'Systems' tend to refer to opening setups in which standard plans and pawn structures may be played redgardless of how the opponent replies.
Three good examples may be the london system, the king's indian attack, or the hippo. Assume you know your opponent wants to play these, how do you propose to reasonably stop him?
Because there are VERY few ways that one side can actually prevent these opening setups from occuring (and these few ways are generally bad) it is known as a system.
I think general "systems" tend to be less ambitious for white.
usually against systems if black is a strong player he have lots of way to equalize the game (which is not the same with normal openings when white try to get an edge and keep the small iniative )
but overall systems are ok way to play , they usually work really good at low-medium level.
OK ok ok...what about the Blackmar-Deimer systems on white?
THERE'S something with teeth on white that you can drop on black as long as the e4 vs d5 conflict happens early on.
Just yesterday I watched with glee as a 2200 dismantled a 2300 on this very site with a Scandinavian-turned-Blackmar bludgeoning. It can be kinda sound, useful vs French, Scandinavian, Caro-Kann...
Thoughts?
Blackmar-Diemer is a gambit ... not a very solid one.
Also it's not really a system (1.d4 Nf6 2.e4? Nxe4)
Blackmar-Diemer gives you some very aggresive game as white and lots of attacking chances with the cost of a central pawn which is a very big cost.
I don't think you should take it as your main repetoire.
Actually, Systems are effective in "Most" cases. They can be stopped (or else lead to a significant disadvantage for the player trying to play the "System". Using the 3 given in post number 2:
London System: If you know for a fact that your opponent is an avid London System player, the following line, 1.d4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.Bf4 d6 4.e3 Nc6 (or 4...Nd7 is also very good - position it leads to is slightly different, but still favors Black) 5.h3 e5! and now White's best is to keep the tension with 6.Bg3 and that Bishop has a very sad future. Black still has to work to win the game, but White has NOTHING! More common, as the London System tends to be played by players that can't stand tension, is the god-awful 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 (7...Nxd8? drops the e-pawn) and now the ever-horrible 8.Bg5? f6! 9.Bh4 and that Bishop has ZERO future. Ideas like ...h5 are coming. Black can't blow the White King off the board, but he is, for all intents and purposes, up a piece. The London System is not any good against the Modern!
King's Indian Attack: The most effective way to counter a King's Indian Attack player is to play a system with ...e5. Against 1.e4, 1...e5 does the trick, as does 1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5!. If you are facing one of those that does it via 1.Nf3, 2.g3, 3.Bg2, 4.O-O, 5.d3, 6.Nbd2, 7.e4, etc., goes for a Reversed King's Indian. The Reverse Saemish is risky, and the Reverse Classical is busted, but the Reverse Fianchetto King's Indian is extremely effective against this.
Hippo: If you know your opponent plays the Hippo against anything, there are two rules of thumb. 1. Never, ever, EVER play a4. This is the move that makes the Hippo effective, now that you have weakened your Queenside, so castling there is dangerous, and weakened b4. There should also be a Knight on c3. 2. Always, always, ALWAYS look to play c4 and/or f4. The whole idea of the Hippo is that Black will block the center once you play d5 (with ...e5) or e5 (with ...d5), so having a pawn on f4 or c4 will help break that up. That's why the hippo should only be played when White has played Nf3, Nc3, and a4. If, for some reason, you are stuck in that situation as White with those 3 moves played, then the idea is to be patient, and ask Black what he's doing. If he ever goes Nf6 or Nc6, push the central pawn that attacks the Knight. So if ...Nc6 is played, play d5, so that ...e5 can't be played. However, you have to be willing to sacrifice. In order for d5 to work here, once the Knight moves, you want to play e5 immediately, breaking open the center. Black can only play ...Nc6 or ...Nf6 if he can either A) Plop that Knight on the d5/e5 square when it's attacked or B) White is unable to advance the other pawn without just losing. He has to be getting something for the sacrifice of one or two pawns. Usually that's a direct attack on the King.
normally systems are for white, The main three I think of are the KIA, the colle system and the london system.
the down side of playing like this as thriller points out is that good players can choose a critical set up, or equalize in an offbeatway.
in a traditional opening you must make moves based on responses and try to get an advantage off of how black proceeds. for instance if you play e4 and your opponent plays nf6 you can not just routinely continue with nf3 if you want an advantage.
That said these set ups do have teeth and just because someone plays a system does not mean they are not taking blacks moves into account.
I'm even more confused now.
You must learn to understand the events on the chessboard. To do this, read the Nimzovich example. All options and systems are stand on understanding of the game. If you understand the game, the options and the systems you do not need. Exploring options and systems to support professionals to quickly navigate during the game. But it is always you have 3 days to think about only one step! Why do you need this fake options and systems? 
I heard someone describe opening systems as the "Happy Meal" of chess openings. Its cheap, easy, serves a purpose, but isnt the best choice.
I believe what characterises a system is pawn structure. Stonewall defence is a very solid system, I believe
I heard someone describe opening systems as the "Happy Meal" of chess openings. Its cheap, easy, serves a purpose, but isnt the best choice.
What is wrong with a happy meal? You get a great surprise.
