Mastering the London System (Elisabeth Pähtz, ChessBase) Review

On paper this is a thorough, chapter-listed London System course for 59.90 EUR including EU VAT as of 8 November 2026, and its contents name the sharp ...Qb6 and ...Nh5 lines in detail. Two things to check first: the shop page gives its running time two ways, and the contents list names no King's Indian set-up and includes several lines where White plays c4, so it is not a pure "same set-up every game" repertoire.

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Test depth: Public information only. Nobody at ChessCourseFinder has taken this course. This page is based on the ChessBase shop page read on 8 November 2026 and on one publisher-written review. How we review explains the limits.

This review has no star score. Fit, price and limits are set out instead, and how reviews are made is public.

What the seller says it contains

The ChessBase shop page, read on 8 November 2026, describes a London System built on an immediate Bf4 and publishes a full contents list. By our count of that list there are 70 video entries counting section headings (54 before the Neo-London section, including the introduction, and 16 in it), plus 15 numbered exercises and 7 repertoire-training blocks. Counts below use the same method. The format is FritzTrainer, with a sample-game database. The page dates it March 2026 and states the level as "Tournament player, Professional". These are the seller's claims.

The shop page also offers two free sample videos, the Introduction and "5...cxd4 6.exd4 Qb6 sidelines". They are the quickest way to judge the teaching before paying. On delivery, the page's "Delivery" field says "CB Book, Download", while the boilerplate says download or DVD. Mac use is download only, and streaming on iPad and tablet is listed.

Syllabus check against the London System

Most of Black's main ...d5 set-ups are covered by name, and the gaps are elsewhere. The table compares the contents list with what a club London player can expect to meet. "Listed" means the seller's contents name the line; "Not named" means we did not find it there, which is not proof it never appears.

Three findings stand out, and none is obvious from the sales copy:

• White plays c4 in at least nine entries. Seven are after 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Bf5 3.e3 e6 4.c4, and the Queen's Gambit Declined set-up entries add more. ChessBase's own note on the page describes the London set-up as e3, Bd3, Nbd2 and c3, so if you want that one structure every game, this repertoire asks for more.
• The Neo-London chapter leans on an earlier course. The seller says Chapter 7 incorporates and references material from Pähtz's previous course. If you own The Neo-London-System (49.90 EUR on the same page) expect overlap, and if you do not, those 16 entries may be less self-contained.
• The sharpest line takes a large share. Seven of the 70 entries sit inside 5...Qb6 6.dxc5 Qxb2. Whether you need that depth depends on what your opponents play, and the reviewer below says many critical lines are "unlikely to occur very often in practice".

Running time: the shop page conflicts

The figure of 13 hours has more support, but the shop page still contradicts itself. The "Running time" field says 13 hours, and ChessBase's news item dated 4/9/2026 (the page does not make the day and month order clear) says the same. The "This is what is delivered" section says "approx. 4-8 hrs". That line appears word for word on at least one other course, Simon Williams's London course, whose running time is listed as 7 hours 16 minutes, so it looks like shared template text, though we cannot prove it. Two retailers (chess.co.uk and House of Staunton) say 13 hours, as shown in search listings on 8 November 2026; we could not open those product pages directly.

As a rough sanity check, 13 hours across the 70 listed entries averages about 11 minutes each, while 4 hours would be about 3.4 minutes each (calculated, ignoring the introduction and exercises). The sample videos would let you judge which is closer. Confirm the running time before buying. Listed hours are not study time.

Price

The shop page shows 59.90 EUR including EU VAT, 50.34 EUR outside the EU without VAT and $58.39 without VAT, as of 8 November 2026. Other retailers differ: GBP 49.95 at chess.co.uk and $70.95 at US retailers, per search listings, so a US buyer paying the shop's no-VAT price would save about $12.56 against that figure, before any tax. We found no ChessBase refund promise on the product page; see the withdrawal-right note below.

If 13 hours is right, 59.90 EUR works out to about 4.61 EUR per listed hour; if the 4-8 hours figure is right it is about 7.49 to 14.98 EUR per listed hour (calculated from the listed figures).

One opinion, from the publisher

ChessBase's own news site published a review by Lukas Köpl on 23 July 2026 rating it 4/5. It is not independent, because ChessBase sells the course. It says the course suits tournament and league play from about 1600 upward, and also that anyone looking for an introduction to the London gets "an excellent foundation". The review page does not state a running time. Its criticisms: in the main 5.Nbd2 Qb6 line it does not cover Sam Shankland's 2020 recommendation of 13...Nd5, and some material needs extra work from the user. We found no independent review.

Who it suits, and who should skip it

It suits a player rated roughly 1600 or higher, on the publisher's reviewer's estimate, who wants a broad London repertoire and will add some analysis of their own. The seller and reviewer both say newcomers to the London can use it, but the shop's level label says "Tournament player, Professional" and the depth is considerable, so a beginner may be better served by something shorter. Skip it if:

• you want a fixed "same moves every game" system, given the c4 lines above;
• you often face King's Indian set-ups and cannot confirm they are covered;
• you want a low price or a course built around repetition drills, even though it includes repertoire training;
• you want a satisfaction guarantee. ChessBase offers a statutory withdrawal right rather than a refund promise.

See our ChessBase FritzTrainer review for how the format works.

The free resource covering similar ground

The cheapest step is free: the two sample videos on the shop page show the teaching, and Lichess studies and practice hold free London material of varying quality. You get no single author's repertoire, but you can explore the main set-ups at no cost.

Better-documented alternatives

If the gap or the price is the issue, ChessBase itself sells a cheaper complement. Simon Williams's The London System with 2.Bf4 Reloaded was 29.90 EUR including VAT on 8 November 2026, with 7 hours 16 minutes listed and a contents list that names 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6/c5 lines. Calculated, that is about 4.11 EUR per hour. Its level label is "Advanced, Tournament player, Professional".

The Modern Chess Classical London System lists 99.00 EUR and 4h 52m for Part 1 of a two-part series. The Hambleton review covers a Chessable option, and the TheChessWorld London listing is weaker on evidence. Our best London System courses page compares them, and best Jobava London courses covers the sharper side.

What the seller's pages do not tell you

• Which running time is right (13 hours or 4-8 hours), and how long each chapter runs.
• Whether King's Indian set-ups, 1...Nf6 2.Bf4 Nh5 or Dutch-style replies are handled anywhere. They are not named in the contents list.
• What happens after download. ChessBase's general terms set out a 14-day statutory withdrawal right, but the section we read does not address a course you have already downloaded and activated.
• Whether the course covers Shankland's 2020 recommendation in the 5.Nbd2 Qb6 line, which the publisher's reviewer says is missing.