The London System Chess Opening with FIDE CM Kingscrusher
What you'll learn
- One of the most solid opening systems available and one which World Chess champion Magnus Carlsen uses
- An easy to play system which doesn't require tonnes of memorisation of sharp opening variations
- Positional themes which can be applied more generally to your games and improve even your middlegame and endgames
- How the World chess champion uses a specific move order for maximum effectiveness
- A system you can fall back on when you really want to minimise the risk of losing
- A system that will annoy opponents who have been theoretically prepared in their pet trendy openings
- Systems and ideas that have been checked with Stockfish NN and strong Neural network engines
- The most instructive inspiring stem game selection to get your creative juices flowing!
- One of the first major chess courses by a FIDE titled player making use of Stockfish NN and other Neural Networks from outset
- An opening system that you can play independently of the opponent's preparation and really annoy opponents!
- An Opening system that has a major following on many websites with even London System groups over 1000 members!
- Many fantastic innovations and novelties discovered using the Mighty Stockfish NN engine even for Super Grandmaster games
- London system widely considered the highest cost/benefit in terms of learning investment time and energy and game results
- Learn how to make the London system "downside-ready" for other systems such as Dutch Stonewall and Lenningrad
- Many in depth analysed games of World Champion Magnus Carlsen with the White pieces in the London System
- The only Chess opening you will ever need with the White pieces and one that you can guarantee to make use of in every game
- Care has been taken to add exciting model games even for unusual responses to 1.d4 you might face to give confidence to you
Requirements
- Knows the basics of playing Chess
Description
The London System is a chess opening when playing with the White pieces that has experienced a huge surge in popularity in recent years. It is suitable for any level of chess player and provides arguably one of the highest cost/benefit openings to learn for any aspiring player. Even the World chess champion and other Grandmasters use this opening with great success at any time control. With this course, you can learn all about the very popular London system chess opening with FIDE CM Kingscrusher.
Many example games are from leading exponents such as US Grandmaster Gata Kamsky and the current World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen. The use of 2.Bf4 is seen as the most modern treatment of the London system retaining a great flexibility of options and good ability to handle an early attack by Black on the b2 square which Bf4 left behind. Through annotated games and exploration of key variations, this course gives great insights to be able to play the London system against anything the player with the Black pieces uses.
The use of "Systems" generally is not a new thing. Bobby Fischer in his early years used the Kings' Indian attack system. Bent Larsen used 1.b3. Julian Hodgson won many British champions with his pet Trompowsky. The London "System" means that there is less need to memorise lots of sharp variations, and you can get a comfortable position fairly easily. This, in turn, means you can focus on improving other aspects of your chess, such as more time for tactics training or endgame learning. To be effective at chess means becoming a balanced player in many aspects of chess. If the burden of opening theory is less, then you can spend more time improving other "weak links" within your chess understanding - and hopefully, bring all the links to the same level so you are not let down by a particular area.
By having the London system under your belt, you can focus on improving your chess overall - and better results and more enjoyment of the game will undoubtedly result from such an approach.
Who this course is for:
- Chess beginner and intermediate players
Featured review
Instructor
Tryfon Gavriel, also known as "Kingscrusher" on the Internet. I am a FIDE Candidate Master (CM), and British Regional Chess Master, and run a popular Youtube channel for many years with over 114k+ Subs as of 2021 and a Silver Button Award.
I have done many shows on commercial chess servers. I am also the Webmaster of the correspondence-style chess server Chessworld which emphasizes game quality and research.
Playing experience
Over 35 years of playing activity both online and offline. Peak ICC blitz rating of 2625 (18-Jun-1999). Peak ICC 5 min auto-pairing of 2383 (29-Jun 2012). ECF Grading peak classical: 212 (A) ECF. Peak Rapid rating: 217 (C).
Lichess marathon top 10 finishers in 4 marathons so far. Top 50 finisher in 7 marathons so far. Top 100 finisher in 4 marathons so far. And top 500 in 1 marathon so far. Won quite a few tournaments at lichess - in fact giving me 3rd rank overall behind Lance5500 and papasi in a recent detailed statistical blog analysis titled "Lichess Marathon Statistics".
One of my earliest Over-the-board achievements in Chess was winning the Lloyds Under 18 national UK tournament in 1989. My trophy was awarded to me by Grandmaster and Ph.D. Mathematician Dr John Nunn.
Teaching experience
I have done teaching in Schools and also have done teaching online with several Lichess students on a regular basis, and have a very good coaching rating at lichess.
Other experiences
Played twice in the main British Chess championship. Many of my Youtube viewers claim big rating increases after watching my videos.
Best skills
I particularly love attacking chess, chess tactics, and combinations, and it is probably no accident that my "Complete Guide to Chess Tactics" has been a best-seller shortly after its release here at Udemy.
In general, I will try and give you greater enthusiasm for the game and in particular the dynamic attacking, aggressive tactical aspects of playing chess. My favorite heroes are mainly Attacking style tactical players: Paul Morphy, Alexander Alekhine, Mikhail Tal, Bobby Fischer, and Garry Kasparov. if you want to be a dynamic aggressive attacking style player, I may be able to encourage you and find you relevant resources on that path. The dynamic aggressive attacking players were particularly strong tactically and would often trade off pawn structure neatness and material to try and checkmate the opponent's kings. Checkmate does win the game :) They were masters of finishing combinations naturally as they sought to reduce the king's safety of the opponent in various ways including bringing the King out for often beautiful mating combinations.
Chess Openings
In terms of concrete openings to make use of potentially teaching here at Udemy through courses. I like Solid openings on such as the London System. I also like provocative openings like the Knight's Tango systems to encourage weaknesses from opponents. I am also at faster time controls especially, particularly fond of aggressive openings and gambits. For example, the Smith-Morra Gambit vs the Sicilian Defence, and other gambits can be used aggressively even with the black pieces such as the Albin Counter Gambit. Gambits vary of course in soundness and it is important to teach what "ticks many boxes" for use in various time controls. Also, I like surprising opponents with openings such as the Nimzo-Larsen attack, the King's Indian Attack, The London System, and Queen's Knight attack system 1. Nc3, all of which I have courses for here at Udemy.
In the search for the ideal courses to provide you, I like to search within myself for my core strengths and passions within the passion of Chess.
I truly hope you enjoy my courses and they improve your chess and your enjoyment of chess generally - and life generally :)