Rapport-Jobava System
The Jobava London arises after 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4, a London setup where the queen's knight goes to c3 instead of d2. White aims for a quick attack on c7 with Nb5 and attacking setups with f3 and g4, while Black uses the blocked c-pawn to hit d4 with ...c5 and develop fast.
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4
- ECO
- D01
- Engine
- −0.11 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 17,776 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 54.3%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- Use Nb5 to hit c7 together with the f4 bishop, forcing Black to spend a tempo on ...Na6 or ...a6.
- Build with e3, Qd2 and long castling, then push f3 and g4 to attack a king on g8.
- Answer ...Bf5 with a bishop on d3 and a trade on f5, as in the engine line, to change Black's kingside pawns.
- Against ...c5, the engine plays e3 and f3, kicking a bishop from g4, then takes on c5 to gain time.
Black
- Develop the c8 bishop to f5 at once, the engine's top choice, before White can play e3 and a bishop to d3.
- Strike with ...c5. White's knight on c3 blocks the c-pawn, so White cannot answer with c3 to hold d4.
- Play ...a6 to stop Nb5 for good, then build with ...e6 and ...Bb4 against the c3 knight.
- If White pushes g4, look for tactics against the loose kingside, as in the engine line where the knight takes on g4.
Plans and pawn structure
White's setup is flexible: e3 and a bishop on d3 for a slow London, or Qd2, f3 and long castling for a pawn storm with g4 and h4. The knight on c3 also supports e4, a central break the normal London rarely gets. Black's plans run through the queenside and the center. Because White cannot play c3, the d4 pawn has less support, so ...c5 and ...Nc6 attack it directly. Black should castle with care once White has started a pawn storm.
What the Jobava London is about
The Jobava London starts with 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4. It looks like a London System, but the queen's knight goes to c3 instead of d2, and that one change makes the opening much sharper. The knight on c3 can jump to b5 and, together with the f4 bishop, attack c7. It also supports a later e4 break, and it leaves White free to castle long and throw the kingside pawns forward.
The price is that White's c-pawn is blocked. White cannot play c3 to support d4 or c4 to attack d5, so Black gets easy central play. From this position White scored 54.3% in 17776 games, a good practical result, while the engine's top two replies, 3...Bf5 and 3...c5, leave Black at least level.
The main lines
3...Bf5 is the engine's first choice. Black develops the light-squared bishop before White can contest it. The engine line goes 4.e3 e6 5.Bd3 c6 6.Bxf5 exf5 7.Nce2. White trades the bishop and then reroutes the c3 knight, while Black accepts doubled f-pawns that control e4 and keep a solid center.
3...c5 hits d4 at once and asks White how to support it without the c-pawn. The engine line 4.e3 Bg4 5.f3 Bd7 6.dxc5 Nc6 7.a3 shows White pushing back the bishop with f3, taking on c5 and using a3 to stop a check on b4.
3...a6 takes b5 away from the knight. White then switches to a direct attack: 4.e3 e6 5.g4, and after 5...Bb4 6.Ne2 Nxg4 7.Rg1 White has given a pawn for an open g-file against Black's kingside.
The Rapport-Jobava System with ...e6 comes from 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 e6 3.Bf4. It is the most played branch, with 5442 games and White scoring 54.1%. Black keeps the f8 bishop free for a check on b4 or a post on d6 but shuts in the c8 bishop, so White's Nb5 jump and kingside ideas gain extra force.
Typical plans for White
White has two main setups. The quiet one is e3, a bishop on d3, Nf3 and short castling, a London with a more active knight. The aggressive one is e3, Qd2, f3 and long castling, followed by g4 and h4 against Black's king.
- The b5 jump. Nb5 hits c7 twice with the bishop on f4. Even when it wins nothing, it forces Black to spend time on ...Na6 or ...a6.
- The e4 break. With the knight on c3, f3 and e4 can open the center, especially if Black's pieces are not ready.
- The g4 lever. In the 3...a6 line the engine pushes g4 even at the cost of a pawn, to open the g-file for a rook on g1.
White should not forget the center. If Black plays ...c5 and White does nothing, d4 can fall.
Typical plans for Black
Black's best weapon is central play, because White's setup leaves d4 short of defenders. The pawn break ...c5 attacks d4, and ...Nc6 with a queen on b6 adds more pressure. If White trades on c5, Black often recaptures with a piece and gets fast development.
The c8 bishop belongs outside the pawn chain. Getting it to f5 before ...e6 avoids the passive setups that make Nb5 and the kingside storm dangerous. If White trades it with a bishop on d3 and Bxf5, the recapture with the e-pawn gives Black a firm grip on e4.
- Play ...a6 at a good moment to take b5 from the knight.
- Do not castle short into a ready pawn storm. Keeping the king in the center a little longer is sometimes safer.
- Use a check on b4 to pin the c3 knight and slow down White's e4 break.
Mistakes club players make
- Ignoring c7. Black players who develop on autopilot can lose the c7 pawn or face a fork after Nb5 and Nxc7.
- Castling short into the storm. Once White has f3, g4 and long castling ready, a king on g8 is a target.
- Forgetting d4 as White. Without c3, d4 depends on pieces. An early ...c5 with ...Nc6 and a queen on b6 can leave White scrambling.
- Locking in the c8 bishop. Playing ...e6 before ...Bf5 hands White the comfortable version of the opening.
- A slow pawn storm. White players who push g4 without the pieces behind it just weaken their own king.
Who should play it
The Jobava London suits White players who want the London's simple structure with more bite. It is a good surprise weapon, because many Black players prepare for the normal London and meet a different set of problems here. Players who like attacking with opposite-side castling will feel at home.
It asks for accurate play, since the engine's best replies give Black full equality. For Black, the opening is a chance to take the initiative early with ...Bf5 or ...c5, as long as c7 stays covered.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.11: level. Its three top choices for Black:
- −0.11 3...Bf5 4.e3 e6 5.Bd3 c6 6.Bxf5
- −0.02 3...c5 4.e3 Bg4 5.f3 Bd7 6.dxc5
- +0.07 3...a6 4.e3 e6 5.g4 Bb4 6.Ne2
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
17,776 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 54.3%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
Variations of the Jobava London
How to play against it
As Black, the engine's choice 3...Bf5 is the cleanest answer: it develops the bishop before e3 and a bishop on d3 make that hard. Keep an eye on c7 every move, because Nb5 with the f4 bishop is White's main trick. Answer an early g4 or f3 with central play, not with passive defense.
Full guide: how to beat the Jobava London
Other lines with this name
The lichess opening list also files these lines under the same name, though they reach a different position: 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6; 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4 g6.
Questions
What are the moves of the Jobava London?
The Rapport-Jobava System starts 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4. Its ECO code is D01.
Is the Jobava London good for White?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.11 at depth 20, which is level. In 17,776 lichess games from our sample, White scored 54.3%. A sharp, surprise-heavy choice for White players who like attacking setups, though careful Black play reaches easy equality.
What is the main idea of the Jobava London?
White combines the London bishop on f4 with a knight on c3, so Nb5 hits c7 and a later e4 or kingside pawn storm is possible. Black uses the fact that White's c-pawn is blocked to hit d4 with ...c5, or develops calmly with ...Bf5 and ...e6.
What should Black play next?
The engine's first choice is Bf5, with c5 and a6 close behind. 3...Bf5 develops the light-squared bishop before e3 and a bishop on d3 can contest the f5 square.
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.