Courses (1100)

When preparation obsession reaches its peak in modern chess, the strongest players seek not just good positions, but positions their opponents haven't studied. GM Luis Paulo Supi's third and final installment of his Sicilian repertoire introduces a deceptively simple concept: strategic postponement. After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6, instead of committing immediately with 3.Bb5 (Rossolimo) or 3.d4 (Open Sicilian), White plays 3.Nc3—a move that appears modest but fundamentally reshapes Black's decision-making process.
The brilliance lies not in the move itself, but in what it denies. Black cannot enter the Sveshnikov. The Taimanov and Four Knights players find themselves steered into unfamiliar territory. Even the Accelerated Dragon enthusiast must reconsider, as White has carefully retained the option to transpose—or to avoid transposition entirely. This is chess as a psychological weapon: your opponent knows the main lines, but suddenly those lines are unavailable, and the alternatives feel uncomfortable.

For decades, White players facing the King's Indian Defense have searched for systems that avoid the violent tactical storms Black seeks while maintaining realistic winning chances. GM Alexey Dreev, who has the experience of being a 2700+ super-GM and one of the world's most experienced positional players, has found his answer in the modest-looking 6.b3—a system he has refined throughout his entire career. Together with GM Pier Luigi Basso, he presents a complete repertoire where the double fianchetto becomes not just a solid choice, but a psychological challenge: when White removes the imbalance from the board, King's Indian players must either accept passive positions or pursue counterplay this system is specifically designed to neutralize.

The Caro-Kann has long been Black's fortress—structurally sound, theoretically dense, and psychologically comfortable. From club level to elite tournaments, 1...c6 attracts players who value resilience over risk, solidity over speculation.
GM Jose Martinez Alcantara and GM Pier Luigi Basso respond with a repertoire that refuses to play by those rules.
Their approach begins with 3.Nc3—the Classical Main Line—not because it's fashionable, but because it creates immediate tactical tension. Where 3.e5 allows Black the fixed structure they often desire, 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 forces sharp decisions before Black achieves comfortable coordination. This is not about meeting solidity with more solidity. This is about transforming the character of the position before Black settles in.

In the golden age of positional chess, masters like Nimzowitsch and Petrosian built their reputations on a deceptively simple principle: restrict your opponent's possibilities first, then execute your own plan at leisure. This strategic philosophy—often called prophylaxis or restraint—remains one of chess's most elegant yet underappreciated concepts. GM Ioannis Papaioannou's How to Find the Right Plan revives this classical approach with modern precision, teaching players to identify and exploit long-term assets across all phases of the game.

When GM Baadur Jobava introduced his 1.b3 system to the elite chess world, skeptics questioned whether such a humble first move could truly challenge modern preparation. The answer came not through theory, but through practice—Jobava himself dismantled grandmasters who underestimated the system's venom. Now, with Part 2 of 1.b3 According to Jobava Refined, Jobava and co-author GM Pier Luigi Basso deliver the missing piece: a complete arsenal against 1...g6, 1...c5, and every other non-1...e5 response. This isn't a supplement—it's the strategic completion of a fully weaponized repertoire.

The Grivas Sicilian—characterized by the early 4...Qb6—has long existed in the shadow of mainstream Open Sicilian theory. For decades, strong players dismissed it as interesting but ultimately insufficient, particularly after White's most testing responses. GM Boris Avrukh, one of the world's foremost opening theoreticians, believed the same. Until he didn't.

For decades, GM Alexey Dreev has treated the Caro-Kann not as a “solid defense,” but as a dynamic strategic weapon. In collaboration with GM Pier Luigi Basso, he now completes Black’s repertoire against the Advance Variation with a deeply prepared and principled solution to the most critical setup: the Short System.
After
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2,
White reaches a structure that has long been considered one of the most uncomfortable tests for Black. The plan is clear: consolidate the center, restrict counterplay, and gradually squeeze.
Dreev’s answer is equally clear — and uncompromising: 5...h6!?

9 Steps to Endgame Mastery addresses this reality with systematic clarity. Created by two experienced Macedonian International Masters—Nikola Nikolovski and Filip Pancevski—the course recognizes that endgame competence isn't built through memorizing theoretical positions alone. It requires understanding the principles that include piece activity, recognizing when king safety matters and when the king must be active, and developing the technical precision to convert advantages that less experienced players let slip away.

Every tournament player who answers 1.e4 with 1...e5 knows the frustration: you've prepared the Ruy Lopez to move 30, studied the Italian's nuances for months, even memorized critical Berlin endgames—and your opponent plays 2.Nc3, 2.d3, or worse, the King's Gambit.

What should be a theoretical duel becomes a test of general principles against an opponent who knows their setup cold while you're navigating unfamiliar terrain. GM Pier Luigi Basso and GM Vladimir Malakhov's Arsenal for 1...e5 Players solves this problem by providing a complete, systematic antidote to White's most popular deviations from the main paths.

The Carlsbad structure has produced some of chess's most instructive positional battles. White methodically advances on the queenside, Black counters with central or kingside activity, and the resulting plans are taught in textbooks worldwide. Yet despite this wealth of understanding, Black players face a persistent challenge: White dictates the narrative. The structure may be equal, but the psychology isn't—White pushes forward while Black searches for the right moment to strike back.
GM Boris Avrukh's latest course rewrites this dynamic entirely. His proposal: stop waiting for White to complete development and then respond to threats. Instead, create threats of your own before White achieves the comfortable setup he's aiming for. The catalyst is 7...Bg4, an aggressive developing move that transforms the opening from a patient positional struggle into an immediate tactical contest where both sides must calculate precisely.