London System
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Statistics from Lichess
3,952,886 games: White 47.8% / Draw 5.7% / Black 46.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,413,9853.4M | ||
| 292,703293K | ||
| 152,951153K | ||
| 56,20956K | ||
| 9,3319,331 | ||
| 9,0999,099 | ||
| 5,6985,698 | ||
| 4,2654,265 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.13 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... Bg7 4. e3 O-O 5. h3 b6 6. Bh2 Bb7 7. c3 d5 8. Nbd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 48% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 51% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 699K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.8M | |
| 1800–2199 | 2.4M | |
| 2200 and up | 555K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5,218 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Ding, L.
- Carlsen, M. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Carlsen, M. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Carlsen, M. – Aronian, L.
- Carlsen, M. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 26, 2026
Overview
London System (ECO A48, Flank Openings) is a variation of the East Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 (3 moves).
In 3,952,886 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 46.5% and 5.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Bg7, in 86% of those games.
It continues into one named variation. In all, 6 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the London System
The most played answer, 3…Bg7, also scores best for Black: 49.5%, with Black winning 46.7% and White 47.6% of 3.4M games. Of the main answers, 3…d6 scores lowest: 48.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…Bg7.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The London System peaked in 2020 at 0.19% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.14% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.12% | 43,787 |
| 2017 | 0.16% | 85,845 |
| 2018 | 0.18% | 144,034 |
| 2019 | 0.17% | 217,039 |
| 2020 | 0.19% | 565,117 |
| 2021 | 0.16% | 617,562 |
| 2022 | 0.15% | 554,828 |
| 2023 | 0.14% | 542,097 |
| 2024 | 0.14% | 495,317 |
| 2025 | 0.14% | 483,528 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.14% | 150,684 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
All 6 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “London System (A48)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/london-system