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Jobava London
The Jobava London begins after the moves 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4. It is a sharper relative of the London System, a favourite of players who want early threats against c7 and kingside pawn storms instead of a slow build-up.
- For white
- Direct
- Practical
Written by:
The Essentials
- Early moves:
- 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4
- Colour:
- Played by White
- Style:
- Direct and practical
- Difficulty to learn:
- Easy
- Known for this opening:
- Jobava, Rapport, Carlsen.
- Named after:
- Georgian grandmaster Baadur Jobava, who popularised it from 2013, and Hungarian grandmaster Richárd Rapport.
- Trivia:
- Jobava's board-one performance at the 2016 Olympiad, 2926, is the highest since Kasparov's 2933 in 2002.
- Variations:
- 3... e6. 3... c5. 3... a6. 3... g6. 3... Bf5. 3... c6.
- Good for:
- BlitzRapidClassical
Best suited for rating
400-2500
Why play the Jobava London?
Because it takes the London setup and adds a knight that bites.
After 1. d4 d5, White plays 2. Nc3 and 3. Bf4. The knight comes out before the c-pawn moves, so it can jump to b5 and, together with the f4-bishop, hit c7.
The knight blocks the c-pawn, so the c2-c4 break and the London's c3 support for d4 are off the table for now. White plays for active pieces and kingside space instead.
Black can stay solid with 3... e6, hit d4 with 3... c5, or take b5 away with 3... a6. Against ...Bf5 setups, White often chases the bishop with f3 and g4.
There are dangers. Against accurate replies White gets no advantage. A knight that jumps to b5 too early often has to go back to c3, so White has spent two moves for nothing.
The reward is a system that sets problems from move four, when natural moves such as ...Be7 or ...Bd7 can already lose material to Nxc7+.
Try the Jobava London yourself!
Why the Jobava London is good with the:
Pressure on c7 - The knight on b5 and the bishop on f4 both aim at c7, so careless development loses material early.
Kingside space - Against ...Bf5, the f-, g- and h-pawns advance with gain of time and push the bishop back.
Off the beaten track - Black's usual answers to the London do not fit, because the knight on c3 changes the move order.
Suited for - Energetic players who like early threats and are happy to push pawns toward the enemy king.
Why the Jobava London is good with the white pieces
Pressure on c7 - The knight on b5 and the bishop on f4 both aim at c7, so careless development loses material early.
Kingside space - Against ...Bf5, the f-, g- and h-pawns advance with gain of time and push the bishop back.
Off the beaten track - Black's usual answers to the London do not fit, because the knight on c3 changes the move order.
Suited for - Energetic players who like early threats and are happy to push pawns toward the enemy king.
Why the Jobava London is good with the black pieces
Level ground - With accurate play, 3... e6, 3... c5 and 3... a6 all give Black an equal position.
Central counter-punch - Black can strike at d4 with the c-pawn early, and challenge White's centre before the pawn storms begin.
Simple antidote - A single pawn move to a6 takes b5 away from the knight, and White has to switch plans.
Suited for - Calm, well-prepared players who know where the knight is going and stop it in time.
Strategy
Typical plans, pawn breaks, and key squares.
White's pawn breaks
Depending on Black's setup, White prepares e2-e4, often with f2-f3, pushes the h-pawn to h5, and can follow up with d4-d5.
Black's pawn breaks
Black strikes at d4 with ...c5, more rarely with ...e5, and pushes White's knight back with ...a6 or ...c6.
Key squares
e5, c5 and d4 matter in the centre, but White often makes progress by pushing the g- and h-pawns toward g6, h6 and h7.
The f5-bishop as a target
White chases the f5-bishop with g4, h4 and h5, forcing the weakening ...h6, then trades it off with e3 and Bd3.
The knight on b5
Nb5 hits c7, so Black covers it with ...Na6 and later drives the knight away with ...c6, often following up with ...c5.
Traps and tactics
Four traps every Jobava London player should know.
Themes
A king with options
White's king can stay in the centre or castle on either wing, so White picks a side only once Black's counterplay has shown itself.
The b5 jump
With the bishop on f4, a knight on b5 hits c7 and demands an answer, but once ...a6 or ...c6 sends it home, White has lost time.
Pawns with a purpose
White's g- and h-pawns gain space by attacking Black's pieces, so a bishop or castled king on the kingside turns into a target.
The long squeeze
Many Jobava middlegames are objectively level, but White can press for a long time without risk, while Black has to defend accurately.
History
The history of the Jobava London, from its origins to modern play.
2013
Love at first sight
Georgian grandmaster Baadur Jobava takes up 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4 and later compares the opening to "a lady I had fallen in love with".
2010s
Two names
Hungarian grandmaster Richárd Rapport also adopts the system, and it becomes known as the Rapport-Jobava System as well as the Jobava London.
2016
Olympic gold
At the Baku Olympiad, Jobava wins board-one gold, and his wins with the opening include two former world champions, Topalov and Ponomariov.
2022
By the book
Grandmaster Simon Williams devotes a full repertoire book to the system, The Jobava London System, published by Everyman Chess.
2020s
The champion's choice
Engines rate Black's main replies as level, yet Magnus Carlsen keeps using the Jobava London, beating Gukesh with it at Norway Chess 2025.
Model Games
Games that show the Jobava London at work.
FAQ
The Jobava London begins after 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4, and also arises from 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bf4. White develops the knight before the c-pawn moves, so it can jump to b5 and hit c7.
Yes, if you like clear plans. The same few moves work against most replies, and natural Black moves can already lose material, but White has to learn when the jump to b5 fails.
It is fully sound, though not a route to an advantage. Engines rate Black's main replies as level, but in practice Black must know which natural moves lose to Nb5.
White puts the knight on c3 and the bishop on f4 to aim at c7, then pushes the kingside pawns to gain space and chase Black's pieces.
It is another name for the Jobava London, after the grandmasters Richárd Rapport and Baadur Jobava. The moves are the same: 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4.
Both put the bishop on f4 early. In the London, the queen's knight usually goes to d2 behind a pawn on c3, while in the Jobava it goes to c3, ready for b5.
There is no single best line. 3... e6 and 3... c5 are the most common choices at master level, 3... a6 and 3... c6 take b5 away at once, and 3... g6 heads for a fianchetto.
Jobava, Rapport, Carlsen, Nakamura, Caruana, Firouzja, Nepomniachtchi, So, Erigaisi, and Artemiev have all used it.
Choose the London if you want one solid setup with fixed plans against almost anything. Choose the Jobava if you want early threats against c7 and a sharper fight on the kingside.