Top 5 Chess Opening TRAPS in the London System!

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In this video lesson, GM Igor Smirnov shares with you the top 5 chess opening traps in the London System for White. The London System is a chess opening for White that can be used against virtually any Black defense, where White usually plays the following setup: 1.d4 2.Nf3 3.Bf4 4.e3 5.c3.

The London System opening is extremely popular nowadays mainly because of its simplicity and the rock-solid pawn structure for White in the center.

These traps are of high quality, meaning that you don't play any bad moves, desperately hoping for your opponent to fall for the traps. Rather, you play very solid moves so you get a great position even if your opponents don't fall for the traps.

Whether you play the London System as White, or wish to give it a shot after watching this, or want to be aware of this trap as Black, you're going to love this video lesson!

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► Chapters

00:00 Top 5 Chess Opening Traps in London System
00:56 Trap-1: Mainline of the London System
01:59 Exploiting Black's weakness
05:25 White's nasty checkmating attack
06:23 Trap-2: If Black tries to push e5
09:12 Trap-3: Deadly kingside attack
10:56 GM Smirnov won 3 games with this trap
12:45 Trap-4: If Black develops Bg4 earlier
14:10 Reversed Cambridge Springs Trap
15:38 Trap-5: If Black plays symmetrically
18:58 Puzzle of the day: can you find the win?

#GMSmirnov #LondonSystem #ChessTraps #OpeningTraps #ChessOpenings

[simply_the_dev]

I get frustrated playing the london system because they always take the bishop even when I move down, and they always move their white bishop down to take my knight on F3 and it throws my game plan off. Also the Queen coming to B6 frustrates me as well, throwing me off while I"m trying to learn how to play my game plan. I've watched so many London games from many different GM's and they all play differently and still win while one wrong move of mine sends me to purgatory lol. Anyone got a shoulder to cry on...

When we started playing chess roadside in our post student era as unemployed youth, I can remember, we used to play this opening without knowing it's name. We called this opening as 'Temple' Opening looking at its temple-like pawn structure.

[robertgonsalves]

Useful traps. All we have to do is Remember it. Can we have traps in kings Indian defence, Pirc, kings Indian attack. Thanks

[modis]

Puzzle : rook a7+, Queen takes, rook a5, exchange queens on A6, rook a6#

[twentyrothmans]

I was impressed by the Greek gift + tethered goat Queen sliding over from a4 to h4, something I'm not alert to enough.
Thank you very much, I know that you put a lot of effort into these.

[paxing]

Awesome video man. I just started learning about two weeks ago.. still not sure what to study but just been gathering how people think about the game in different positions so far.

[EvertfromNederland]

17:28 If you re-capture the pawn on b5 with the white bishop, using the pinned pawn on the a-file, you allow black to capture your knight on b1. If you re-capture with your Rook, you unpin the pawn and black will take your b5 Bishop. So black kind of forces you to trade your white squared bishop for the Knight on d7. So after the pawn re-capture on b5 you sort of release the pressure you had on black? I'm not sure though. The position ends equal i think with white's knight on e5. But white's bishop is gone and that is quite an important piece.

[oliverphiri]

GM, I won all my games today with the London system.i just learnt it today.its really sharp

[levialiangan]

Puzzle Solution:
1. (W) Ra7 - (B)Qa7
2. Ra5 - If black captures white's Queen, Qa6 then Rook captures the black's queen (Ra6) and its mate.
if black moves the rook at Rb7, capture it by white queens Qb7 and its mate. Black's queen cannot capture it since it is pinned !!!

[paulwemhaner]

PUZZLE: Rxa7+, Qxa7, Ra5, Qxa6, Rxa6#. If Queen doesn't take Queen on a6, and the Rook moves to b6, then cxb6+, Kb8, Qxa7#.

[brendonbradley]

You are the best chess youtuber hands down. Your content is incredibly informative, you present that information in a very logical and easy to consume manner, and you take into account the bad moves that nearly all players below 2100 will fall into and you give that relevant information the proper focus and detail that it deserves. I specifically appreciate the way you are able to show us all of the different lines without making it confusing, they're just natural continuations and alterations to the greater game.

[justinarnold]

Great video! Excellent breakdown of the London. I'll watch this a few more times to absorb properly but this is some well thought out stuff!

[temengaangiki]

This video is so inspiring. Thanks for the traps

[GMIgorSmirnov]

► Chapters

00:00 Top 5 Chess Opening Traps in London System
00:56 Trap-1: Mainline of the London System
01:59 Exploiting Black's weakness
05:25 White's nasty checkmating attack
06:23 Trap-2: If Black tries to push e5
09:12 Trap-3: Deadly kingside attack
10:56 GM Smirnov won 3 games with this trap
12:45 Trap-4: If Black develops Bg4 earlier
14:10 Reversed Cambridge Springs Trap
15:38 Trap-5: If Black plays symmetrically
18:58 Puzzle of the day: can you find the win?

[DJ-ctso]

15:38 — you commend me for my patience? 😀
But watching was effortless, I enjoyed every minute of your video, the content was outstandingly informative for a beginner like myself, and presented in such a clear and captivating way. Many thanks for uploading sir. If I had more leisure time, I would register for your masterclass.

[LooseToots]

Just love the way you do these videos, perfect in every way :)

[michaelfinnegan]

Alex thank you for your videos. I have a question on this videos segment where you state the similarity of whites position to a reverse Slav. I do not see why black cannot play QA5? The white queen is unprotected...and black is protected by his knight. Peace, Mike

[konstantinatanassov]

Quiz: 1. Qb5 should win, as far as the combinations I thought of show.

Threat is 2. Rxb8+ Rxb8 3. Qxb8+ 4Kxb8 5 Rf8+ mate next turn.

1 ... a6!? 2. Qxa6 winning
1 ... Qb6!? 2. Rxb6 Rxb6, white having strong material advantage and still able to attack the black king, should win.
1 ... d2 or e2 2. Rxb8, mating attack.

[RooieBob]

How does one deliver the ‘nasty checkmate’ with the rook and bishop as referred to between 3:15 and 3:25??

[pgkrkkhtenus]

19:05 Puzzle: took b8. If king takes queen c7 is mate. If black decides to take back with bishop, rook f8 pinning blacks rook to the king again. If black decides to move their rook again off the b file to take, queen b7 is still mate, and if he decides to play anything else, rook takes on b8, king takes back, and queen c7 is once again mate