Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London System

Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London System, Steinitz Countergambit & Morris Countergambit

Definition

The Accelerated London System begins with 1. d4, quickly developing the queen’s bishop with 2. Bf4. Two ambitious responses for Black are grouped under the heading “countergambits” because they challenge the London player immediately in the opening:

Steinitz Countergambit: 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 e5!?
Morris Countergambit: 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5!?

Black is willing to part with a pawn—at least temporarily—to seize the initiative, banking on the fact that White’s early bishop sortie leaves the rest of the army at home.

Typical Move Orders

Steinitz Countergambit
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 e5 3. dxe5 Nh5 4. Bd2 d6 5. exd6 Bxd6
Morris Countergambit
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. d5 Qb6 4. Nc3 Qxb2 5. Bd2 Qb6

Strategic Themes

Piece Activity vs. Material: Black sacrifices a pawn (or central control) for speed and open lines.
Bishop on f4 as a target: Tactical ideas such as …Nh5 (in the Steinitz) or …Qb6 (in the Morris) gain tempi by harassing the bishop.
Move-order subtleties: A careless pawn grab can leave White undeveloped; conversely, inaccurate follow-ups can leave Black simply a pawn down.

Historical Background

Wilhelm Steinitz, famed for his provocative pawn offers, explored the idea of …e5 against early Bf4 lines in the late 19^th century, hence the eponymous countergambit. The Morris Countergambit is named after English master George Morris, who used …c5 in London café play of the same era. Although never mainstream, both gambits remain practical surprise weapons, especially in fast time controls.

Illustrative Games

Steinitz Countergambit

Morris Countergambit

In both snippets Black activates pieces rapidly while White works to consolidate the extra pawn and complete development.

Practical Tips

White:
- Prioritize development over pawn hunting; e2-e3, Nf3, and Nc3 are key.
- If possible exchange Black’s f8-bishop; its absence reduces Black’s attacking chances.
- Look for central breaks (e4 or c4) once your king is safe.
Black:
- Maintain the initiative; delaying development to recover the pawn can leave you worse.
- Use tempi against the f4-bishop with …Nh5 or …Qb6/Qa5+ tactics.
- Castle quickly—after that your piece activity often justifies the material risk.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

Magnus Carlsen tried the Steinitz Countergambit in online blitz (2022), winning in under 25 moves.
The ECO classification is still A46/A47 (generic Queen’s-Pawn/London); the gambits are too rare for a separate code.
Modern engines give 2…e5 and 2…c5 roughly equal evaluations (≈0.00-0.20), proving they are objectively playable.
GM Richard Rapport revived the Morris idea in the 2016 Bundesliga, inspiring renewed interest among creative players.