Felix Bernard: Level 59 Chess Rival (2122 ELO)

Rook tier · Knight Rider · plays the London System

How Felix plays

Felix is a knight player. At 58 he still enjoys manoeuvring his knights to outposts and watching them dominate a position that an engine would call equal. Against the London, his book line ...d5, ...Nf6, ...c5 and ...c4 creates the kind of locked queenside structure where knights can find good squares on d3, b4 or e4.

He likes positions with fixed pawn chains and clear outposts, and he tends to look for ways to trade his bishops for White's knights when the structure allows. Open positions with long diagonals are less pleasant for him, because his knights lose their footing. He also tends to plan slowly, preparing a manoeuvre several moves in advance. That patience makes him dangerous in closed games but gives White time to change the structure. If you can open lines before his knights arrive, his plans lose much of their force.

At 2122 ELO, Felix plays at master strength. Outright blunders are rare, so you need a sound opening, a clear plan and accurate calculation in sharp moments. A draw against him is a good result; a win means you played a very good game.

London System: the line Felix plays

Against the London System (1.d4, Nf3 and an early Bf4) Felix answers with ...d5 and ...Nf6, then hits the centre with ...c5. The plan is the most direct one Black has: pressure d4, bring the queen to b6 to eye b2, and push ...c4 to gain space on the queenside once White's queen has gone to b3.

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.c3 Qb6 6.Qb3 c4

Learn it move by move: London System walkthrough

How to beat Felix

  1. Watch his knights heading for e4 and b4. Keep f3 or a3 available to take those squares away, and you remove the outposts that his manoeuvres are aimed at.
  2. After ...c4, play b3 to challenge the chain. Opening the b-file or the long diagonal favours your bishops and denies his knights the stable squares they need.
  3. Keep both bishops if you can. Avoid trading your London bishop for one of his knights; a bishop against knight in an open position is the imbalance that works in your favour.
  4. If you play the London into the book, finish development calmly with Nbd2, Be2 and castling, then aim at the e5 square with Ne5 and f4. The ...c4 advance closes the queenside, so the game is decided in the centre and on the kingside.
  5. The book only answers 1.d4. Open 1.e4 or 1.c4 and he is on their own from move one.

What beating Felix teaches you

Felix's games teach the battle for outposts: how to deny squares to knights and when to open the position so bishops become stronger.

Neighbours on the ladder