The antidote, from someone who knows the system inside out
Few sidelines have reshaped everyday 1.d4 play over the past decade like the Jobava London — 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 followed by 3.Bf4. Baadur Jobava did more than anyone to bring it into serious practice, which makes him an unusually credible guide to taking it apart. Here he does exactly that, showing Black how to defuse a system he understands from the inside.
That gesture sets the tone for the whole course. King's Indian Defense: A Complete Repertoire – Part 6 is the volume where GM Andrea Stella and GM Baadur Jobava turn to everything White plays instead of a real King's Indian — the sidelines designed to sidestep the fight rather than enter it.
The final piece of the repertoire
The earlier parts built Black's answer to the main-line Classical King's Indian. Part 6 closes the gap that every repertoire eventually runs into: the opponent who refuses the theoretical debate and reaches for a London, a Trompowsky, or a quiet Anti-Grünfeld setup.
With this volume the authors complete the whole project. As the introduction puts it, after 1.d4 you now have a full repertoire built entirely around the King's Indian — no move order left for White to hide behind. Stella supplies the theoretical foundation; Jobava adds the first-hand feel of someone who has played these positions from both sides, the Jobava London included.
One idea, held to the end
What holds the material together is a cohesive answer: against almost every sideline, Black replies with the fianchetto ...g6 and steers the game straight back onto King's Indian ground. Whether White tries the London, the Trompowsky, or the Jobava London, the response stays true to the repertoire's spirit rather than forcing Black to learn a separate opening for each.
There is exactly one deliberate exception. After 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3, White is angling for a quick e4 — so here Black switches to 3...d5, a Grünfeld-flavored solution that meets the plan on its own terms. It's the one place the King's Indian thread bends, and the course explains precisely why.
The map of White's sidelines
1.d4 Nf6
2.Bf4 — The London System (also reached via 2.Nf3 g6)
- 2...g6 → Chapters 1–2
2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4 — The Jobava London
- 3...g6 → Chapters 3–4
2.Bg5 — The Trompowsky
- 2...g6 → Chapters 5–6
2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 — White prepares e4
- 3...d5 → Chapter 7
2.c4 g6 — Anti-Grünfeld and others
- 3.h4 — the aggressive modern system → Chapter 8
- 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.e3 — the Anti-Grünfeld → Chapter 9
- 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Bg5 — the Smyslov System → Chapter 10
What's inside
- 10 chapters
- 20 test positions
- Memory Booster
- To Go version of every chapter
- Video instruction
- Multilingual PGN (English, German, French, Spanish)
Completing the series
Part 6 is the concluding volume of King's Indian Defense According to Jobava. Together with the earlier parts, it turns a strong opening into a complete answer to 1.d4 — the main lines and the sidelines, in one connected repertoire.
If you already play the King's Indian, this is the volume that removes the last excuses your opponents have for avoiding it. Add Part 6 to your library and finish the repertoire.