A practical repertoire for Black against the systems club players love after 1.d4: the London, Colle, Trompowsky, Torre and Jobava London. In every line Black hits d4 and b2 with ...c5 and an early queen, or neutralises White's favourite attacking bishop, and reaches a comfortable middlegame with a clear plan. This is a intermediate opening course for Black (ECO D00) with 5 variations and 4 traps, written for players rated around 1400. Each move is explained and then drilled on a board; it is free.
Key ideas of Beating 1.d4 Sidelines
Strike at d4 with ...c5 early: system players want a calm centre, so make them decide about d4 before their attack is ready.
Use ...Qb6 (or ...Qa5+) to hit b2 when White's dark-squared bishop has left c1; it often forces an awkward queen move or a concession.
Against the bishop on g5 or f4, gain the bishop pair (...h6, ...Ne4) or trade it off with ...Bd6, which takes the sting out of White's kingside plans.
Develop the light-squared bishop outside the pawn chain (...Bf5 or ...Bg4) before ...e6 whenever White's setup allows it.
Once White commits to a structure, aim for a pawn lever: ...b5-b4 on the queenside, ...e5 in the centre, or pressure on the half-open c-file.
Watch b7 and c7: in many of these systems White has Qb3, Nb5 or Nc7+ tricks if Black gets greedy too early.
Variations you learn
London System: ...c5, ...Qb6 and ...c4 – 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Nc6 4. c3 Qb6 5. Qb3 c4 …. Black hits d4 and b2 at once. After Qb3 c4 Qc2 the white queen is pushed back, Black develops the bishop to f5 with tempo and later expands on the queenside.
Colle System: ...c5, ...Bd6 and ...Qc7 – 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 Nc6 …. Black copies White's harmonious set-up but adds ...c5. When White prepares the e4 break, Black puts the queen and bishop on the b8-h2 diagonal and meets e4 with active piece play.
Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3.Bf4 c5 – 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. Bf4 c5 4. f3 Qa5+ 5. c3 Nf6 …. Black kicks the bishop with ...Ne4 and then hits d4 and b2. After the queen trade on b6 Black gets a half-open a-file and an easy game in the endgame-like middlegame.
Torre Attack: ...e6, ...c5 and ...h6 – 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c5 4. e3 h6 5. Bxf6 Qxf6 …. Black puts the question to the g5 bishop with ...h6 and takes the bishop pair, then plays ...d5, ...Bd6 and castles with a sound position and long-term trumps.
Jobava London: ...c5, ...cxd4 and ...a6 – 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 cxd4 5. exd4 a6 …. Black hits the centre with ...c5, then plays ...a6 to stop Nb5 tricks. After ...Bg4xf3 White has the bishop pair but Black has a sound structure and clear piece play against d4.
Traps
Englund Gambit Trap – A famous trap in the Englund Gambit. If White defends e5 with Bf4 and then blocks the queen's attack on b1 with Bc3, Black's ...Bb4 and ...Qc1# finish the game.
Kieninger Trap (Budapest Gambit) – In the Budapest Gambit Black pins the d2 knight with ...Bb4 and ...Qe7. If White greedily takes the bishop with axb4, ...Nd3 is a smothered checkmate.
Halosar Trap (Blackmar-Diemer, watch out) – A warning for Black in the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit. After grabbing three pawns and attacking the white queen with ...Bg4, taking the queen allows Nxc7 mate.
London ...Qxb2 Trap (watch out) – A warning for the ...c5/...Qb6 plan against the London: if White answers ...Qb6 with Nc3, grabbing b2 lets Nxd5 threaten Nc7+ and the a8 rook falls.
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