The Jobava London Is Back, and It's Nastier Than Ever

Why Everyone Suddenly Loves the Jobava

If you've been watching Magnus tear through online and over-the-board rapid events this month, you've noticed a pattern: he keeps reaching for a scheme that looks almost lazy but hides real venom. It's the Jobava London System, named after the wonderfully creative Georgian GM Baadur Jobava, and it starts with the innocent-looking 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4.

Compared to the classical London (which delays Nc3 and plays c3), the Jobava is a fighting animal. By developing the knight to c3 first, White keeps the option of Nb5, eyeing the sensitive c7 and d6 squares, and often follows with a quick e3, Bd3, and a kingside pawn storm. For club players who hate memorizing 20 moves of theory, this is a dream: a system-based opening that still creates real threats.

The Critical Tabiya

Let's get to the position that matters. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4 a6, Black immediately prevents the annoying Nb5. This has become the main line precisely because ...a6 is such a useful move. Play typically continues 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 c5 6.Ne5, reaching the tabiya below.

Here White has planted a knight on e5, threatening to reinforce it and to swing pieces toward the kingside. Black must decide between challenging the center with ...Nc6 or fighting for the initiative with ...Qb6, hitting b2 and d4 at once.

The Main Battleground: 6...Nc6

After 6...Nc6 7.Bb5 Bd7 8.Nxd7 Qxd7 9.dxc5 Bxc5, the position is roughly balanced but rich with imbalances. White has the bishop pair aimed at the queenside, while Black enjoys a comfortable center and easy development. The engine calls this equal, but in a rapid game White's pieces point in dangerous directions — exactly what a practical player wants.

The key strategic idea for White: castle short, play Ne2-g3 or f2-f4-f5, and use the c-file if Black ever trades on d4. For Black, the plan is simpler than it looks — trade pieces, neutralize the bishop pair, and aim for the resulting endgame where the doubled or isolated structure can favor the second player.

The ...Qb6 Sharpness

The most testing continuation is 6...Qb6. Now White cannot comfortably defend both b2 and d4. The critical line runs 7.Rb1 Nc6 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Bd3, and White intends to castle and hammer Black's slightly loose queenside pawns. In one of Magnus's recent rapid outings he demonstrated the venom perfectly, prying open the center with a well-timed e3-e4 break before Black completed development.

The lesson: in the Jobava, White's e4 break is the recurring theme. Whenever Black castles kingside and lets the center relax, White throws e4 into the mix and the Bf4-Bd3 battery comes alive against h7 and the dark squares.

What Black Should Actually Do

Here's my honest opinion after digging through recent games and the engine: the antidote is early clarity in the center. Black should not sit passively. The strongest practical setups involve:

• ...a6 and ...c5 to deny Nb5 and challenge the queenside immediately.
• ...Bd6 to trade White's prized dark-squared bishop — if the Bf4 comes off, half of White's attacking plan evaporates.
• Rapid queenside expansion with ...b5, gaining space and preparing ...Bb7.

A model equalizing line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 Bd6 5.Bg3 O-O 6.Nf3 c5. By offering the bishop trade and striking at d4, Black takes the sting out of the system. If 7.Bxd6 Qxd6, Black has the more harmonious minor pieces and a clear plan of ...b6, ...Bb7, and ...Nc6.

The Takeaway

The Jobava London isn't a refutation-proof silver bullet — the engines confirm Black is fine with accurate play. But that's not the point. In rapid and blitz, where Carlsen and friends are racking up wins this month, the Jobava sets practical problems on move three and forces opponents to think for themselves. If you're a 1000–1800 player looking for a low-maintenance d4 weapon with real bite, learn the Ne5 tabiya and the e4 break. And if you're on the Black side, remember the golden rule: trade the dark-squared bishop, strike at the center, and don't let those bishops breathe.