How to Beat the Jobava London: Plans and Lines for Black

The simplest answer: 3...Bf5

The engine's first choice develops the bishop before White can fight for f5. After 4.e3 e6 5.Bd3 c6 6.Bxf5 exf5 7.Nce2 Black has a solid center and a pawn on f5 that controls e4. White's knight has to leave c3 to find a better square, which shows that the Jobava setup has run out of ideas in this line.

Your plan afterward is simple: a bishop on d6 to trade the f4 bishop, short castling once White's attack is not ready, and queenside play with ...Nbd7, a queen on b6 or ...b5.

If you want a fight: 3...c5

Hitting d4 straight away uses the main drawback of 2.Nc3: White has no c-pawn to support the center. The engine line runs 4.e3 Bg4 5.f3 Bd7 6.dxc5 Nc6 7.a3. White has won a pawn on c5 for the moment, but Black has fast development and good chances to win it back with ...e6 or ...e5 and a bishop on the a3-f8 diagonal.

This line suits players who like open positions and quick piece play. Watch the b5 square: the Nb5 jump hits c7, and even a strong position can fall apart if you allow a fork there.

Taking b5 away: 3...a6

The third engine move, 3...a6, removes Nb5 from the position before it happens. White then turns to the kingside with 4.e3 e6 5.g4, a pawn sacrifice. After 5...Bb4 6.Ne2 Nxg4 7.Rg1 Black is a pawn up, but White has the open g-file. If you choose this line, know that the g7 pawn will be under fire and keep your king flexible. Do not castle short until the g-file pressure is under control.

Tricks and mistakes to avoid

Leaving c7 loose. The bishop on f4 and the knight on b5 both hit c7. Before every move, check whether Nb5 and Nxc7 works.
Castling short on autopilot. If White has played Qd2 and f3 and can castle long, a pawn storm with g4 and h4 may be coming. Hit the center first.
Passive ...e6 setups. In the ...e6 version White scored 54.1%. Playing ...e6 before the bishop is out makes White's ideas stronger.
Overreacting to g4. A pawn storm is not a mating attack by itself. Central counterplay with ...c5 often hurts White more than defense does.

Why White's setup has limits

It helps to understand what White gave up with 2.Nc3. The knight blocks the c-pawn, so White cannot use the c3 support of the normal London or the c4 attack of the Queen's Gambit. That leaves d4 defended only by the queen and pieces, and it means White's queenside is rarely a source of play. Every attacking idea White has comes from the knight jumps and the kingside pawns. If you neutralize Nb5 with care around c7 and keep your king out of range of the g4 and h4 pushes, the opening has little else to offer. Your extra central freedom, with ...c5 and quick development, then decides the middlegame.

For a one-line plan: meet 3.Bf4 with 3...Bf5, follow with ...e6, ...c6 and a bishop on d6, and castle short only after checking White's pawn storm. This keeps c7 covered, gets the c8 bishop out before ...e6 and leaves you ready for central play.

Plans once the opening is over

Once the opening tricks are gone, White's position has a long-term problem: the c-pawn sits behind the knight, so d4 lacks a natural pawn defender. Keep hitting d4 with ...c5 and ...Nc6, and look to open the c-file for your rooks.

If White has castled long, a pawn storm of your own with ...b5 and ...b4 against the c3 knight comes quickly, since White's king sits right behind it. If White has castled short, play a normal Queen's Gambit type middlegame where Black's pieces are easy to place. In both cases, the f4 bishop is still White's best piece, so trading it with a bishop on d6 remains a useful goal.

Endgames often favor Black too. If White pushed g4 and h4 early, those pawns become targets once the queens are off, and Black's healthier structure tells.

Lines we recommend for Black

Jobava LondonThe starting position, where the engine's top replies 3...Bf5 and 3...c5 leave Black at least level.
Rapport-Jobava System, with e6The most played branch. Learn how White's Nb5 and kingside ideas work when Black's c8 bishop is shut in.

The main lines you will meet

Rapport-Jobava System, with e65,442 games · Black 45.9%

Questions

What is the best way to play against the Jobava London?

The Jobava London is playable, but it is not dangerous if you meet it correctly. The engine already prefers Black slightly after its top reply, so your job is to know White's main tricks, Nb5 and the kingside storm, and use the extra central freedom White gives you.

What does the engine play against the Jobava London?

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 prefers 3...Bf5 and rates the position −0.11 (level).

Scores: Lichess rated games, September 2025 (blitz, rapid and classical). Engine: Stockfish 17.1. Updated October 2026. Method.