[Event "üê∏Tips for London Systemüê∏: Early Nf3 Mistake - Example 1"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/NboFy7hm/JqgRlE6k"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/FunnyAnimatorJimTV"]
[ECO "D02"]
[Opening "Queen's Pawn Game: London System"]
[UTCDate "2018.04.15"]
[UTCTime "00:24:32"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ This chapter goes over the MOST COMMON MISTAKE I see players make in the London System, and I think it is a big reason the London System gets a bad reputation. Please continue with the arrow keys. } 1. d4 d5 { Ok here many players want to play a London System with Bf4, but they play the move Nf3 either right here on move 2, or maybe on move 3 or 4. I think this is a huge mistake.
If you're playing white here I recommend you play Bf4 right here if you want a London System. And many London System players do play Bf4 but play Nf3 on the NEXT move, but it is still a mistake. Please check out Bf4 here too. [%csl Gf4][%cal Rg1f3,Gc1f4] } 2. Nf3 { Let's see what happens when white plays Nf3 immediately (same case with Nf3 on move 2, 3 and 4) } ( 2. Bf4 { So far white is doing great [%csl Gf4] } 2... Nf6 { And now, right here e3 is the correct move, followed by c3.
However, many players are automatically playing Nf3 here and as I explained in the mainline, it is a horrific mistake.
As white we need to build the pyramid to control the center as quickly as possible. [%csl Ge3][%cal Rg1f3,Ge2e3,Gc2c3] } 3. Nf3 { A mistake. Now black will be better in the next 4 moves! [%csl Rf3] } ( 3. e3 { The correct move- white is building the pyramid speedily [%csl Rf2,Re3,Rd4,Rc3,Rb2][%cal Rc2c3] } 3... c5 ( 3... e6 4. Nf3 ) 4. c3 Nc6 { Here if we play Nf3, white's advantage slips away and we transpose into the disgusting variation in the chapter mainline (black plays Qb6 and white is worse).
As white, if we just play Nd2 here, all these kinds of problems are avoided! Trust me! [%cal Rg1f3,Gb1d2,Rd8b6] } 5. Nd2 { You may wonder, how does Nd2 help? [%csl Bd2] } 5... Qb6 6. Qb3 c4 7. Qc2 Bf5 { Now Bf5 is a blunder! [%csl Rf5] } 8. Qxf5 Qxb2 9. Qb1 { And white isn't losing the rook on a1. This is all because white plays Nd2 instead of Nf3. [%csl Ga1,Bd2,Rf3][%cal Bb1d2,Rg1f3] } 9... Qxc3 10. Nf3 b6 11. Be2 { White has a piece for 2 pawns [%csl Rc4,Rb6,Ge2] } ) 3... c5 4. e3 { Only now white is building the pyramid. But it's too little, too late. [%csl Ge3,Gc3][%cal Ge2e3,Gc2c3] } 4... Nc6 5. c3 { We built our pyramid and developed some pieces well. What is wrong for white in this position?
Well, black has a very good move in this position which gives him a slight edge! } 5... Qb6 { Please check out the mainline of this chapter to see more comments. } ) 2... Nf6 { There are 2 drawbacks to playing Nf3 immediately.
1. The following move order is very bad for white (major and game-changing issue)
2. It's clogged the d1-h5 diagonal (minor issue but it still matters)
We could have simply avoided these issues by DELAYING Nf3, and instead playing the standard moves Bf4, e3, c3 and Nbd2. [%csl Yf3][%cal Yd1h5,Gc2c3,Ge2e3,Gc1f4,Gb1d2] } 3. Bf4 { But really, why is Nf3 bad? What is wrong with playing the normal moves AFTER Nf3? } 3... c5 { Let's see. } 4. e3 ( 4. c3 ) 4... Nc6 5. c3 { We built our pyramid and developed some pieces well. What is wrong for white in this position?
Well, black has a very good move in this position which gives him a slight edge! [%csl Rf2,Re3,Rd4,Rc3,Rb2][%cal Rb2d4,Rf2d4] } 5... Qb6 { And that move is Qb6. First of all black attacks the b2 pawn. [%cal Rb6b2] } 6. Qb3 { As white we want to meet this Qb6 move with Qb3.
If black takes our queen then we get an open a-file with the attacking position. [%csl Gb3][%cal Gb3b6,Gb6b3,Ya2b3] } ( 6. Qc2 { is the best move in this position } 6... Bf5 7. dxc5 $3 Bxc2 8. cxb6 Bxb1 9. Rxb1 axb6 ) 6... c4 { But now black can go c4, and of course we don't want to exchange queens because then we allow black to open the a-file [%csl Rb6][%cal Rb3b6,Rc4b3,Ya7b6] } 7. Qc2 { And now we play Qc2. It seems okay and white's idea is to play b3 next and get a good pawn structure. For example if black plays a bad move like e6 here, we can play b3 and white should in fact be better. However... [%csl Gb3,Gc4][%cal Re7e6,Gb2b3,Gb3c4] } 7... Bf5 { Black has the move Bf5. (If Qxf5, black goes Qxb2 and we lose our rook) Now black's pieces are coming to life. As white, we don't want this.
We can avoid this monstrosity by SIMPLY delaying Nf3, and instead playing Bf4 + e3 + c3 (pyramid) and then playing Nd2! That way, if this same continuation happens, we CAN play Qxf5 safely and our rook on a1 wouldn't be trapped!
See sideline 2.Bf4 3.e3 The move is possible because the black pawn is on c4 [%csl Rf3][%cal Bc8f5,Gb1d2] } *