9 London System Traps

[@HangingPawns]

Here's a great tool for learning openings: chessbook.com/hanging-pawns Chessbook allows you to import and practice your repertoire. It focuses on moves people actually play as well as your mistakes. Connect it to your lichess or chess com accounts to correct the biggest gaps in your repertoire!

[@awenewen]

I 99.9999% love you stjepan - yep the 0.00001 is helping more London players!!!

[@awenewen]

but I suppose they are people too

[@مهدیرفیعزاده-ح2ف]

OK but what are you gonna do? You can't defeat us after this video:)

[@fis1ks752]

London players are not people

[@cogybear]

What about the other 0.00009%? 😂

[@gotaro69]

@@fis1ks752 😂😂

[@MarkDenovich]

Love your videos, this one especially. Put my wife to sleep like a light switch. She gets some rest, but won’t know what’s coming when I play the London.

[@HangingPawns]

haha:D

[@feiny9361]

So glad this showed up in my recommended! Great video, here’s a new sub!

[@karlbe8414]

I've just started with the London system, but my best chess buddy keeps Fianchettoing his bishop on the King's side . I haven't seen videos showing the best line of attack for that situation. Good stuff, I am starting to like the London!

[@Trephining]

Stjepan has become my favorite superhero.

[@borhenlakhoua2625]

Hello Hanging Pawns, video at 4:19, Ke4 and Re1, I don't see it over whelming, would you elaborate please.

[@BusterofGlitch]

I watched your video on zwischenzug and I loved it. I always go London System so I also loved this video. 2/2 videos of yours that I've absolutely loved, thank you so much!!

[@JuanIgnacioLX]

Thank you so much! I'm a London player and these traps are just great!!! Your introduction video also helped me realize mistakes that I was doing. Thank youuuu!!!

[@chriswolff1141]

at 16:36, after knight to G5, could black play Queen D3, defending the H7 mate, and next move play Queen G6. Still losing but prevents the mate?

[@guydavis1635]

Thanks for the great content! I have learnt a heap from your London series. I was looking with the engine and it seems like at 28.42 after d6 in the f7 trap, black actually isn't too bad after white plays dxc5 if they strike with e5 instead of recapturing immediately. Also, looks like Bosiočić may have fared slightly better if at 13.19, he had played Qxd1 first, then f5.

[@darryljones7603]

Very instructive video!!! Thanks!!!

[@ninjamitcherz]

Would love if you made a lichess study with all of these in them!

[@HangingPawns]

I have. But it's available ob my patreon feed only.

[@ninjamitcherz]

@@HangingPawns Thanks. Now I've just become one of your patrons!

[@HangingPawns]

@@ninjamitcherz Thank you:) i just wanted to answer though. Didn't mean it as a sales pitch.

[@123arseniy]

@@HangingPawns do u have other opening studies for patrons as well? I even tried to do some on my own based on your brilliant videos

[@salad7533]

@@HangingPawns it should be a sales pitch. It sells to be honest

[@santiagoporcell4148]

Amazing video as always thanks for uploading

[@josephsalmonte4995]

I appreciate the no nonsense approach 👍

[@yakonlap]

You doin great work brother , thankyou , really instructive

[@johnhardin3348]

Excellent video! Ideas are nicely explained and I like the reiteration of the theme of london to drive the point home

[@subashmilton23]

Excellent, Thank you for sharing

[@chrisstrong8429]

This is an excellent video. So clear and logical. Thank you

[@Whitek80]

Really good. Thanks. That's amazing job

[@Lord7979]

My rating has fallen like 200 points in the last month or so online after these last couple videos maybe I'll switch to the London (I've always played e4) and find better success. Really like the content as always Stjepan!

[@sethmachakos9926]

you might not be losing because of the opening. Just saying

[@Cohenchess]

usually when i drop rating its just because im tilted because i keep losing not because of the opening

[@Lord7979]

@@sethmachakos9926 ofc its not only due to the opening but a change can help. Already had more success today than in recent memory.

[@faizpv8647]

Oh I lose 200 everyday and gain 200. I am a hard stuck 800-1000.

[@zhaneshirkey6788]

Every video you present to us is absolutely top tier. Thank you for all of your hard work!!

[@goms88urzbu89]

Congratulations 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 stejpan

[@theodijkstra7355]

Thanks!

