By playing the London System, with 1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.Bf4, White can avoid a theoretical discussion and instead use natural ability plus a knowledge of plans. The weight of the struggle tends to shift towards the middlegame, but White can also pull off devastatingly quick wins should Black be unaware of the dangers.
The rapid section of the Tata Steel Tournament in Kolkata was impressively won by Arjun Erigaisi. The 18-year old rising star has made some impressive rating progress over the last year, and in his debut elite tournament he played some fascinating chess to clinch tournament.
Particularly impressive was his 19-move victory with the London System against former US Champion Sam Shankland. A sort of miniature one would normally see at the local chess club, but apparently even 2700+ players are struggling to deal with White's aggressive opening play!
Exercise: Can you, like Arjun Erigaisi, finish off the game in a convincing way?
You can move the pieces on the live diagram!
Special attention will be paid to Intermediate Moves, Quiet Moves, Sacrifices on Empty Squares, Mating Patterns, Ignoring Opponents Threat, Calculation in Defence and Method of Comparison. Plus 50 interactive examples to test your knowledge.
Strategy Training: How to Make a Plan
In every game of chess, there comes a moment when one is confronted with the question: what should I do now?
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