1.d4 According to Lucas Van Foreest (8)

The Queen's Gambit Declined with 4...Nbd7 has become the contemporary player's fortress—Carlsen's choice when solidity matters, Aronian's trust in critical moments, Kramnik's classical foundation. It's the line you expect to face when serious opponents sit across from you. But what happens when the expected is met with 5.Qc2—not the fourth most popular move, not even the third, but a choice that sits quietly at fifth, carrying precision over popularity?

This is the philosophy behind 1.d4 According to Lucas Van Foreest - Fight the Queen's Gambit Declined - Part 2, the eighth installment in the 1.d4 According to Lucas series. GM Lucas Van Foreest and GM Pier Luigi Basso don't promise magic bullets—they offer something better: a repertoire engineered for practical discomfort where Black's preparation evaporates.

Modern Chess releases the seventh installment in the 1.d4 According to Lucas van Foreest series, authored by GM Pier Luigi Basso and GM Lucas van Foreest. This course addresses White's options against the Queen's Gambit Declined after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3, focusing on Black's sharpest responses: 4...dxc4 (Vienna Variation) and 4...c5 (Semi-Tarrasch complex).

For years, 1.d4 players have struggled against one of Black’s most trusted defenses — the Ragozin. Solid, flexible, and endlessly playable, it’s been a favorite of Carlsen, Aronian, Gukesh, and Firouzja. But now, the tide turns. In 1.d4 According to Lucas Van Foreest – Fight the Ragozin, GMs Lucas Van Foreest and Pier Luigi Basso present a complete and modern system built around the critical 6.Bg5, the line that puts Black’s entire setup under both strategic and tactical pressure.

The Semi-Slav Defense presents one of Black's most solid and theoretically demanding responses to 1.d4. This course tackles it head-on with the Catalan-style approach using 5.g3, offering White concrete advantages in positions where Black traditionally finds comfortable play.
Van Foreest's method is characteristically direct: "We play the toughest lines — the ones Black hates to face, system after system." The g3 setup against the Semi-Slav creates practical problems for Black while maintaining White's opening initiative.

Modern Chess proudly announces the latest addition to our acclaimed 1.d4 According to Lucas Van Foreest series: Beat the Classical Queen's Gambit Declined. This comprehensive course delivers a complete White repertoire based on the strategically rich 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bf4 system—a line that combines classical principles with modern precision.

When GM Veselin Topalov unleashed 3.h4 against GM Anish Giri at the 2016 Candidates Tournament, the chess world laughed. Critics dismissed it as desperation, a novelty without substance. They were spectacularly wrong.
Fast-forward to 2025, and this "crazy" move has become a weapon of choice for the world's elite: Magnus Carlsen, Ding Liren, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Alexander Grischuk have all embraced what chess insiders now call the 1.d4 Squeeze Repertoire. The system officially entered top-level preparation between 2019-2020, transforming from curiosity to cutting-edge theory.
Modern Chess is proud to present "1.d4 According to Lucas van Foreest - 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.h4", the latest installment in our acclaimed repertoire series, authored by GM Pier Luigi Basso and GM Lucas van Foreest.
Strategic Philosophy: Maximum Discomfort for Your Op

The Nimzo-Indian Defense has long been considered one of Black's most solid and reliable responses to 1.d4. For decades, strong players have relied on its positional foundations and strategic complexity to achieve comfortable positions against White's opening ambitions. However, GM Lucas van Foreest and GM Pier Luigi Basso have developed a devastating counter-weapon that turns the tables completely.

Their latest course, "1.d4 According to Lucas Van Foreest - Fight the Nimzo-Indian," presents the aggressive 4.f3 system—arguably the most annoying and uncomfortable line that Nimzo-Indian players face in modern chess.

We are excited to introduce the first course from the new series "1.d4 According to Lucas Van Foreest", created by GM Lucas van Foreest and GM Pier Luigi Basso.
This series is built around a single powerful idea – to select the most annoying and practically difficult lines for Black. If you're a 1.d4 player who wants to squeeze your opponents out of comfort, this is the repertoire you've been waiting for.