# London System for beginners > London System for beginners: the setup, the b2 pawn problem, two engine-checked positions and what 296 rapid games of one club player show. - URL: https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/openings/london-system/ - Updated: 2026-11-04 - Author: Ignacio Soler The **London System for beginners** is a setup rather than a list of lines: White plays 1.d4, brings the dark-squared bishop to f4 early, and follows with Nf3, e3, c3 and a knight to d2. That makes it easy to start. In 266 rapid games with White by one club player, nacsol3, the London scored 51%, and most of the blunders that decided games came in the middlegame, after the setup was complete. nacsol3 is the account of Chess Coach's founder, who went from 631 to 1385 on Chess.com. Every number below comes from Stockfish analysis of his finished rapid games, so read it as one player's experience, not as general statistics about the opening. ## What is the London System? [Wikipedia's London System article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_System) (checked as of November 2026) defines it by 1.d4 and an early Bf4, against almost any Black reply. It has no ECO code of its own; games appear under A46, A48 and D02. The usual White setup is d4, Nf3, Bf4, e3, Bd3, Nbd2 and c3, often with h3 so the bishop can drop back to h2 if it is attacked. The same article notes two things worth knowing from day one. Critics say the London can lead to repetitive games with little dynamic play. And playing 2.Bf4 before 2.Nf3 has become more common, because the order with Nf3 first gives Black extra ...c5 ideas. Database names change with move order. The open [Lichess opening-name list](https://github.com/lichess-org/chess-openings) (checked as of November 2026) calls 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 "Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London System" and 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 "Queen's Pawn Game: London System". In nacsol3's history the same Bf4 plan was split across several names, and 389 more games went under a Zukertort label. The [Zukertort opening hub](/openings/zukertort-opening/) explains why. ## Is the London System good for beginners? What 296 games show These are rapid games, almost all ten minutes, played from 2024 to 2026 between ratings 853 and 1344. | Measure | London-labelled games | |---|---| | Games | 296 (266 with White, 30 with Black) | | White: wins / losses / draws | 130 / 127 / 9 (score 51%) | | Black against the London | 12 / 16 / 2 (score 43%) | | Average accuracy | 80.1% (77.7% across all his rapid games) | | Blunders per game (his moves) | 2.16 (2.25 across all his rapid games) | | Where those blunders happened | 113 opening, 447 middlegame, 79 endgame | How the White games split by Chess.com label: | Label | Wins / losses / draws | |---|---| | London System | 59 / 62 / 6 | | Queens Pawn Opening Accelerated London System | 39 / 35 / 0 | | Indian Game East Indian London System | 17 / 21 / 2 | | Indian Game London System | 13 / 7 / 1 | The setup did what beginners hope for: accuracy was above his average and the opening produced fewer blunders than the middlegame. In 140 games his first blunder came in the middlegame, in 90 it came in the opening, and in 58 he made none. It did not win games by itself. A 51% score says the London gave him playable positions; what happened next decided the result. If you are new to the vocabulary, a blunder is a move that throws away a large part of the advantage. The [guide to analysing games as a beginner](/guides/how-to-analyze-chess-games-as-a-beginner/) explains how to read these labels without getting lost in numbers. ## The b2 pawn: the one London idea to learn first When the bishop leaves c1 for f4, the pawn on b2 loses a defender. Black's standard reply is to hit it with the queen from b6, often after ...c5. Wikipedia calls 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Qb6 the most critical line. We checked that position with the engine: it is about equal, and Stockfish's top choices for White are developing moves such as Nc3 and Nf3, not panic. So you do not need to fear ...Qb6. You need to notice it. Every time the black queen reaches b6, ask two questions: is b2 defended, and if the queen takes it, what does it attack next? The rook on a1 and the knight on b1 are the usual targets. The second position below is exactly this situation. ## Two London positions from real games Both positions are from nacsol3's games with White and were checked with Stockfish through our position tool. ### Push the centre pawn when Black strikes On June 20, 2025, at 1270, nacsol3 played **Wewok (1251)**, labelled "Indian Game London System". After castling, Black played 9...e5, which the engine marked as a blunder. > **Wewok vs nacsol3: the d-pawn can advance and attack the knight** > Position (FEN): `r2qk2r/1b1p1ppp/ppnp1n2/4p3/3P4/2P1PN2/PP1NBPPP/R2Q1RK1 w kq - 0 10` > Played: Qc2 — Queen from d1 to c2 > Better: d5 — Pawn from d4 to d5 attacks the knight on c6; it can be captured, but the line shows why it still works The engine rated the pawn push to d5 as "clearly better for white": it attacks the knight on c6, and the main line continues with a second pawn to e4. The queen move to c2 is natural London development, but it let the advantage shrink to "slightly better for white". White