The Rapport-Jobava System, often called the Jobava London, starts 1. 2. 3.. Your bishop already eyes c7, and the knight on c3 can join it from b5. The price: with the knight in front of it, your c-pawn can't step up to c3 to support d4. On Lichess (September 2026, N = 200,334 games at 900–1700), you score 54%.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
2 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
After 3., the most common reply at your level is , chosen by 23 in 100 opponents. It does nothing to stop 4., and against it you score 62 in 100. Next come (22), (20) and (17). Players rated over 2200 online turn that order around: is their most played reply (25 in 100), ahead of (19) and (18), and doesn't even make their top six. After , 86 in 100 strong players continue 4.; at your level, 66. Over the board above 2300, rises to 41 in 100, though from a small sample.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.6% | 62.2% | no data | no data | |
| 21.8% | 51.9% | 19.4% | 18.9% | |
| 20.3% | 53.4% | 10.2% | no data | |
| 16.8% | 52.6% | 25.3% | 41.1% | |
| 5.7% | 54.1% | 15.9% | no data | |
| 4.3% | 50.2% | 18.2% | 31.6% | |
| no data | no data | 9.1% | 8.4% |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66.0% | 53.6% | 86.3% | 100.0% | |
| 18.1% | 51.7% | 9.4% | no data | |
| 5.7% | 52.7% | 1.2% | no data | |
| 1.9% | 51.2% | no data | no data | |
| 1.9% | 52.6% | no data | no data | |
| 1.8% | 54.0% | 0.3% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.7% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.2% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.4% | 53.2% | no data | no data | |
| 27.3% | 54.2% | 15.9% | no data | |
| 22.2% | 52.6% | 32.6% | 62.5% | |
| 4.8% | 57.9% | 2.2% | no data | |
| 4.6% | 51.5% | 22.8% | no data | |
| 4.2% | 53.7% | 7.5% | 37.5% | |
| no data | no data | 14.5% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47.7% | 53.4% | 8.5% | no data | |
| 35.7% | 50.2% | 45.9% | no data | |
| 6.6% | 49.2% | 4.9% | no data | |
| 4.2% | 56.7% | 36.4% | 100.0% | |
| 2.9% | 50.6% | no data | no data | |
| 1.9% | 55.8% | 3.1% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 1.2% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32.4% | 54.1% | 7.1% | no data | |
| 22.7% | 54.5% | 10.1% | no data | |
| 22.6% | 41.3% | 71.9% | no data | |
| 10.9% | 56.4% | no data | no data | |
| 6.9% | 56.8% | no data | no data | |
| 3.4% | 53.8% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 8.5% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.5% | no data |
The strong players' line is 4. 5. 6. 7.. It turns on two squares. One is b5, where your knight would hit c7 together with the bishop on f4. The other is d4, the pawn your opponent wants to break. Your answer is to hold d4 with the e-pawn, post a knight on e5 and get ready to castle short.
If your opponent leaves b5 alone, the sequence is different. After 4., knight and bishop both hit c7, which only the queen guards, and you threaten to land there with check, attacking the a8 rook. If the rook steps aside with , 5. still works: the bishop, protected by the b5 knight, attacks queen and b8 rook at once. That's what prevents, and why your plan changes when it appears.
is aimed straight at your idea: the pawn covers b5, so the knight on c3 can no longer jump there. That's why you change course with 4., which guards d4 and opens the diagonal for the bishop on f1.
This is where the knight on c3 costs you something: the c-pawn is stuck behind it and can't support d4. After 5. , your opponent attacks d4 with a pawn, and it's held by the e3 pawn, the f3 knight and the queen. Strong players choose that break 72 times in 100 here, while only 23 in 100 opponents at your level do; when it comes, you score 41 in 100.
With 6. the knight leaves f3 for a square covered by the f4 bishop and the d4 pawn. From e5 it eyes f7, d7 and c6. Your opponent replies , hitting that knight and d4 at once. The count still works: e5 has two defenders against one attacker, and d4 has two, the e3 pawn and the queen, against the c5 pawn and the c6 knight. If your opponent trades with , you take back with the e3 pawn, which lands on d4 and keeps guarding e5.
7. clears f1, and since the g1 knight is already on e5, short castling is ready. Notice the bishop doesn't go to d3. At your level, after , 48 in 100 players go 5., while strong players prefer 5. (46) or the thrust 5. (36), which only 4 in 100 at your level try.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 9,129 | 25.4% | |
| 2,292 | 86.5% | |
| 1,923 | 33.0% | |
| 769 | 45.5% | |
| 366 | 71.9% | |
| 209 | 45.5% | |
| 59 | 69.5% | |
| 26 | 42.3% |
Against , your bishop already hits c7 and only the queen guards it. 4. brings the knight in, and landing on c7 would give check and attack the a8 rook. With 4. you let the moment pass and your opponent develops . 18 in 100 play it; you score 55, against 66 after the jump.
18 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 55.3%; scores 66.0%.
Against , 4. leaves the knight undefended, and hits your king and that knight at once. To save it you go back with 5.; after 6. your queen has to move too, and by 7. you've spent moves while your opponent develops. 18 in 100 play it; you score 48, against 56 with 4..
18 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 3.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 48.3%; scores 55.8%.
4. develops a knight, but the one with a job was on c3: 4. against c7. Your opponent takes the chance with , and after 5. 6. 7. that knight drops back to e2 without ever reaching b5. 7 in 100 choose it; you score 53, against 66 with the jump.
7 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 52.5%; scores 66.0%.
Against , 4. prepares e4, but your opponent breaks first with . After 5. 6. your queen is attacked in the center, and 7. pins that knight to the king. At your level opponents rarely punish it: you score 54 in 100, against 52 with 4..
4 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.9 pawns of advantage. It scores 53.5%; scores 52.2%.
After , 4. takes the g1 knight's square, so it can no longer go to f3. Your opponent breaks with , and after 5. 6. 7. your d4 pawn leaves the center. 6 in 100 play it, and at your level it rarely gets punished: you score 53, against 54 with 4..
6 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 52.7%; scores 53.6%.
After 4. , the rook has left a8, so 5. only wins a pawn: after 6. the knight retreats with 7. and the rook returns with . 5. instead attacks the queen and the b8 rook at once. 25 in 100 play it; you score 65, against 77 with the bishop.
25 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 3.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 65.1%; scores 77.3%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 55,064 | ||
| 33,360 | ||
| Not castled | Not castled | 32,992 |
| Not castled | 25,579 | |
| Not castled | 20,567 | |
| Not castled | 14,060 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | ||
| 19 | ||
| Not castled | Not castled | 13 |
| Not castled | 13 | |
| Not castled | 10 | |
| 8 |
1. 2. 3. · 53,019 amateur games · 1 over the board
With before the knight comes out, you still play 3. and score 52 in 100.
It's another name for the Rapport-Jobava System: 1., 2. and 3., with the knight on c3 in front of the c-pawn. You can also reach it through 1. 2. 3. or 1. 2. 3., so the move order isn't fixed.
Aim the bishop on f4 and the knight at c7. If your opponent allows it, as with , jump with 4.: you score 66 in 100. If they cover b5 with , switch to 4., 5. and 6., then castle short after 7.. Against , don't jump, because hits king and knight.
Across the four rating bands you score between 53 and 55 in 100, a little less as ratings rise. It pays most against , the most common reply at your level, where you score 62 in 100. Against , the most played reply among strong players, you need the plan with 4. and the knight on e5.