Actually, Systems are effective in "Most" cases. They can be stopped (or else lead to a significant disadvantage for the player trying to play the "System". Using the 3 given in post number 2:
London System: If you know for a fact that your opponent is an avid London System player, the following line, 1.d4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.Bf4 d6 4.e3 Nc6 (or 4...Nd7 is also very good - position it leads to is slightly different, but still favors Black) 5.h3 e5! and now White's best is to keep the tension with 6.Bg3 and that Bishop has a very sad future. Black still has to work to win the game, but White has NOTHING! More common, as the London System tends to be played by players that can't stand tension, is the god-awful 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 (7...Nxd8? drops the e-pawn) and now the ever-horrible 8.Bg5? f6! 9.Bh4 and that Bishop has ZERO future. Ideas like ...h5 are coming. Black can't blow the White King off the board, but he is, for all intents and purposes, up a piece. The London System is not any good against the Modern!
King's Indian Attack: The most effective way to counter a King's Indian Attack player is to play a system with ...e5. Against 1.e4, 1...e5 does the trick, as does 1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5!. If you are facing one of those that does it via 1.Nf3, 2.g3, 3.Bg2, 4.O-O, 5.d3, 6.Nbd2, 7.e4, etc., goes for a Reversed King's Indian. The Reverse Saemish is risky, and the Reverse Classical is busted, but the Reverse Fianchetto King's Indian is extremely effective against this.
Hippo: If you know your opponent plays the Hippo against anything, there are two rules of thumb. 1. Never, ever, EVER play a4. This is the move that makes the Hippo effective, now that you have weakened your Queenside, so castling there is dangerous, and weakened b4. There should also be a Knight on c3. 2. Always, always, ALWAYS look to play c4 and/or f4. The whole idea of the Hippo is that Black will block the center once you play d5 (with ...e5) or e5 (with ...d5), so having a pawn on f4 or c4 will help break that up. That's why the hippo should only be played when White has played Nf3, Nc3, and a4. If, for some reason, you are stuck in that situation as White with those 3 moves played, then the idea is to be patient, and ask Black what he's doing. If he ever goes Nf6 or Nc6, push the central pawn that attacks the Knight. So if ...Nc6 is played, play d5, so that ...e5 can't be played. However, you have to be willing to sacrifice. In order for d5 to work here, once the Knight moves, you want to play e5 immediately, breaking open the center. Black can only play ...Nc6 or ...Nf6 if he can either A) Plop that Knight on the d5/e5 square when it's attacked or B) White is unable to advance the other pawn without just losing. He has to be getting something for the sacrifice of one or two pawns. Usually that's a direct attack on the King.
The set up you are mentioning is of the KID line against the London System but its not so bad techinically speaking black might equalize but their are still alot of play to continue. I play both lines myself I think their are some variations in them that are interesting
INCORRECT - It's NOT a King's Indian setup against the London. It's the Modern Defense (NO Nf6! - Knight stays home on g8!). The King's Indian and the Modern are like Brussel Sprouts and Oreos. NOTHING ALIKE!
INCORRECT - It's NOT a King's Indian setup against the London. It's the Modern Defense (NO Nf6! - Knight stays home on g8!). The King's Indian and the Modern are like Brussel Sprouts and Oreos. NOTHING ALIKE!
My bad I didn't read through all of the moves it seemed like a KID type of set up though but yeah if Nf6 isn't played its more of a Modern Defense for sure. I suppose your trying to get in e5 alot faster with a delayed Nf6? or something.
Yeah, e5 is the idea. Part of the idea behind the London System is to dominate e5. This is why it doesn't work against the Modern Defense.
INCORRECT - It's NOT a King's Indian setup against the London. It's the Modern Defense (NO Nf6! - Knight stays home on g8!). The King's Indian and the Modern are like Brussel Sprouts and Oreos. NOTHING ALIKE!
My bad I didn't read through all of the moves it seemed like a KID type of set up though but yeah if Nf6 isn't played its more of a Modern Defense for sure. I suppose your trying to get in e5 alot faster with a delayed Nf6? or something.
Yeah, e5 is the idea. Part of the idea behind the London System is to dominate e5. This is why it doesn't work against the Modern Defense.
Strange enough I get e5 even with the KID I was just wondering what the impression of getting it in faster has. I do play the Pirc, KID, and I don't think the Modern Defense would be a stretch I would give it a shot but I mean what is the impact of getting e5 in faster is what I'm wondering because in the KID you can force e5 white really can't stop it in the London. Does your knight have other plans instead of Nf6?
The Knight rarely ends up on f6 in the Modern Defense. Usually it only happens in c3-lines (i.e. 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c3 d6 followed by 4.Nf6 since Nc3 isn't possible). Where it goes depends on White's play. It could end up on f6 way later after commital moves with White's pawns are made. It could go to h6 where a pawn push to f5 follows and the Knight ends up on f7. It could also go to e7.
However, it usually stays on g8 for a while as now White can't play Be3/Qd2/Bh6 as there are 2 black pieces on h6.
I think we can ALL agree that Brussel Sprouts and Oreos have nothing in common, can't we?!
I think we can ALL agree that Brussel Sprouts and Oreos have nothing in common, can't we?!
Well, I like both, so they have that in common.
....laying aside the premise that both items have some commonality in being considered food....just saying...
I recently came across this phrase 'opening system'. I did a quick Google search to find out what they are and how they compare to traditional openings.
I found this Chess.com blog post But, besides it being all in annoying blue text, it is not really clear to me how a system works compared to a traditional opening.
Can someone give a little more info about the differences between a traditional opening and a system?
If you know of forum threads on the topic, feel free to post links to them.