still [won the game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/139819364926). The lesson: London setups are calm, but when Black opens the centre, look at pawn pushes that attack a piece before finishing your usual development. ### Answer the knight on e4 before it is too late On November 11, 2024, at 1066, nacsol3 met **LMill149 (1046)** in a "London System". Black's knight had jumped to e4, a central square London players see often. > **LMill149 vs nacsol3: the queen move attacks the knight; the bishop move leaves b2 to Black** > Position (FEN): `r1bq1rk1/p4ppp/2pbp3/3p4/2pPn3/2P1PNB1/PP3PPP/R2QKB1R w KQ - 2 11` > Played: Bh4 — Bishop from g3 to h4 attacks the queen on d8 > Better: Qc2 — Queen from d1 to c2 attacks the knight on e4 The bishop move attacks Black's queen, which feels active. But after it, the engine's best reply for Black is the queen to b6, attacking the pawn on b2, which has no defender, and the evaluation turns "slightly better for black". The queen move to c2 keeps the position about equal by challenging the knight on e4. In the game Black played 11...f6 instead, and White [won](https://www.chess.com/game/live/120828633650). Same pattern as before: the b2 pawn and the queen on b6. ## A simple London plan for beginners 1. **Bishop out first, then e3.** The bishop must leave c1 before the pawn goes to e3, or it is locked in. 2. **Complete the setup:** Nf3, e3, c3, Nbd2, Bd3 and castle, unless the opponent creates a threat. 3. **Watch b2.** When the black queen can reach b6, decide in advance how you will defend b2 or what you gain if it falls. 4. **Meet a knight on e4.** Challenge it with a piece before starting your own attack. 5. **Look for a pawn push when Black opens the centre.** Captures and pawn pushes that attack a piece come before routine moves. ## Common London System mistakes in these games - **Playing the setup on autopilot** while the opponent has already changed the position. - **Forgetting the b2 pawn** after moving the bishop to f4 or h4. - **Ignoring a knight on e4** in the centre of your position. - **Assuming a solid opening means a safe middlegame.** 447 of 639 blunders in these games came there. ## How Chess Coach helps with your London games Chess Coach is a connector for Claude and ChatGPT that reviews **finished** Chess.com and Lichess games with Stockfish. Its `opening_report` tool summarises the openings you play with each colour and your score in each, so you can see all your Bf4 games together even when the database splits the name. `review_game` then explains the key moments of one game on an interactive board, with a red arrow for the move played and a green one for the better move, and a practice mode for your mistakes. Opening reports are part of the Free plan, together with one in-depth review a day; every account starts with 14 days of full access, no card needed. Chess Coach never helps with games in progress. [Connect Chess Coach](/connect/) to check your own London games. ## Read the journey games behind this page - [Week 3: is the London System good for beginners?](/journey/week-2024-w04/), 2 wins in 10 London games and why the opening was not what lost. - [Week 27: from 1090 to 1018 with my London setups](/journey/week-2024-w28/), a 4–9–1 week with a bishop lost on move 3. - [Week 13: how to beat the London System as Black](/journey/week-2024-w14/), the same opening from the other side. - [Week 32: the Englund Gambit after 1.d4 e5](/journey/week-2024-w33/), or the whole series on the [journey page](/journey/). ## FAQ ### What are the first moves of the London System? White plays 1.d4 and an early Bf4, then usually Nf3, e3, c3, Nbd2 and Bd3. The setup can be played against almost any Black reply, which is why it is called a system. ### Is the London System good for beginners? It gives a beginner the same structure in most games, so you meet familiar positions. In nacsol3's 266 rapid White games with a London label, between ratings 853 and 1344, White scored 51%; most blunders came in the middlegame, not the opening. ### What is the main weakness of the London System? Once the bishop leaves c1, the pawn on b2 has fewer defenders. Black often plays ...c5 and ...Qb6 to attack it; Wikipedia calls 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Qb6 the most critical line. ### Why do some of my London games say Zukertort or Indian Game? Opening names follow the exact move order. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 is filed as an Accelerated London, 1.d4 Nf6 lines as Indian Game London, and games where Nf3 meets ...d5 can be labelled Zukertort Variation. ### How many moves of London theory do I need? Few at club level. Learn the setup, the answer to an early ...Qb6, and when to push a central pawn. In these games, the decisive errors were mostly tactics later in the game. ## Related - [Zukertort opening for beginners: 395 club games](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/openings/zukertort-opening.md) - [Week 3 (Jan 2024): is the London System good for beginners?](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w04.md) - [Week 27 (Jul 2024): from 1090 to 1018 with my London setups](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w28.md) - [How to analyze chess games as a beginner (6 steps)](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/guides/how-to-analyze-chess-games-as-a-beginner.md)