 for me. Black's pawn on g5 could simply be taken by my knight. I played h3 instead, Black pushed the pawn to g4 to attack my knight, and my edge shrank to +1.51.

> **Game #177, White to move: is the pawn on g5 really free?**
> Position (FEN): `r3k1nr/2pqp1b1/p1p5/3p1ppp/Q2P4/2P1PNB1/PP3PPP/R4RK1 w kq - 0 14`
> Played: h3 — h3, a pawn move that lets ...g4 kick my knight
> Better: Nxg5 — Nxg5, knight takes the pawn

It was free. I [won anyway](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101488422493), in a game that lasted 95 half-moves.

### Game #178: attacking the queen with the wrong piece

Against Neimaliti (1077), a stronger opponent, the position was level-ish (+0.76). Black's queen had taken my pawn on b2, the same kind of raid as in the Englund games. I attacked it with my knight from c3 to a4. But after my knight move the queen can take my rook on a1 **with check**, and the engine's line wins Black a whole rook (-7.66). Moving the rook to b1 also attacks the queen, and takes the rook out of the corner at the same time.

> **Game #178, White to move: Black's queen is on b2, my rook is on a1**
> Position (FEN): `rnb1k2r/pp3p1p/2p1p1p1/3p1nP1/3P3P/2N1PN1B/PqPQ1P2/R3K2R w KQkq - 0 13`
> Played: Na4 — Na4 attacks the queen, but ...Qxa1+ takes the rook with check
> Better: Rb1 — Rb1 attacks the queen and saves the rook in one move

My opponent missed it and retreated the queen to a3, but I [lost the game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101489645801) a few moves later anyway.

## The lesson of the week

The best moves this week did two or three jobs at once: a knight move that attacked two knights and uncovered an attack on the queen, a capture that won a pawn, a rook move that hit the queen and escaped from danger. My moves did one job, or none. So when I have a good position, the question I now ask is: *which of my moves does the most at once?* And when the enemy queen is deep in my camp, as in game #178 or the Englund games, I check what it can take *after* my move, because that's when the loose piece appears.

## All games this week

| # | Date | Colour | Opponent (rating) | Result | Opening | Accuracy | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 176 | Feb 12 | White | kurtoglu27 (946) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Accelerated London System | 89.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101472116753) |
| 177 | Feb 12 | White | PJDLK (871) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Accelerated London System | 70.9 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101488422493) |
| 178 | Feb 12 | White | Neimaliti (1077) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation | 67.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101489645801) |
| 179 | Feb 12 | Black | chasis222 (969) | Win | Three Knights Opening | 81.4 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101500300345) |
| 180 | Feb 12 | Black | Phill_Foden (1020) | Loss | King's Pawn Opening | 51.5 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101504537879) |
| 181 | Feb 12 | White | yesianovsky (854) | Win | Indian Game | 89.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101517076233) |
| 182 | Feb 13 | Black | ashom768 (888) | Win | Center Game Accepted | 93.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101551354699) |
| 183 | Feb 13 | White | Adagh (1029) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 94.8 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101553176921) |
| 184 | Feb 13 | Black | deniyi (979) | Loss | Center Game Accepted Normal Variation | 70.3 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101553746203) |
| 185 | Feb 13 | White | arieljon (1014) | Win | Englund Gambit | 94.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101566381323) |
| 186 | Feb 13 | Black | ten_degrees (1024) | Win | Scotch Game Scotch Gambit Haxo-Sarratt Variation | 97.4 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101566888325) |
| 187 | Feb 13 | Black | smwalbkre (1000) | Win | Giuoco Piano Game Giuoco Pianissimo Variation | 85.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101579013821) |
| 188 | Feb 13 | White | walid0817 (964) | Win | Englund Gambit | 98.1 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101580180519) |
| 189 | Feb 13 | Black | matheuswiner (979) | Loss | Giuoco Piano Game Giuoco Pianissimo Variation | 74.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101580672955) |
| 190 | Feb 13 | White | VLADiMiRSuv (1063) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Accelerated London System | 88.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101605301115) |
| 191 | Feb 14 | White | goliat197 (1010) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation | 74.3 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101637164409) |
| 192 | Feb 14 | Black | AdhiArson (942) | Loss | Ponziani Opening | 76.9 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101660620301) |
| 193 | Feb 14 | Black | giosino (1106) | Loss | Giuoco Piano Game Giuoco Pianissimo Variation | 72.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101668448471) |
| 194 | Feb 14 | Black | MhHashem (991) | Draw | Giuoco Piano Game | 78.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101688133025) |
| 195 | Feb 15 | White | Sanddrine (920) | Draw | Indian Game | 77.8 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101730136571) |
| 196 | Feb 16 | White | MntlMndGm (1067) | Win | Indian Game East Indian London System | 62.9 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101814939773) |
| 197 | Feb 16 | White | UnclBck (927) | Loss | Englund Gambit | 52.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101834121321) |
| 198 | Feb 16 | White | Bulud1950 (1108) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 58.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101836441385) |
| 199 | Feb 17 | Black | auresian (1076) | Loss | Van 't Kruijs Opening | 63.9 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101900061793) |
| 200 | Feb 18 | Black | gailbethfeldman (936) | Loss | Scotch Game | 97.8 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/102016445049) |

← [Week 5: stuck in the 800s](/journey/week-2024-w06/) · [Week 7: best accuracy, losing week](/journey/week-2024-w08/) → · [The journey hub](/journey/) · [Review your own games like this](/features/ai-chess-analysis/)

## FAQ

### How do you play the London System against the Englund Gambit?

In my three Englund games (1.d4 e5) I took the pawn with 2.dxe5 and had the bishop on f4 by move 4. I won two quickly, with 94.7% and 98.1% accuracy, and lost the third after sending my own queen to d5 too early.

### Why do I lose pieces right after attacking the queen?

Because the attacking move can leave something else loose. In game #178 my knight attacked the queen on b2, but that queen could then take my rook in the corner with check. Moving the rook out of the corner with tempo was the move that did both jobs.

## Related

- [From 631 to 1385: my chess journey in 2,117 games](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey.md)
- [Week 5 (Feb 2024): stuck in the 800s after nine straight losses](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w06.md)
- [Week 7 (Feb 2024): best accuracy yet and still a losing week](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w08.md)
- [Can Claude analyze chess games? Yes, with Stockfish](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/answers/can-claude-analyze-chess-games.md)