Courses (363)

In his first database for Modern Chess, the Dutch GM Sipke Ernst examines one of the most topical weapons against the King's Indian Defence - Bayonet Attack. The fact that this system is the most principled way to fight the KID makes it popular even at the highest level.

In this database, GM Davorin Kuljasevic provides a complete repertoire against the Catalan Opening. Nowadays, such a repertoire is very important since you can face the Catalan at every level. For practical purposes, the author provides 2 alternative repertoires - solid and sharp. Armed with this knowledge, you can always play the system which is required by your tournament situation.

In this database, IM Renato Quintillano is dealing with some of the most aggressive and ambitious openings after 1.d4.
He provides a repertoire against Tarrasch Defence, Semi-Tarasch Defence, Albin Countergambit, Chigorin Defence, Baltic Defence, and the exotic Australian Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c5!?).

The current database completes GM Mihail Marins' Catalan project. This time, he focuses on Black's attempts to avoid the Catalan.
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3, the author deals with two highly popular moves - 3...Bb4+ and 3...c5.
True to his approach, in this database, Marin advocates positionally sound but not necessarily fashionable lines. That makes the suggested repertoire valuable from a practical point of view. By following Marin's recommendations, we have good chances to surprise our opponents.

GM Mihail Marin continues with the examination of the theoretical subtleties of the Catalan. The current database contains 1 article about the typical Catalan Endgame, 12 theoretical chapters, and 20 Test positions.
After reading the current database, the reader will learn how to deal with Black's absolute main line against the Catalan. The author provides a number of important novelties.

The theoretical importance of the Catalan is obvious to anyone who is following the recent theoretical developments. Nowadays, you will hardly find a top player who does not have the Catalan in his repertoire. Being always on the top of the wave, Modern Chess team decided to start a project concerning this fashionable opening.

GM Mihail Marin is the perfect author when it comes to a positional opening like the Catalan. Moreover, it is important to point out that Marin is playing this opening for almost 30 years.

After dealing with all the Nf3-based systems, GM Mihail Marin completes his Modern Benoni with another amazing database. This time, he deals with dangerous systems like Three Pawns Attack, Saemisch System, Penrose System, as well as with some relatively rare variations.
As always, Marin divides his database into three sections - Pawn Structures, Theoretical Section, and Test Section.

In our computer-driven time, the level of preparation is drastically increasing. Sometimes, even top players face difficulties to outplay regular 2300+ rated players. This problem is even bigger when it comes to playing for a win with Black. In most of the openings Black struggles to obtain a playable position. Nevertheless, exceptions exist.

If you need an opening which is dynamic, strategically sound and offers plenty of possibilities to outplay your opponent, the Modern Benoni is your bread and butter. In his latest database for Modern Chess, one of the best Benoni experts in the world, GM Mihail Marin provides you with a complete Benoni repertoire.

The Bogo - Indian Defence is one of the most topical opening after 1.d4. Every 1.d4 player should be very well prepared against it. White has several ways to meеt 3...Bb4+, but 4.Bd2 - is the most natural option, which would be the topic of the current survey. White is not aiming to get the pair of bishops but is continuing the normal development, counting on his space advantage in the center. What I like about the line 4.Bd2 is that White's play is natural and positionally sound. It's true that often White's advantage will be marginal. However, I strongly believe that when your opening is based on a good positional ground, it's easier, at least from a practical point of view, to handle the position in the middle game as well

How to play against the King's Indian is a question that every 1.d4 player faces. The world-renowned theoretician and author GM Boris Avrukh provides you with an answer. His antidote is based on the set-up with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 d6 6.Be3. This is a very interesting move order that has not been particularly popular until the Russian Champion Grandmaster Alexander Riazantsev has started to employ it actively.
In his new opening database for Modern Chess, Avrukh presents some of the ideas he found while working as the second to former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik.