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 game Lagarde-Jones from the London Chess Classic features the good old Bayonet Attack (9.b4) against the Kings Indian Defence. White sacrificed a pawn and managed to create some play on the queenside, but Black typically decided to launch a counter attack against the king.
As White was about to promote his pawn, Black's threats against the white king were at least as strong and eventually proved to be decisive as White cracked under the pressure. A very enjoyable game for the public!
Exercise: The critical moment of the game has been reached. What should White do here?
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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