A Chess Confession

Alright, I confess.

I ordered a new book on the London System. I don't know what got into me. Please don't hold a moment of weakness against me.

I think my penance should be actually to Play The London System, as the title states.

Your Thoughts ???

Originally posted by paulbuchmanfromfics
Alright, I confess.

I ordered a new book on the London System. I don't know what got into me. Please don't hold a moment of weakness against me.

I think my penance should be actually to Play The London System, as the title states.

Your Thoughts ???

I have been experimenting with Johnsen and Kovacevic's Win with the London System, where they advocate the 1. d4 and 2. Bf4 move order. There are some sharp lines, and some less than sharp lines.

This may sound like a slightly off-beat comparison, but my limited experience with it leads me to believe that it is less sharp than an Open Sicilian with Bc4, but more sharp than an Open Sicilian with Be2-meant simply as a comparison as to how an opening can display markedly different characteristics depending on how it is played.

Sometimes I think we are too superficial in how we pigeonhole openings- almost every opening can be play aggressively or solidly to taste.

Ultimately, the player makes the game, I think.

I ordered Play The London because the author (Cyrus La??dawala?) had a very interesting video interview on ICC. He talked about the Colle most of all, but he uses both of these openings. I believe it's his first time out as an author, and the book is brand new (Amazon says Sept 1, 2010 release date, but somehow in stock.)

If you are an Amazon shopper, you can take a peak inside this book. I remember seeing something about 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4. Also, he said black dodged a main system by playing 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4.

I have two other books in transit.

One is Wojo's Weapons Volume 1. I think it covers the Catalan.

The other is A Strategic Opening Repertoire 2nd Edition. I've still been readin the 1998 edition, so I am interested to see what they added in 2008.

I also saw some interesting soon to be released books.

Kasparov On Modern Chess Volume 4 (September)

The Complete c3 Sicilian (400+ pages, I think) by Sveshnikov himself !!! I am wondering how he will cover 1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6. He has a two volume set on the French Advance, and I bet he will recommend 3.d4 d5 4.e5.

It will be interesting to hear what you think about the book. I ordered Sverre's book on the London system a few days ago. It looks very promising.

1.d4 d5. 2.Bf4 e5!?



You won't find that in your precious book.

There you are sitting at the board and £14.95 (or how ever much this
futile trash has cost) has just been flushed down the toilet.

It's only move two and nobody has told you what to do.

What is the best way to take that pawn? Do you indeed take the pawn?

1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 e5 3. dxe5 Be6



Nice Bishop that on f4.

1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 e5 3. Bxe5 Nc6 4. Bg3 h5



What page is this position on?

Black will come flying out like crazed Rat with anti Caro Khan ideas.
He most is likely losing so it's all fun for him from now on.

White on the other hand will most likely lose because his natural chess
ability has been stunted by using an opening book as a crutch.

The point is boys any opening can be jazzed up with good words and
sooner or later you will be on your own.

Better to spent the time and money on a chess book.
Tartakower Best games, or indeed his 500 games. Capa/Alekhines best games.
Keres best games, anyone's best games.

Will you think before you follow each other jumping of the cliff.

If I was a professional chess player and was scoring well with an opening
the very last thing I would do is write a book about it.

It's like these how to win at the pools books.

You have to ask why is the author not a millionaire following his own
advice instead of scarping around looking for mugs so he can pocket a 5% royalty?

If this opening is the secret of chess then why is this great learned author
not World Champion?

It's the Old Opening Con Trap and you lot have just been caught.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
1.d4 d5. 2.Bf4 e5!?

[fen]rnbqkbnr/ppp2ppp/8/3pp3/3P1B2/8/PPP1PPPP/RN1QKBNR w KQkq e6 0 3[/fen]

You won't find that in your precious book.

There you are sitting at the board and £14.95 (or how ever much this
futile trash has cost) has just been flushed down the toilet.

It's only move two and nobody has told you what to do.

What is the bes ...[text shortened]...
not World Champion?

It's the Old Opening Con Trap and you lot have just been caught.

😉

I'm playing my part.

This is obviosly one of paulbuchmanfromfics jokes to suck me in and
I have to go along with it.

If I did not bite then I'd be a stick in the mud.

(Cyrus La??dawala?) come on Paul I thought you could better than that.

Quote from James Rizzitano - "At the World Open, in the open section and the u2400 section I saw that the choice of openings are less theoretical and more about dodging opponents preparation. In the old days you might have gotten 30 min to think on an opponents novelty. Now with the shorter time controls even the GM's are more concerned with being unpredictable than theory."

I doubt they are play 2. e5 against the London. 🙂

It's Cyrus Lakdawala. I was too tired to look it up again yesterday. 🙂



Nice bishop on f4? What about the one on e6?

I do get the point though. No opening book is really going to teach someone how to think. Only playing and experience can do that.

Never heard of him. Cyrus is the name of a Specrum 46k Chess program.

You will have to get up earlier than that to catch me.



The e6 Bishop is just fine, he is not a liability.

What will the f4 Bishop look like after you get the KB out with e3.



And if you choose to fianchetto the KB. Is that part of the London Plan?
Also The KB to has bright future. (not).



Black has a easy game with active ideas in the pot.
White is turning the pages of some obscure book looking for help.

Think positive young Paul send back that book and buy
222 Opening Traps after 1.e4 by Karsten Muller & Rainer Knaak
(google it - this is not a gag).

222 wonderful modern ideas all showing you the OTB success rate.
222 Tactical lessons.

White has two good pawn breaks to try e4 and c4. Black's only pawn break is f6, bringing the dead bishop back to life.

One idea would be the immediate Nd2 to play e4.

A slow build up with Nf3, e3, Be2 can't be too bad either.

The thing that is drawing my attention though is the possibility of 4.e4 right away.

4.e4 dxe4 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.Nc3



It looks like black is suffering. I didn't use a box on this, so what am I missing?

Cyrus Lakdawala is a San Diego area based IM. His ICC interview is one of the more memorable ones that John Watson has done. I think you can listen to it for free (or at least partial).

I guess you could try 4. ... d4.



Other 4th moves may allow exd5, Nf3, Bd3, Qe2, and 0-0 with a standard e5 strongpoint a la Nimzowitsch (with an extra pawn).

After 4. ... d4, white still has a lot of choices.
I can see how 2. ... e5 would be useful with a ticking clock.
White has so many good looking lines that he gets in time trouble trying to pick one. LOL

Retreating the f4 bishop to push the f pawn to f4 is one idea.

I'll stick to simple development with 5.Nf3 though.

e4 I liked - fight fire with fire.

But Black does not take the pawn



And I'm getting a Knight on d4 or g6 (hello Bishop).

The point is (if this is not a joke) you have to play some Chess
sometime and if I can pull out an interesting postion with a dodgy pawn sac
after move 2 - just think what can be done on move 3.