The Arkhangelsk: An Aggressive Repertoire for Black by GM Peng Li Min
When Black Chooses the Direction
GM Peng Li Min was never drawn to openings like the Berlin or the Marshall. In his view, they leave White with a huge variety of options, and it is White who chooses the direction of the game.
The author wanted the opposite. Throughout his career, he has preferred sharp lines that take the opponent out of his comfort zone from the very beginning.
In The Arkhangelsk: An Aggressive Repertoire for Black, Black shows up with a clear setup and then dictates the game. The repertoire is built around 5...Bc5 and ...b5, with active piece play.
What Makes the Course Unique
The course follows one consistent setup, and it introduces a fresh idea in the main line. After 6.c3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4, the author recommends 8...Ba7!?
This is a deviation from the main 8...Rb8 and 8...Bb7. The bishop steps away early from White's d2-d4 ideas, and that changes the character of the resulting positions.
Against 7.Bc2, the course shows the correct central break 7...d5. After 7.Bb3 d6 8.d4, Black retreats with 8...Bb6, and against 9.a4 the author answers with 9...Bg4, showing that Black gets enough counterplay.
About the Author
GM Peng Li Min is a new author on Modern Chess. Born in Ukraine, he earned the Grandmaster title in 2022 and reached a peak FIDE rating of 2575.
Since 2024, he has represented Switzerland, playing on Board 3 at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. He works actively as a trainer and theoretician, and his practical approach shapes the whole repertoire.
His reason for choosing the Arkhangelsk is simple. He wanted a line where Black, not White, sets the tone from the opening.
Map of Variations
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6
- 4.Bxc6, the Exchange Variation → Chapter 1
- 4.Ba4 Nf6
- 5.d3 and other rare moves → Chapter 2
- 5.0-0 Bc5
- 6.Nc3 and other rare moves → Chapter 3
- 6.c3 b5
- 7.Bc2 d5
- 8.d4 and other rare tries → Chapter 4
- 8.a4 → Chapter 5
- 7.Bb3 d6
- 8.d4 Bb6
- 9.Bg5 and other rare moves → Chapter 6
- 9.Be3 0-0 10.Nbd2 Re8
- 11.Re1 and other sidelines → Chapter 7
- 11.h3 → Chapter 8
- 9.a4 Bg4
- 10.Bg5 and other possibilities → Chapter 9
- 10.h3 Bh5
- 11.d5 and other 11th moves → Chapter 10
- 11.Bg5 → Chapter 11
- 8.a4 Ba7!?
- 9.d3 and other options → Chapter 12
- 9.d4 0-0
- 10.Re1 and other alternatives → Chapter 13
- 10.Bg5 → Chapter 14
- 10.axb5 → Chapter 15
The final chapters deserve special attention. The author considers 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 White's best challenge, and after 10.axb5 White opens the a-file to increase the pressure on Black's queenside.
A Companion Course for the Italian
GM Peng Li Min also authored The Italian Game: A Dynamic Repertoire for Black, built on 3...Nf6 and 4...Be7.
The two courses cover both the Ruy Lopez and the Italian. The Arkhangelsk brings sharp, active play, while the Italian course gives a solid and flexible structure.
Premium Course Features
- 15 Chapters
- 5 Training positions
- 30 Test positions
- Memory Booster
- To Go version of every chapter
- Video instruction
- Multilingual PGN availability (English, German, French, Spanish)
Take the Initiative Against the Ruy Lopez
If you want to meet the Ruy Lopez with a setup that lets you decide the course of the game, this repertoire gives you the tools to do it.
Get The Arkhangelsk: An Aggressive Repertoire for Black, and add the Italian course to have an answer to both 3.Bb5 and 3.Bc4.
INTRODUCTION
SAMPLE CHAPTER
SAMPLE VIDEO