London vs King's Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.e3 Bg7

When Black adopts a King's Indian setup with g6 and Bg7, the London System provides an excellent antidote. This approach neutralizes Black's typical kingside attacking chances while maintaining solid development and good central control.

ECO Code

A48

Difficulty

Intermediate

Style

Solid/Anti-Hypermodern

Key Players

Giri, Rapport, Jobava

Anti-King's Indian Strategy

Central stability: e3 and d4 create a solid pawn center
Bishop activity: Bf4 controls key central squares
Kingside safety: Prevents Black's typical f5-f4 attacks
Piece coordination: Harmonious development with clear plans
Space advantage: Maintains central and queenside space

Main Continuations

4.Nf3

4.Nf3 0-0 5.Be2

Solid development maintaining the bishop and preparing castling with good coordination.

4.h3

4.h3 0-0 5.Nf3

Prophylactic move preventing ...Ng4 and maintaining the bishop on f4.

4.c3

4.c3 d6 5.Nf3

Central support allowing flexible piece development and maintaining the structure.

Neutralizing Black's Plans

Against the King's Indian, the London System effectively neutralizes Black's main strategic ideas. The solid e3-d4 center prevents f5-f4 advances, while the Bf4 controls key squares and limits Black's piece activity on the kingside.

Typical Plans for White

Strategic Ideas

Queenside expansion: c4-c5 advances when appropriate
Central control: Maintain the d4 and e3 strongpoints
Piece activity: Nbd2, Qc2, coordinated development
King safety: Castle quickly and maintain solid kingside
Long-term pressure: Gradual advantage accumulation

Black's Typical Responses

...d6 Setup

...d6, ...Nbd7, ...e5

Classical King's Indian structure with central tension and piece development.

...c5 Challenge

...c5, ...Nc6, active development

Immediate central challenge seeking to create imbalances and piece activity.

...d5 Approach

...d5, ...c6, solid center

More solid approach maintaining central stability and gradual development.

Key Strategic Points

For White: Maintain the bishop on f4 and don't allow Black to achieve f5-f4. Focus on queenside and central play.

For Black: Look for ...e5 or ...c5 breaks to create counterplay. Don't allow White to maintain a bind.

Middlegame Themes

The London System vs King's Indian typically leads to positional middlegames where White has a slight space advantage and better piece coordination. Black must find active counterplay or risk being gradually outplayed in a strategically difficult position.

Master London vs King's Indian

Learn how to neutralize Black's hypermodern setup and maintain positional advantages.

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