White without c4: London, Colle, Torre and friends
Club players often avoid the Queen's Gambit and play a system: the London (Bf4), the Colle (e3, Bd3, c3), the Torre or Pseudo-Trompowsky (Bg5), the Jobava (Nc3 and Bf4), the Veresov or the Blackmar–Diemer Gambit. Against all of them the recipes are the same: hit d4 with …c5 early, punish a bishop that has left c1 with …Qb6, trade the dangerous bishops, castle, and break with …e5 or …c5.
- 15 min
- 1 step
- Lesson 130 of 132
Picking up where you left off.
11 lines, five of them core:
- London: …c5, …Nc6, …Bd6 (core)
- London: 7.Bxd6 and the …e5 break (important)
- London with Nf3: …Qb6 hits b2 (core)
- London with Nf3: 7.Qxb6 axb6 (important)
- Colle: meet e4 with …Qc7 (core)
- Colle-Zukertort: 5.b3 (deeper)
- Torre Attack: …Be7, …c5, …b6 (important)
- Pseudo-Trompowsky 2.Bg5: …h6, …c6, …Qb6 (core)
- Jobava London: guard c7 against Nb5 (core)
- Veresov: 3.Bg5 e6 4.e4 (deeper)
- Blackmar–Diemer Gambit: take and play …e6 (important)
Learn takes up to five new lines at a time, core lines first. When the chapter is learned, practise it from memory.
Lesson complete
Nice work.
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