Courses (1098)

For decades, the Exchange Variation carried the burden of being chess’s great equalizer — the line White chose when seeking a draw, where 3.exd5 exd5 seemed to drain the French of its characteristic tension.
But this reputation has quietly crumbled. Recent years have brought a fundamental shift in understanding: both 4.Bd3 and 4.Nf3 contain genuine venom, while White’s rare second-move alternatives — from the King’s Indian Attack to the Wing Gambit — demand precise knowledge rather than general principles.

For over a century, the French Defense has challenged 1.e4 players to prove an advantage against Black’s resilient structure.
Yet GM Baadur Jobava and IM Dragos Ceres demonstrate that the answer lies not in quiet maneuvering, but in a bold and principled idea — the French Gambit.

Modern Chess proudly presents the debut course of IM and psychologist Nikola Nikolovski — The Chess Thinking Process – Static Factors and Planning.
This innovative work bridges cognitive science and chess understanding, offering a structured framework for evaluating positions long before concrete calculation begins.

When Alexey Dreev first adopted the Semi-Slav as a young Soviet master in the mid-1980s, the opening was respected but predictable. Forty years later, having played it through every phase of modern chess—from Soviet training halls to the engine era—Dreev has transformed his relationship with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 from passive study into active co-authorship.

This new course, created together with GM Pier Luigi Basso, represents not just a repertoire but a living record of how the Semi-Slav has evolved—and how the two authors have shaped that evolution over the past decade.

Every great chess thinker has a system—an internal architecture that explains how the game truly works. For GM Efstratios Grivas, that system has unfolded step by step through his lifelong mission to connect classical wisdom with modern understanding.
The first two courses of the Grivas Chess Lab series—Endgames with Opposite-Colored Bishops and The Principle of the Two Weaknesses—established the foundation: technique, conversion, precision.
Now comes the course that unites them all. Strategic and Tactical Education represents the core philosophy of Grivas’s work—a comprehensive framework that transforms fragmented chess knowledge into a single, coherent method of thinking.

For decades, the Open Spanish carried a particular stigma—Black played for a draw, White squeezed for fifty moves, and the outcome was predictable. Between 2019 and 2024, GM Jose Martinez Alcantara and GM Pier Luigi Basso dismantled that narrative with a weapon that transforms Black's position as early as move six: 6...Be7 in the Open Spanish. This isn't a sideline curiosity—it's a complete repertoire built on sharp, unbalanced structures that leave opponents unprepared.

After an intense first round where seven grandmasters competed with their repertoires against the London System and Jobava London, the chess community has spoken. Now, these three elite players present their weapons against one of the most sophisticated openings in modern chess — the Catalan Opening.

Modern Chess presents an innovative approach to the Trompowsky Attack that fundamentally reimagines this classical opening. Trompowsky Attack for White - Part 1, authored by GM Baadur Jobava and GM Vitaliy Bernadskiy, offers more than traditional theory—it provides a comprehensive opening system that seamlessly connects with the Torre Attack and Jobava London repertoires.

The move 3...g6 represents the eighth most popular response in the Ruy Lopez, offering Black a clear path to equality while avoiding the extensive theoretical maze of traditional main lines. As GM Kalyan explains, "We develop the bishop to g7, fighting for the d4-square. This works better with the bishop still on b5, as in some cases, we can take on c6 with a tempo, attacking the bishop."
This system allows Black to clarify the character of the position immediately on move three, establishing a concrete plan rather than waiting to see White's intentions. The early fianchetto serves multiple purposes: controlling key central squares, preparing counterplay along the long diagonal, and forcing White to commit to a specific pawn structure.

GM Pier Luigi Basso and GM Luca Moroni complete their ambitious French Defense project with the release of French Defense According to Moroni - Tarrasch, Advance, and Exchange Variations. This course serves as the essential companion to their previous work, French Defense According to Moroni - Play the Steinitz Variation, providing Black with a complete and fighting repertoire against 1.e4.