The London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation reaches a named position after 5 moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Qb6 5. Nc3
In practical games, this line matters because the early pawn and piece choices decide which middlegame plans are natural. Use the board above to learn the move order, then complete Practice without hints before adding the opening to your regular queue.
If this exact branch does not appear in your games, study the related lines below. Openings often transpose, and recognizing the family pattern is more useful than memorizing one narrow sequence.
The idea behind this line
White builds a dependable d4, Nf3, Bf4 setup and attacks when Black reveals the structure.
What to look for
- Support d4 with e3 and c3.
- Place the knight on d2 before choosing e4 or c4.
- Use h3 and Bd3 for a kingside setup.
Position details
The defining move is Nc3.
rnb1kb1r/pp2pppp/1q3n2/2pp4/3P1B2/2N1PN2/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 2 5