Answers.Body: <p><strong>Bishop pair</strong></p>
  <p>When White plays Nxg4 he gets the bishop pair. While it doesn't translate into an immediate breakthrough, this is a valuable positionnal plus that will be felt later on, when the game opens up. Having it as early as move 5, without making concession, is a small but clear achievement for White.</p>
  <p>You might argue that this gain costed White 2 tempi (Ne5-Nxg4), but actually Black will lose time with their stranded knight on g4 too (most probably Nxg4-f6).</p>
  <p>Concretely, after 4...e6 5.Nxg4 Nxg4, White can either :</p>
  <ul>
  <li><p>try to exploit the floating Ng4 as you mentionned: 6.e4 Nf6! 7.e5 Nfd7 8.Bd3, intending c3, Nd2-f3, h4...</p>
  </li>
  <li><p>try to exploit the slight weaening of the light squares: 6.c4 intending Nc3, either e3 or e4, possibly Db3 hitting b7 and d5. This is riskier but may succeed in opening the center faster.</p>
  </li>
  <li><p>continue slowly as if nothing happened : e3, Bd3, Nd2, 0-0... expecting the stength of the light-squared bishop to reveal itself later in the game, possibly after c2-c3 and e3-e4.</p>
  </li>
  </ul>
  <p>In any case, Black's position doesn't collapse immediately but any grandmaster would gladly take White. That's the kind of position we used to evaluate as +/=, althought nowadays it's probably just +0.15...</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2023-07-21T20:14:14.950Z
Answers.Text: Amusingly, after 5...e6?!, the computer plays the standard whack-the-bishop I'm fond of too (Caro-Kann): 6.f3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.h4 h5/6 9.Nxg6 with +1.2 advantage. 6.Nxg4 Nxg4 is only +0.4 :-)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Hauke Reddmann
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Answers.Text: @HaukeReddmann : you're right, 4...e6? is losing outright for another, tactical reason. I should have concentrated instead on another way for Black to ignore the positional threat of 5.Nxg4, possibly 4...c5, 4...c6 or 4...Nbd7. But I was lured away because 4...e6? is considered in the question itself...
Answers.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Body: <p>In a London system course, when explaining the following line, the author mentions that with 4.Ne5 &quot;White is creating a big positional threat of Nxg4.&quot;</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
  1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 Bg4 4.Ne5
  </code></pre>
  <p>I don't understand what's the threat. Even if White plays aggressively, let's say with</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
  1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 Bg4 4.Ne5 e6 5.Nxg4 Nxg4 6.e4 Nf6 7.e5 Nfd7
  </code></pre>
  <p>Sure, White has more space, but I don't see it being dramatic. In fact, in the only masters game in which Black left the bishop in g4, White didn't take it <a href="https://lichess.org/8fgM6xR1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://lichess.org/8fgM6xR1</a>.</p>
  <p>What's the positional thread?</p>
  
Tags: <opening><positional-play><london-system>
Title: What's the positional threat in this opening of the London?
ThreadText: # What's the positional threat in this opening of the London?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-07-21)
  
  In a London system course, when explaining the following line, the author mentions that with 4.Ne5 "White is creating a big positional threat of Nxg4."
  [FEN ""]
  1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 Bg4 4.Ne5
  
  I don't understand what's the threat. Even if White plays aggressively, let's say with
  [FEN ""]
  1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 Bg4 4.Ne5 e6 5.Nxg4 Nxg4 6.e4 Nf6 7.e5 Nfd7
  
  Sure, White has more space, but I don't see it being dramatic. In fact, in the only masters game in which Black left the bishop in g4, White didn't take it https://lichess.org/8fgM6xR1.
  What's the positional thread?
  
  **Tags:** opening, positional-play, london-system
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2023-07-21. Score: 3
  
  **Bishop pair**
  
  When White plays Nxg4 he gets the bishop pair. While it doesn't translate into an immediate breakthrough, this is a valuable positionnal plus that will be felt later on, when the game opens up. Having it as early as move 5, without making concession, is a small but clear achievement for White.
  
  You might argue that this gain costed White 2 tempi (Ne5-Nxg4), but actually Black will lose time with their stranded knight on g4 too (most probably Nxg4-f6).
  
  Concretely, after 4...e6 5.Nxg4 Nxg4, White can either :
  
  * try to exploit the floating Ng4 as you mentionned: 6.e4 Nf6! 7.e5 Nfd7 8.Bd3, intending c3, Nd2-f3, h4...
  * try to exploit the slight weaening of the light squares: 6.c4 intending Nc3, either e3 or e4, possibly Db3 hitting b7 and d5. This is riskier but may succeed in opening the center faster.
  * continue slowly as if nothing happened : e3, Bd3, Nd2, 0-0... expecting the stength of the light-squared bishop to reveal itself later in the game, possibly after c2-c3 and e3-e4.
  
  In any case, Black's position doesn't collapse immediately but any grandmaster would gladly take White. That's the kind of position we used to evaluate as +/=, althought nowadays it's probably just +0.15...
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Amusingly, after 5...e6?!, the computer plays the standard whack-the-bishop I'm fond of too (Caro-Kann): 6.f3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.h4 h5/6 9.Nxg6 with +1.2 advantage. 6.Nxg4 Nxg4 is only +0.4 :-)  
  > **username_1**: @HaukeReddmann : you're right, 4...e6? is losing outright for another, tactical reason. I should have concentrated instead on another way for Black to ignore the positional threat of 5.Nxg4, possibly 4...c5, 4...c6 or 4...Nbd7. But I was lured away because 4...e6? is considered in the question itself...  
  
  ---
  
  