← Jobava London

Practice: Jobava vs Dutch Setup

Handling the Dutch f5

Against Black's Dutch setup, White uses the Jobava London's characteristic h4-h5 push to storm the kingside. An aggressive and direct approach.

1. d4 f5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. Bf4 d6
4. e3 g6
5. h4 Bg7
6. h5 Nc6
♟

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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

  • The h4-h5 push is a recurring theme in the Jobava London against kingside fianchetto setups
  • White attacks directly on the kingside while Black is still completing development
  • Black must defend carefully — the king can become trapped in the centre

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.