The Short Answer
Quick answer: Play the London System if you want calm, repeatable plans against almost anything. Pick the Jobava London if you want sharper games and don't mind less support for your d4 pawn. In 3,537 Lichess arena games I pulled in October 2026, the London was three times as common, and neither scored clearly better.
Both are easy to test before you commit. You can play our chess bot at a strength you pick and try each setup.
What I Checked
On 25 October 2026, I pulled every game from the 10 biggest Lichess arenas that had just finished. That gave 4,150 games. I set aside 613 UltraBullet games, since games that fast say little about openings. That left 3,537 games, and 970 of them opened with 1.d4.
Then I sorted White's first three moves. A game counted as a London when White played d4 and Bf4 without Nc3 or c4. It counted as a Jobava when White played d4, Nc3 and Bf4.
I also checked Google's search suggestions and Reddit threads from the past year. Most arena games are bullet and blitz, so this is a picture of fast online chess.
Two Setups, One Bishop
Both openings bring White's queen's bishop to f4 early. The real difference is the queen's knight.
In the London, it usually goes to d2. Wikipedia's London System page lists the classic setup as d4, Nf3, Bf4, e3, Bd3, Nbd2 and c3. White often adds h3, so the bishop can drop back to h2 if attacked.
The Jobava puts that knight on c3 instead. Wikipedia says the system is named after grandmasters Richárd Rapport and Baadur Jobava. From c3, the knight can jump to b5, where it joins the bishop in hitting c7.
The London Was Three Times as Common
In my sample, the London showed up far more often. Among 970 games that opened with 1.d4, it appeared in 119, about 12%. Jobava games numbered 38, about 4%.
That gap held across time controls. In blitz and rapid, the London made up 17% of 1.d4 games and the Jobava 3%. Bullet was closer, at about 9% against 4.5%.
If you want a setup your opponents meet less often, that's a point for the Jobava. It's still a rare sight.
Neither Scored Clearly Better
Raw scores can mislead, because the players differ. So I compared each opening's score with the score the players' ratings predicted, using the standard Elo expected score formula.
- London games (119): White scored 51.7%, against 50.3% predicted.
- Jobava games (38): White scored 46.1%, against 40.0% predicted.
Both beat their prediction a little. Jobava players usually faced stronger opponents, which is why their predicted score sits so low. Their edge looks bigger, but 38 games is far too few to trust. A few wins either way would change it.
Who Plays Each One
The two openings drew players of similar strength. The middle White rating was about 1780 in London games and 1750 in Jobava games.
Their share of 1.d4 games shifted with rating, though.
- Below 1500: the London took about 17% of 1.d4 games, and the Jobava 3%.
- From 1500 to 1799: London 13%, Jobava 5.6%.
- Between 1800 and 2099: London 13%, Jobava 3.5%.
- Above 2100: London 7%, Jobava 2%.
So the London fades as ratings climb. The Jobava peaked in the 1500 to 1799 group.
Move Order Matters
Most Jobava players in my sample went knight first. Of 38 games, 28 started 1.d4, 2.Nc3 and 3.Bf4. The other 10 played the bishop out before the knight.
London players were more varied. Their most common start was d4, Bf4 and e3, in 44 of 119 games. Next came d4, Nf3 and Bf4, in 34 games.
Wikipedia notes that 2.Bf4 became common after the 2005 book Win with the London System, by Sverre Johnsen and Vlatko Kovačević. Before that, 2.Nf3 and then 3.Bf4 was the usual path.
Lichess Names It by Black's Reply
If you search your own games by opening name, you'll miss many Jobavas. Lichess names a game by the longest line in its opening list that matches, and that includes Black's moves.
In Lichess's opening list on GitHub, the Rapport-Jobava System starts 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4. Of my 38 Jobava games, only 15 carried that name or its "with e6" version.
Others were filed as the Horwitz Defense, a Queen's Pawn Game or a Chigorin line, depending on what Black played. So search by moves, not by name.
Why the Jobava Feels Sharper
The London builds a solid pawn chain on c3, d4 and e3. The Jobava gives up c3, because the knight sits there.
That trade buys speed. In a section that lists no sources, Wikipedia gives the Jobava "considerable attacking value," with threats against c7. It calls the system "particularly common" when Black plays g6 and Bg7, since that bishop can't help defend c7.
Wikipedia's sample line ends with White castling queenside. When kings sit on opposite wings, both often come under fire. That's the price of the extra punch.
What Jobava Players Report
Reddit shows both sides. In February 2026, a player in r/chess rated 2100 in rapid tried the Jobava after about 20 minutes of video. They won their first three games and called the positions "so pleasant and easy to play it's crazy."
Others struggle with the plans. In April 2026, a player in r/chessbeginners who had played it since about 700 wrote, "I struggle to understand most middle game plans behind this opening."
In July 2026, a Lichess rapid player near 1650 said they kept "getting attacked early on the queenside." A player near 2000 in rapid wrote in March 2026 that they "always get faced with a6 line" and struggle. That ...a6 takes b5 away from the knight.
What London Players Report
The London's complaints run the other way. In August 2026, a player rated above 2000 online wrote, "I rarely put my opponents under pressure with it." They also kept "making far too many pawn moves in the opening."
Fans point to how it shifts the game. In April 2026, a London player in r/chessbeginners argued that at club level, "d4 immediately takes them out of their comfort zone."
It isn't only a club opening, either. Wikipedia notes that Ding Liren used it to win game 6 of the 2023 World Championship against Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Which Fits Beginners Better?
Google's suggestions show many people asking whether the Jobava suits beginners. My data can't measure that directly. Under 1500, only about 3% of 1.d4 games were Jobavas, against 17% for the London.
The London is easier to play on autopilot, since Wikipedia notes it works against almost any Black reply. The Jobava asks you to know when to castle queenside and when to push pawns.
In October 2026, a player near 950 wrote that their Jobava had "only like 43% wr" with White. One player's record proves little. Still, it shows that a setup alone doesn't win games. For other first openings, see our best chess openings for beginners.
You Can Play Both
You don't have to choose forever. Several Reddit players mention using a London and a Jobava side by side. The two share the pawn on d4 and the bishop on f4.
Some move orders let you decide later. After 1.d4 and 2.Bf4, you can still pick Nc3 or Nf3 on move three. Ten of my 38 Jobava games went that way.
Popularity cuts both ways, though. In October 2026, a 1400 rapid player who had tried both wrote, "I feel my opponents all would be more experienced with them." Our London System guide covers the standard setup in more detail.
How to Choose
Here's a simple way to decide.
- Pick the London if you want one setup against almost everything and calm, slow plans.
- Choose the Jobava if you enjoy sharp games and don't mind kings on opposite wings.
- Try both against a bot or in casual games before you play them rated.
- Learn one answer to ...a6 and one to ...c5 before you rely on the Jobava.
- Stick with your choice for a few hundred games, so your results mean something.
Our post on the London System vs the Queen's Gambit compares the London with a more classical choice.