Quick Summary:

Game 28: Strange Larsen type opening by white. I don't play too well against it but then he makes some weird positional moves.

Game 29: Very strange mixtures of system, looks like London at first but then we get a Benoni type position where white's pieces stand poorly

Game 30: White, play the London....basically get nothing and worse before the timetrouble

Game 31: Black yet again. Opponent plays the Danish Gambit. I know basically nothing but some 7-8 moves I had seen sometime ago. I think
it should be fine. But then white blunders pawn and is just lost.

After these games my feeling is stronger that players of all levels I have played so far up to 1700 in 5-minute on ICC (which I think corresponds within 100-200 points to otb I think)
shouldn't be avoiding theory so much. Everybody is playing some random systems and getting nothing. Even the stuff I am playing in the videos the London gets nothing if white doesn't know what he is doing. I think just learning some stuff and some ideas and doing it properly will go a long long way to improving most players at this level and players wanting to beat this level.

Thanks for continuing this series, it's been my favorite on this site so far.

The time trouble you got into in game 31 is something I often find myself in. I get into a good or even winning position but if I can't see a clear plan I seem to waste so much time trying to come up with one that I get into time trouble and sometimes lose because of it. My current strategy to try to beat it is to give myself a time limit on moves and when I hit it, I have to move. Is there anything better you can suggest though?

Also, with the London System being less effective at this level, how would you feel about transitioning into something like more mainline English? I'd like to watch something that I can use to beat players up to master level as I still haven't found an opening I really enjoy as white (I've always been an e4 player, but there are a number of black responses that don't lead to the type of game I enjoy).

Thanks



I don't really have a good strategy. Sometimes you just have to quit playing the position and make solid moves and start playing for time only. It's more rewarding to play the position but I guess the other is more practical. As to 31 it's hard to explain what happened....he even kept accidentally not putting his bishop on a square where I could fork it off.



I kind of want to play this type of system or move into more mainline 1.d4 openings. Since English is already my main white opening I feel like it's not good for this series as there is not as much a learning curve and so I don't get any problems that might be relevant for the players trying to get benefits from this. I can try to play more live blitz on my regular account, there I play the English and also Curtains plays the English on his Chessstud account.

thank god for this video, i was going nuts having to use my credits on other things