[@panagiotischiras6252]

Will you make a reti opening? Wondering because i didnt see it in the E4 playlist

[@kuros]

18:00 after e6: Qa4 Bd6 Ba6! is a great trap

[@DunkeyKonga]

At 8:07 can't black go pawn b5, threatening white's queen, instead of retreating the bishop?

[@nature337]

In my casual work tournament ive been winning with outposting the knight on e5, queen to f3, then find a way to bait the f6 pawn away, and then queen attacks f7 with checkmate

[@urmis4]

😊😊😊😊 6:54 6:56 6:56 6:56 6:56

[@raba4998]

thanks man great video

[@alexanderfrost2943]

Thank you and yes these are really helpful.

[@usualhumanxd353]

Wow, HUGE thank you for that!!

[@francescoininghilterra]

I’m sorry, I’m a beginner, and many times you say black resigns but I don’t get why. I can’t see now forward than 2 moves at the time 😭

[@winstonsmith5854]

Wow. You have a new HUUUUGE fan. Thank you so much, you MONSTER

[@musakhoshnaw1857]

Nice video many thanks over 50 games i won by your video

[@dodo28121]

I love your channel. Thank you for your efforts!

[@autfly2792]

hi,thank you for your work! Is there any chance to make videos for the colle system? Thank you very much!

[@HangingPawns]

Coming up in a few days:)

[@minnkhant7845]

3:33 how is it mate in2 ? I'm very noob at chess.

[@fabricer.9426]

Excellent summary! 🤩

[@frederikvanparys2479]

Hey Stjepan, I love watching your vid's, just wondering in this one if i'm missing something at 4:04 for a direct win with the inbetween Qxf7+ and all forced ... Qh5 ... Qh7 ... Qh8 ... Qxg7 ... Qf7#?

[@zeus1141]

I'll be darned. I tried the Nb5 idea of the London, the Jovaba trap, and it worked. However my opponent played e5. For which I responded Nf3xe5. He left. Right after watching it on the video so I wouldn't forget it 🤣 first try

[@Hailmich10]

Excellent Video!!

[@AmericanFreakShow]

The thumbnails keep me coming back 😍

[@exoplanet11]

Appreciated very much!!

[@jdrodrigues7]

At 16:37, Black doesn’t “have to move the Rook otherwise it will be Mate” because Qd3 covers h7.

[@DaliborOkoro]

I haven't checked but I assume white has e4 if Qd3 to interpose and then the rook will have to move anyway.

[@noob78]

Yeah, but then he can move pawn to e4, and black has to take with queen, so he will continue to cover h7, but then white can take queen

[@memessavelifes4561]

excellent video thank you.

[@exoplanet11]

Thanks so much for the video. Once I learn those traps I just need to find some grandmasters as opponents :) !

[@Trephining]

I am not so sure that that is how this works, lololol.

[@fxgallo]

Excellent video. Thanks for the clear and logical explanations. One of my favorite channels.

[@Ben1cinematographer]

thanks alot! you make it very clear and simple. just by watching i jumped 200 spots

[@valbarker610]

at 7:17 does Be5 not just immediately trap the queen?

[@anonymous-od3de]

Now I’m studying the Vienna system.Can you teach some middle game ideas of it?

[@Trephining]

Out of curiosity, did he deviate from what his path was and cover the Vienna for you, or did he maintain continuity?

[@user-lp9ie7gn5q]

4:16 .... lichess does not arrive at the easy win that you claim...... what am I missing?

[@benjaminanderson6709]

thank you for this great video.

[@Jimnicolls]

At 8:29 why not axb5?

[@daveterra4778]

Great video man

[@leonardopires9648]

Great video!

[@sanjeevbjain]

very impressive presentation

[@davidrover3487]

16:44 can anyone explain me, why this position is so heavily favored for White?

[@chess2u]

Good info

[@threethrushes]

This is 100 per cent pure gold.

[@fgonzalez1723]

16:16 why wouldn' t black just take the knight with his pawn?

[@nature337]

I know I'm years late but it hangs queen since our queen is on H5

[@wjb-lc5hl]

As a 1400 I’m trying to learn openings. Funny thing is I play a lot of games were they just come straight at you pawns blazing and I have to abandon the opening and fight like hell.

