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Train this openingAbout this opening
The center is locked pawn against pawn, so pieces alone will not open it. c4 is the move that does, offering a wing pawn to pull the black d-pawn off the center, and that is the Queen's Gambit. It is the most played move here. The point is not to win a pawn but to trade a flank pawn for the center. Nf3 stays flexible and stops e5 before you commit. e3 is solid but locks in your light-squared bishop, and it scores worst of the popular moves for exactly that reason. Bf4 gets the bishop outside the pawn chain first, which is the whole idea behind the London setups.
Plans
- Play c4 to pull the d5 pawn away from the center.
- Develop with Nf3 and Nc3 before committing your pawns.
- Get the bishop to f4 or g5 before you play e3.
- Castle short and put rooks on c1 and d1.
Where the pieces belong
- Pawn: c4, the lever against d5
- Knight: c3, a third attacker on d5
- Bishop: f4, outside the chain before you play e3
- Rook: c1, behind the pawn after the trade
- Knight: f3, covering e5
A structural game. If Black takes on c4 you get the center and a lead in development. If Black holds firm you grind on the c-file with a minority attack.