← Jobava London

Practice: Main Line

The Jobava setup

White develops with Nc3 and Bf4, keeping options open for an aggressive e4 push. The Nc3 is more active than Nf3 and supports a quick central break.

1. d4 Nf6
2. Nc3 d5
3. Bf4 e6
4. e3 Bd6
5. Bg3
♟

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Key strategic ideas

  • White plays Nc3 instead of Nf3, keeping the f-pawn free for an aggressive f3-e4 push or a later f4 break.
  • The bishop on f4 supports the d4 pawn, while the knight on c3 can jump to b5 or put pressure on d5.
  • After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4, White invites Black to play ...c5 and enter sharp, unbalanced positions early.

Common mistakes & traps

  • After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4 g6 4.e3 Bg7, White can surprise Black with 5.h4! pushing the h-pawn aggressively to disrupt the kingside.
  • If Black plays ...c5 (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 c5 3.d5), the game turns into a sharp Benoni-style position where both sides attack on opposite wings.

Pawn structure notes

White has d4 and e3, same as the traditional London, but with the knight on c3 instead of f3. The f2 pawn is free to advance, and White often plays f4 or f3-e4 to claim space.

Tips

  • Nc3 is more aggressive than Nf3 - it supports an eventual e4 pawn break
  • White can sacrifice a pawn with e4 dxe4 Nxe4 for rapid development and initiative
  • Jobava used this to score huge upsets against top grandmasters

About this line

This line is rated intermediate. Practice it repeatedly until you can play the entire sequence without thinking. The in-app trainer tracks your perfect streaks and celebrates milestones.