[@itai0301]

2:40 why is moving the knight to a4 not a good move?

[@paulknight4450]

Thank you.

[@balto2455]

5:43 incorrect, Bxf2 prevents mate next move xd

[@abj136]

At my school club where people don’t know openings, I caught everybody by 1. d4 d5 Nc3 Nc6 Bf4 Nf6 Nb5 and winning.

[@1SpudderR]

Thanks....Just keep picking things up!? Thanks again

[@Kokurorokuko]

Why don't you have a video on the Vienna opening?

[@HangingPawns]

I will have one. I have 30 or so videos planned for patching up the e4 series.

[@Kokurorokuko]

@@HangingPawns Good to hear. I thought you've finished your e4 series already and thus I was suprised there was not a single video on the Vienna.

[@LightningGunne]

Just want to point out that at 3:40, after 14. Bxf7+ Kxf7 15. Qh4+, if Black plays 15...Kg6? which is actually a mistake due to 16. Qg5+ Kh7 17. Qh5+ Kg8 19. Ng5 and White's queen now aims at f7 in addition to the weak h-file, 19...Rd8?? would actually lose by force due to 20. Qxf7+! Kh8 21. Qh5+ Kg8 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Qh8+ Kf7 24. Qxg7+ Ke8 25. Qf7# So that leaves only 19...Re8 as the right square for the rook -- not that it's easy to defend as Black anyway after the similar sequence of moves 20. Qxf7+! Kh8 21. Qh5+ Kg8 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Qh8+ Kf7 24. Qxg7+ Kd8 25. Rd1+ (not 25. 0-0-0+) etc. But yeah, it kinda does matter.

[@titusblinus8598]

7:53. What about Be5 winning the Queen?

[@docfrayon]

Playing the London next Saturday against an ELO+300 (at least)... It's going to be interesting :)

[@docfrayon]

@@MGstut Thx !

[@BusyB07]

16:20 what do you mean g6 loses because you get your piece back? Also, thanks for the traps

[@BusyB07]

also at 21:00 how is this game over? black is only down one pawn

[@mensaman55]

need to be more clear......all i hear is: and where is the bishop, knight, castle going to go...and i see all these places, for example at 13:12 the bishop can clearly be taken....but that doesn't happen in the example.....so what if the opponent DOES take the bishop.....we'll never know.....

[@ironlionzion1380]

So much to memorize 😄

[@scharif]

How likely are these traps to work for under 1200 rated?

[@iainengle-roe2861]

I know I'm late, but at 17:22 there is a better idea: Qa4, Ba6 wins at least a pawn and Stockfish gives +3.0 with best play for Black. Edit: After black plays e6

[@tannerspurlin1194]

at 6:30 white should play rook d7

[@fh2234]

You could have said that these traps are for 1400+ rated only because I am playing the London a lot and never in my life (1000 online) have I come to the position where the first trap actually started to be playable lol. Also I find it ilogical to say that the opponents will fall for it if they know London theory up to that point. They might also know more then..

[@tywilschut8249]

Could you possibly do a short series on English-specific openings? I know a lot of them transpose to D4, but some C4 specific openings (Botvinnik system, Carls System, Kings Indian Attack, etc.). I have a player at my club who only plays C4 openings and need some help. You could maybe even add to the dubious series with the Jaenisch gambit, though I think tis even worse than the Latvian.

[@HangingPawns]

I am working on a long English series.

[@tywilschut8249]

@@HangingPawns Holy $%!# you responded! Thank you so much for the series and thanks for all the content. I don't think I would've made it through quarantine without this channel. And of course chess as well.

[@Trephining]

@@tywilschut8249 See? This is why Stjepan has become my favorite superhero.

[@transitboy1858]

How does it work if black plays ...c4, shutting out the light square bishop?

[@EarnestEgregore]

This happens in my games a lot… I’m not sure I’ve found a good answer either (to be fair haven’t had much chance to study the positions)… it definitely becomes a thorn in your side lol

[@Trephining]

@@EarnestEgregore Haven't mucked about with it on the board much because I figured it gets complex fast and my time is better spent learn ing from my favorite superhero, Stjepan, but I imagine somewhere down the line white makes counterplay on the b-file after pushing b3.

