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Against a King's Indian setup, with the bishop fianchettoed on g7 and the pawn on d6, the London System keeps its usual shape, but the pawn move to h3 becomes important so that the bishop can retreat to h2, and White has to be ready for Black's two main plans with the e-pawn and the c-pawn.
In this guide
What the King's Indian setup looks like
The London System vs King's Indian setup is one of the most common situations a London player meets. White starts with the usual plan: pawn to d4, knight to f3, bishop to f4 and pawn to e3. Black does not answer with an early pawn to d5. Instead the black pieces go to their King's Indian squares: knight to f6, pawn to g6, bishop to g7, pawn to d6 and castling short.
A typical move order is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4 Bg7 4.e3 d6. Lichess classifies this position as A48, London System, the code used for the London against a kingside fianchetto. Against the more familiar 1...d5 the London belongs to D02 instead.
This setup is a real test for the London because Black's plans are aimed directly at White's favourite piece. Without a pawn on d5, Black keeps the e-pawn free to advance to e5, where it would attack the bishop on f4 and the pawn on d4. The bishop on g7 also bears down on d4 and the long diagonal towards b2.
London System vs King's Indian: move orders
White can reach the London with the knight first or with the bishop first. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6, Lichess calls the position the Accelerated London System (A45). According to Wikipedia, the bishop-first order has become common since Sverre Johnsen and Vlatko Kovačević published their book on the London in 2005.
Both orders usually reach the same structure. A sample line with the bishop first is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.h3 O-O 6.Be2, which is identical to the position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4 Bg7 4.e3 d6 5.h3 O-O 6.Be2.
Some White players switch plans against the fianchetto and put the queen's knight on c3 instead of d2, the setup known as the Rapport-Jobava System. Wikipedia notes that it is particularly common after Black fianchettoes, because the bishop on g7 cannot help defend the c7 square.
Why h3 matters: the knight jump to h5
The most direct way for Black to challenge the London bishop is the knight jump to h5. If White plays the standard development without the pawn move to h3, Black can do it at once: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4 Bg7 4.e3 d6 5.Be2 O-O 6.O-O Nh5.
The bishop has no comfortable retreat. After 7.Bg3 Nxg3 8.hxg3 Black has won the bishop pair. After 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Nxg3 10.hxg3 the result is the same, with Black's kingside pawns more advanced.
That is why h3 is such a common move in the London against a fianchetto. With 5.h3 O-O 6.Be2 Nh5, White simply answers 7.Bh2 and keeps the bishop. The pawn move also gives the bishop a safe home if Black later attacks it with the e-pawn. Wikipedia's description of the standard London setup mentions exactly this: h3 is often added so that the bishop can retreat to h2.
Where White's pieces belong
Against the fianchetto, Wikipedia notes that White may prefer to develop the light-squared bishop to e2 rather than d3. On d3 the bishop would point at the pawn on g6 and have limited scope, while on e2 it supports the centre and keeps the kingside solid.
The pawn move to c3 is the other cornerstone. It supports d4 against both of Black's plans and blunts the bishop on g7 along the long diagonal. The queen's knight usually goes to d2, where it supports the e4 square and does not block the c-pawn.
A sensible target setup for White is therefore: pawns on d4, e3, c3 and h3, bishops on f4 and e2, knights on f3 and d2, and the king castled short. From there White decides how to react to Black's choice of plan.
The London System mug prints the opening's name and the board diagram of the classic version after 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 on both sides: the bishop already outside the pawn chain, as in every line in this guide.
Black's plan with the e-pawn
The King's Indian player's natural plan is to advance the e-pawn to e5. Wikipedia describes the usual preparation as the knight to d7 and the rook to e8. The preparation matters, because an immediate advance can simply lose a pawn: after 5.h3 O-O 6.Be2 Nbd7 7.O-O e5 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Bxe5 White has won the e-pawn.
With the rook on e8, the advance comes a move later: 7.O-O Re8 8.c3 e5. Now the pawn on e5 attacks both the bishop on f4 and the pawn on d4.
Here the pawn move to h3 pays off again. White answers 9.Bh2, keeping the bishop on the same diagonal, where it will press against e5 if the centre opens. Without h3, the bishop would have to go to g3 or g5, where the black knight can chase it again.
Black's plan with the c-pawn and the queen
The second plan is to strike at d4 from the side with the c-pawn and then bring the queen to b6. In the London the bishop has left c1, so the pawn on b2 has no defender, and Wikipedia describes this queen sortie as a popular response at higher levels. A typical sequence is 5.h3 O-O 6.Be2 c5 7.c3 Qb6, attacking b2.
White has two standard answers. 8.Qb3 offers a queen exchange, which removes Black's most active piece. 8.Qc1 defends b2 and keeps the queens on. The same idea appears even earlier against the bishop-first move order: Johnsen and Kovačević considered 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Qb6 the most critical line against the London.
| Black's plan | What it attacks | White's usual answer |
|---|---|---|
| Knight jump to h5 | The bishop on f4 | Play h3 in advance, then retreat the bishop to h2 |
| E-pawn to e5, after the knight to d7 and the rook to e8 | The pawn on d4 and the bishop on f4 | Bishop to h2, with c3 supporting d4 |
| C-pawn to c5, then queen to b6 | The pawn on d4 and the pawn on b2 | c3, then Qb3 or Qc1 |
Both sides of the duel: the London System for White and the King's Indian Defense, whose mug shows the Mar del Plata position from the main line with the pawn on c4. Two mugs are 10% off automatically at checkout, three or more 15%.
How White plays for more
The London is not known for forcing play. Wikipedia quotes several authors on its quiet character, and Boris Avrukh's view is that Black "should not have much trouble equalizing" against it. That does not make the opening harmless; it means White's chances come from understanding the structure rather than from memorised traps.
One ambitious idea uses the fact that Black has no pawn on d5. The e4 square is covered only by the knight on f6, so with the knight on d2 and the pawn on c3 White can prepare to advance the e-pawn a second time and claim more central space. Another approach is the Rapport-Jobava setup mentioned above, which leads to sharper positions from the start.
If you are still choosing between first moves, our comparison of 1.e4 and 1.d4 explains the different kinds of positions each leads to. For the full set of London plans against 1...d5, see our London System guide, and for Black's side of the fianchetto structure, our King's Indian Defense guide.
Questions
How should the London System be played against the King's Indian?
Keep the standard setup with pawns on d4, e3 and c3, but add h3 early so the bishop can retreat to h2, develop the other bishop to e2 and the knight to d2, and castle short.
Why do London players play h3 against a fianchetto?
To answer the knight jump to h5 with the bishop retreat to h2. Without h3, Black can exchange the knight for the London bishop and win the bishop pair.
What are Black's main plans against the London?
The advance of the e-pawn to e5, prepared with the knight on d7 and the rook on e8, and the advance of the c-pawn to c5 followed by the queen to b6 to attack b2.
What is the ECO code of the London System against the King's Indian setup?
Lichess files it under A48, London System. With the bishop first, 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 is A45, the Accelerated London System, but the usual setup with the pawn on e3, the knight on f3 and the pawn on d6 leads back to A48.