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.
Richard Rapport is the man of the moment as he convincingly managed to win the 2nd leg of the GP series in Belgrade last week. His victory with the white pieces against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave impressed me a lot. Not least because of the cunning move 12.Rc3 in the Exchange Variation of the Grünfeld, a rare idea which my friend Jan Winsemius (+/- 1900 rated) had already shown me several years ago.
In the game MVL went for 12...e5 and found himself in deep trouble soon afterwards. When I was analyzing this position with Jan I tried to refute his idea by playing 12...Rd8 13.Qd2 Nxd4, but he had a great trick in store for me.
Exercise: Do you see White's idea? (Analysis)?
You can move the pieces on the live diagram!
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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