← Jobava London

Practice: Jobava London

London with a twist

A creative London variation developed by Georgian GM Baadur Jobava - Nc3 replaces Nf3, creating immediate pressure and threats. More aggressive than the classical London.

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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.

All lines in Jobava London

Main Line intermediate
1. d4 Nf6
2. Nc3 d5
3. Bf4 e6
4. e3 Bd6
5. Bg3
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.
Practice
Aggressive Variation advanced
1. d4 Nf6
2. Nc3 d5
3. Bf4 c5
4. e4 dxe4
5. Nxe4
When Black plays ...c5 challenging the centre, White sacrifices a pawn with e4 to gain fast development and an active position.
Practice
Jobava vs King’s Indian Setup intermediate
1. d4 Nf6
2. Nc3 g6
3. Bf4 Bg7
4. e3 d6
When Black plays a King’s Indian setup, the Jobava London responds with Bf4 and e3, keeping the centre solid and flexible. A positional approach that avoids the sharp KID theory.
Practice
Jobava vs Dutch Setup intermediate
1. d4 f5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. Bf4 d6
4. e3 g6
5. h4 Bg7
6. h5 Nc6
Against Black's Dutch setup, White uses the Jobava London's characteristic h4-h5 push to storm the kingside. An aggressive and direct approach.
Practice
Jobava vs French Setup intermediate
1. d4 e6
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. Bf4 d5
4. e3 Bd6
5. Bg3 O-O
6. Nf3 c5
7. Bd3 Nc6
8. O-O cxd4
9. exd4
When Black adopts a French-type structure with e6 and d5, the Jobava London develops naturally and aims for a slight space advantage with active piece play.
Practice