[@dresseurpokemon430]

Very cool video. Do you want to make a review of some of the games of the Grand Swiss, and especially endgames ? I think some were very interesting, for example in Firouzja-Howell or in MVL-Shirov (super complicated though). I consider the endgame studies your best videos and they are very original compared to other chess content.

[@ateljeayin]

7:10 what about Nd8?

[@rbrtryn]

After Bxb7 Nxb7 you get the same position as after Na5

[@ateljeayin]

@@rbrtryn yes, but its not that clear ... if Qxa7, then Nc5 and maybe Bh4 Qf4

[@a.m.armstrong8354]

Pass the ammunition! Good stuff!

[@kunallodhi2548]

I am 900 rated but I still find this useful! Epic

[@exoplanet11]

Thanks again. That last trap reminded me of the Nimzowitsch quote: "‘The threat is stronger than the execution’."

[@ronnniehazeus]

How are these traps affected of Bf5 before e6?

[@cnydo]

if blacks play Bf5 then u should just play like normal

[@Trephining]

@@cnydoNormal. Ok, so you mean I should make a mistake somewhere in moves 14-20, compromise my position, have to give up a weak pawn I created earlier, and enter a losing endgame and go back and forth between playing it out painfully or resigning so I can fire up another or go make a grilled cheese sandwich? The decision usually gets made based on which kind of cheese I have on hand, really.

[@graveharvester9977]

16:20 what if they captures our knight with d5

[@aaro9781]

then you take their queen with your queen

[@graveharvester9977]

@@aaro9781 oh thank buddy, me and my untrained eyes😅

[@aaro9781]

@@graveharvester9977 no problem mate!

[@JackMott]

every london trap video starts with this position with a pawn on c5 which 0.01% of 900 elo players ever do :(

[@abj136]

Here’s a trap to beat 900 players then: d4 d5 Bf4 Nf6 Nc3 Nc6 Nb5 (any move) Nxc7.

[@jonbudi]

Terima kasih dari Indonesia

[@jbtravelssolo7596]

22:40 instead of taking with pawn you just check with bishop and when he moves the king you check again on the black file capturing the queen.. that was a stupid example to give and then you only take the pawn....

[@rafiroston8599]

Why doesn’t the pawn just take the knight on e4?

[@Trephining]

This comment illustrates the importance of context.

[@GabrielFonseca11]

I hope u have a good day

[@xavierincepierre7773]

i found alot of people dont play pawn c5 in my games so I cant even do most of these traps

[@Trephining]

Ask them to play c5 then. Most people are actually pretty nice.

[@Fruchtjogurcht]

At the chapter ,,Carlsen's Bb5 trap" after ... a6, Bxc6 xc6, Qa4 if black plays Qc7 you will win a pawn after Bxd6 Qxd6, Qa3 Nd7, Nb3. This pawn winning trap is recommended by IM Eric Rosen. Hope you can enjoy this!

[@hoffi9949]

Ba6 Trap Missing

[@eagleeyes5583]

I'm 1900 on lichess and I pretty much never even play against the main line. People don't know theory. This video is for masters xd

[@jackgonzales-alexander1104]

I was like, ‘his opponent played g6 and he didn’t play Nf6+?!’ Then I realised the King escapes through the knight and as a 1000 Elo blitz player I should probably be listening more than trying to find a better move than the guy playing at 2600…

[@Trephining]

It is always good exercise to try to find the best moves yourself, even if you then revert to seeing what the higher rated players do.

[@jackgonzales-alexander1104]

@@Trephining to be honest, I don’t think I’m built for chess… I have a higher than average IQ, I’ve studied openings, middle game and end game strategy and yet, still when I play classic i can play around 1400-1600, never seem to improve. I played at the same rating when I just, “knew how to play chess” - as in, I knew what the objective was and the legal moves for each piece. I thought, if I apply myself and study and practice, I can surely only improve… alas, turned out to not be true! Haha

[@fightingforcatalonia]

I bet you won't ever cross 2150+ elo. Great channel thou

[@Piku0055]

He's atleast gonna be a master wanna bet?

[@ninjamitcherz]

Why so negative?

[@kevinl1328]

Get a job

[@user-vh3kj9ri8h]

He may prove you wrong

[@sepia_tone]

@zepol zerep what's with the negativity?