Echoes from Forgotten Openings: Valeri Lilov's Plans for Black

One evening in a small chess hall in Saigon, I watched a young player write down his opponent's 1.d4. He had prepared thoroughly for the Slav Defense – expecting 1.d4 d5 2.c4, hoping his opponent would enter the mainline. But his opponent simply played 2.Bf4. The London System. The boy's face fell. I realized he was not afraid of a long variation; he was afraid of a space he had never explored. That moment reminded me of a line I often write: "The real death of a golden generation is when we stop remembering them." In chess, there are golden generations of theory too – mainlines like the Slav, Semi-Slav, QGA and Orthodox have been explored to their roots. We remember them, study them, memorize them. But then one day, a group of White players decide not to play 2.c4 anymore. They turn to the London, Colle, Trompowsky, Torre, Catalan, Blackmar-Diemer or Richter-Veresov. And then Black stands before an empty stadium: it seems like nothing is there, but the echoes of these systems travel far. This article is not about a match I watched. It is a chronicle of a video series by IM Valeri Lilov – a Bulgarian player and trainer who spent six videos redrawing the map for Black in the world of 1.d4 d5. He treats those "secondary" systems as forgotten protagonists. And I believe that after watching this series, Black players will know that no game is truly safe – even when the opponent refuses to enter the theoretical battle. At an online seminar last year, I asked a young Vietnamese player how much time he had spent on the Semi-Slav. The answer was hundreds of hours. But when I asked about the London System, he went silent. That silence lasted long enough for me to understand: our knowledge bank is shaped by what is famous, not by what actually happens on the board. Context: why has 1.d4 d5 become a game of avoidance? In modern chess structure, 1.d4 d5 opens a vast theoretical region. After 2.c4, White can enter the Slav with ...c6, the Semi-Slav with ...e6, the QGA with ...dxc4, or the Orthodox QGD with ...e6 ...Be7. Each branch has centuries of research, from Steinitz to Kasparov. It is a maze of traps: the deeper you go, the easier it is to get lost. Many White players do not want to face that maze. They lack time, or they simply want to keep the game in a framework they control. Instead of 2.c4, they play 2.Nf3 and wait, or 2.Bf4, 2.Bg5, 2.Nc3. These openings were once dismissed as "unambitious". But my experience following games for five years shows the opposite: that very "lack of ambition" becomes the deadliest weapon. Because their opponents – Black players – have usually invested all their preparation in the 2.c4 mainline. When White avoids 2.c4, Black's whole script collapses. Valeri Lilov understands this. In six videos, he does not stuff viewers with dozens of variations. He gives Black a practical plan – a path that can be remembered, applied under time pressure, and flexible enough to counter each system. It reminds me of choosing sound: you do not always need a full symphony; sometimes a single bass note is enough to hold the rhythm. Map of systems and Black's plans. The London System, with 2.Bf4, is perhaps the most played system at club level. White builds a solid structure: e3, c3, Nf3, Nbd2, Bd3 and O-O. White's goal is not loud attack but quiet central control. Lilov suggests a plan based on controlling e4: ...e6, ...c5, ...Nc6, ...Qc7, then possibly ...Rd8. In many games I have seen Black play too passively against the London, allowing White to develop freely. But if Black creates pressure on the c-file and the e4-square, the balance quickly shifts. The Colle System is a sibling of the London. Instead of Bf4, White plays 2.Nf3 then 3.e3, preparing Bd3, Nbd2, O-O and e4-e5. This system looks simple but confuses many Black players who do not know whether to play ...c5 first or ...e6 first. Lilov advises choosing move order based on central control. If White threatens e4-e5, Black should prepare ...Nbd7, ...c6, maybe ...b6 and ...Bb7 to reinforce e4. The flexibility of the Colle lies in White's choice of e4 or c4, and Black's task is to keep his structure from being broken by a sudden battleship. The Trompowsky Attack, with 2.Bg5, is a psychological weapon. It immediately offers to trade the dark-squared bishop, pinning the f6 knight or forcing Black to decide the nature of the game. Many people think 2.Bg5 cannot be dangerous, but they forget it breaks Black's entire opening script. Lilov gives Black two paths: one is ...c5 and ...Qb6, pressuring b2; the other is ...Ne4, trading knights and simplifying. Neither is absolutely correct – the key is not to let White drag you into a battle you do not understand. The Torre Attack, essentially 2.Nf3 followed by 3.Bg5, shares a similar idea. White does not try to occupy the center with c5, but wants to dry up Black's ideas. Black can play ...e6, ...Be7, ...O-O, ...c5, ...Nc6, and when White is busy preparing e4, Black will have chances to play ...cxd4. The Torre is weaker than the Trompowsky, but it demands a clear plan from Black. In the third video, Lilov stresses that Black's patience is the scariest weapon against the Torre. The Catalan raises the game to another level. After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3, White forces Black into a deep strategic battle. The Catalan has been a seductive weapon for many world champions because it combines solidity with subtle attacking ideas. Lilov offers Black a system based on ...dxc4 followed by ...a6 and ...b5, or holding the center with ...c6. Which one? That depends on Black's temperament: counterattackers may choose ...dxc4, defenders may choose ...c6. The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit is another story. With 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.f3, White sacrifices a pawn for rapid development and open files. Many people despise it, but for the unprepared it is a shock. Lilov does not allow Black to grab everything greedily. He chooses an active defense: ...exf3, ...Nf6, ...g6, ...Bg7, ...O-O, and counterplay on the queenside. My opinion: if Black survives the first twenty moves, the Blackmar-Diemer will lose its way. The Richter-Veresov Opening, with 2.Nc3 then 3.Bg5, is a strange hybrid of other systems. It is less common, but still contains dangerous tactical traps in the opening. Lilov handles it simply: Black can play ...Nf6, ...c6, ...Qb6, ...Bg4, or ...e6, ...Be7, depending on White's setup. The secret is not to lose flexibility, because the Richter-Veresov rewards White when Black plays mechanically. What I want to say here is not that these systems are too dangerous. The blind spot lies elsewhere: Black players often think they only need to focus on the main lines of 2.c4, and everything else will take care of itself. The truth is the opposite: the collective memory of the chess world has created an illusion of safety around the list of "must-prepare" openings. Everyone remembers the Slav, everyone remembers the Semi-Slav, but almost no one remembers the London or the Colle until they face it. "The real death of a golden generation is when we stop remembering them." This applies perfectly to opening systems. The Londons and Colles of the chess world have not disappeared; they still live, still win, but they are pushed outside the priority list. And precisely because they are forgotten, they become White's strongest weapon. When the opponent does not remember, any system becomes dangerous. That is why Lilov's videos are not just an opening course, but a memory-restoration notebook for Black. Valeri Lilov, in each video, does not shout or act mysterious. He speaks slowly, moves piece by piece, and places Black in the most practical positions. I like how he treats the Blackmar-Diemer: not as a joke, but not with excessive fear either. That is the attitude of someone who has seen many generations of chess pieces disappear from the board – the attitude of a scribe of disappearances. In chess, as in sports, the things called "secondary" often hide the loudest echoes. An empty stadium still echoes – if we are quiet enough to listen. For Black, that quietness can be trained through Lilov's videos. The only question left is: after watching these six videos, will you be brave enough to look at the gaps you have ignored? Or will you keep forgetting, and then one day, a gentle 2.Bf4 will bring you back to the nostalgia of a golden generation? Generations will pass, but the poem about them is always being written.