A Dynamic Repertoire for Black
Reliability Without Passivity
After 1.c4 e5, White can choose between the 2.Nc3 main line, the 2.g3 fianchetto, and a wide range of quieter second moves. GM Andrea Stella and GM Pier Luigi Basso cover all of them in one complete repertoire for Black.
Their goal, in Basso’s words, is a repertoire that is full and reliable, but also modern and fighting. Every main line in Meeting the English - A Dynamic Repertoire for Black is chosen to meet both demands at once.
What Makes This Repertoire Different
Against the main line, 2.Nc3, the course recommends 2...Bb4, which the authors call a modern line that is very sound and interesting to play. The bishop pressures the knight that controls d5, and after 3.Nd5 Black calmly retreats with 3...Be7, a very healthy continuation that keeps the position full of play.
Against 2.g3, the authors answer with 2...Nf6 3.Bg2 c6. White has already committed to the fianchetto, and Black builds a setup designed to take advantage of that commitment.
In the critical modern line, 4.Nf3 e4 5.Nd4 Qb6!, Black attacks the knight on d4 and the pawn on b2 at once. White has three logical replies, and each gets its own chapter.
The Authors' Reasoning
The authors wanted more than a safe answer to 1.c4. Both main weapons were chosen for their healthy structures rather than for forcing theory, so the ideas stay clear even when the opponent leaves the main lines.
That same approach runs through the rest of the course. The direct 2.Nf3, the quiet 2.e3, and the anti-...Bb4 move 2.a3 each come with a clear plan, explained through typical ideas rather than treated as independent moves.
Variation Map
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c6
- 4.d4 and 4.Nc3 → Chapter 1
- 4.Nf3 e4 5.Nd4 Qb6!
- 6.e3 → Chapter 2
- 6.Nc2 → Chapter 3
- 6.Nb3 → Chapter 4
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4
- 3.Nd5 Be7
- 4.d4 → Chapter 5
- 4.g3 → Chapter 6
- 3.Nf3 → Chapter 7
- 3.g3 → Chapter 8
- 3.Qc2 (preparing a3 for the bishop pair) → Chapter 9
- 3.Qb3 and other third-move sidelines → Chapter 10
Second-move alternatives
- 2.Nf3 (a direct attack on e5) → Chapter 11
- 2.d3 → Chapter 12
- 2.a3 (stopping the ...Bb4 approach) → Chapter 13
- 2.e3 (the quiet, non-committal move) → Chapter 14
- 2.e4?! → Chapter 15
A Platinum Course: Guaranteed Evolution
As a Platinum Course, Meeting the English - A Dynamic Repertoire for Black is not a static theoretical product. It is a living repertoire with guaranteed long-term development.
Updates (Real Value): Free updates are provided every 6 months for 2 years. The timing depends on the release month and is always exactly 6 months apart. All updates are automatically included. Each update delivers substantial, practical improvements, not cosmetic changes.
What updates may include (always something important):
- New theoretical developments
- New video explanations
- New chapters
- New model games
- New exercises
- New learning tools
This is not a theoretical gamble. It is a framework designed to handle every White approach after 1.c4 e5: the 2.g3 fianchetto, the 2.Nc3 main lines, the direct 2.Nf3, the flexible 2.d3, and the quieter or rarer second moves that appear in practical play. The course answers each approach with a clear plan, so no surprise can derail your preparation.
User involvement: Users can ask questions and upload their own games. The strongest and most instructive material is selected and integrated into future updates.
Course Features
- 15 theoretical chapters with video instruction
- To Go version of every chapter
- Memory File: the key lines of all 15 chapters condensed into one file
- Memory Booster
- 5 Key Things to Know: when to give up the e4-pawn, why provoking Nd5 is good for Black, the ...f5!? possibility, dealing with 2.Nf3, and the right moment for ...Nbd7
- 3 annotated model games: Grischuk–Caruana, Gabuzyan–Istratescu, Kozak–Indjic
- 30 test positions
- 5 training positions to play against the engine
- Multilingual PGN availability (English, German, French, Spanish)
Building the Rest of the Repertoire
Players who meet 1.c4 with 1...e5 can answer 1.e4 the same way. For them, Modern
1...e5 Repertoire offers an answer to 1.e4 built on the same move.
To complete the picture, Arsenal for 1...e5 Players by GM Pier Luigi Basso and GM Vladimir Malakhov covers White’s sidelines after 1.e4 e5, including the Vienna, the Bishop’s Opening, the King’s Gambit and others, with the same active approach.
Face the English on Your Terms
Meeting the English - A Dynamic Repertoire for Black gives you a complete answer to 1.c4, one that is sound, modern, and built for a fight. Add it to your library and meet the English with confidence from move one.