Rapport-Jobava System

Why the Rapport-Jobava System is worth training

The Rapport-Jobava System starts with 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4. White develops the queen's knight before the c-pawn and puts the bishop on f4 at once, as in the London System. The knight on c3 can jump to b5 to hit c7, and it keeps the e4 break ready. White often adds f3, castles long, and plays for e4 or a kingside pawn advance.

Chessmate has a Rapport-Jobava System course for White and a Rapport-Jobava System course for Black. The White course has six lines against 3...e6, 3...a6, 3...c5, 3...c6, 3...Bf5, and 3...g6, and the Black course has five lines built around 3...a6 and ...e6.

The Nb5 sample line for White

In the White sample line, Black plays the natural 3...e6, and White jumps with 4.Nb5 to attack c7. Black covers it with 4...Bd6, and White takes the bishop with check with 5.Nxd6+. After 5...cxd6, Black has doubled d-pawns and has lost the dark-squared bishop.

White continues calmly with 6.e3 Nc6 7.Nf3 O-O 8.c3, reinforcing d4 before finishing development. After 8...Re8 9.Be2 e5, Black breaks in the center, and White pins the knight on f6 with 10.Bg5. After 10...h6, White keeps the pin with 11.Bh4.

The ...a6 sample line for Black

The Black course starts with 3...a6, which takes b5 away from White's knight before Black commits in the center. After 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3, Black strikes at d4 with 5...c5, because the knight on c3 blocks White's usual c-pawn support.

After 6.a3 b5, Black gains queenside space and puts the bishop on the long diagonal with 7.Bd3 Bb7. Black brings the other knight to d7 with 8.O-O Nbd7, finishes development with 9.Re1 Be7, and castles after 10.Ne5 O-O.

The ...c5, ...c6, and other White lines

Against 3...a6, the White course develops calmly with e3, Nf3, a3, and Bd3, castles, and puts a knight on the e5 outpost with 10.Ne5. Against the immediate 3...c5, White plays 4.e4 at once. After 4...Nxe4 5.Nxe4 dxe4 6.dxc5, the checks 6...Qa5+ 7.c3 Qxc5 8.Qa4+ Nc6 let White win back the pawn with 9.Qxe4, and the rook takes the open d-file with 11.Rd1.

Against the Slav-style 3...c6, White supports e4 with 5.f3, trades the light-squared bishops with 6.Bd3, castles long with 9.O-O-O, and breaks with 11.e4. Against 3...Bf5, White gains kingside space with 4.f3, 5.g4, and 6.h4. Against the fianchetto with 3...g6, White pushes 5.h4, puts a knight on e5, and offers to trade the dark-squared bishops with 12.Bh6.

Black's answers to g4, Bd3, a3, and h4

Against the aggressive 5.g4, Black strikes in the center with 5...c5. After 6.g5 Nfd7 7.h4 Nc6 8.Nf3, Black hits b2 with 8...Qb6, pins the knight on c3 with 9.Rb1 Qa5, and gains queenside space with 10.Qd2 b5. Against the normal 5.Bd3, Black takes back with 6.dxc5 Bxc5, castles, and after 9.e4 dxe4 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Bxe4 puts the rook on e8 and targets b2 with 12...Qb6.

Against an early 5.a3, Black plays 5...c5 and 7...Bd6, then trades the active bishop with 10...Bxf4. Against 5.h4, Black pins the knight with 5...Bb4 and stops the h-pawn with 6.h5 h6. After White castles long with 9.O-O-O, Black opens lines with 9...cxd4 10.exd4 b5.

What to train first

Pick the course for the color you play.

• If you play the Rapport-Jobava System as White, start with the Rapport-Jobava System course for White. Learn the Nb5 sample line first, then the 4.e4 answer to 3...c5 and the long-castling plan against 3...c6.
• If you face the Rapport-Jobava System as Black, start with the Rapport-Jobava System course for Black. Learn the ...a6 sample line first, then the central strike against 5.g4 and the ...b5 plan against long castling.
• Whichever side you play, watch the knight on c3 and the c7 square. White wants Nb5 or the e4 break, and Black wants to take b5 away and strike back with ...c5.

The Rapport-Jobava System gives White an aggressive setup with quick development and gives Black clear counterplay against d4. Train the lines until you know when the jump to b5 works and when Black has already taken that square away.