What’s Your Honest Opinion on the London System?

I’ve played the London occasionally in online games and tried it once in a FIDE-rated OTB game , won that one 😅

But here’s my honest take:

I feel like a lot of London players don’t actually understand the opening deeply. They just memorize the setup which is as follows
(triangle pawn structure, bishop on d3, knights on d2/f3 and aim to get that structure no matter what Black does.)

It sometimes feels like autopilot chess.

I’ve had some really good wins against the London because many players don’t seem to know the deeper pawn structures or middlegame plans beyond the basic setup. Once you challenge them early, they look uncomfortable.

Of course, I know strong players use it seriously and it can be very positional and nuanced.

So I’m curious:

• What’s your experience facing the London?
• Do you think it’s underrated or overrated?
• If you play it — what do you actually like about it?
• What do you play against it as Black?

Let’s discuss 👀