Opening Courses (889)

The Hidden Sicilian Weapon covers the rarely studied 5...Bd7 in the Open Sicilian after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3. Black retains flexibility by delaying commitment to a structure until White's sixth move, transposing into Dragon, Richter-Rauzer, or Najdorf-type positions as appropriate. The critical 6.f3 English Attack is examined in depth, with original analysis extending beyond existing published repertoires.

Meeting the English covers a complete Black repertoire after 1.c4 e5, addressing all major White setups. Against 2.Nc3, the course recommends 2...Bb4, targeting the knight that controls d5, with 3...Be7 as a sound retreat after 3.Nd5. Against the 2.g3 fianchetto, Black adopts 2...Nf6 3.Bg2 c6, using White's early commitment to build a counterattacking structure.

GM Baadur Jobava and GM Pier Luigi Basso present a dynamic French Defense repertoire for Black built around the provocative 3...Nc6!? after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3. This sidesteps main-line theory, blocks the standard ...c5 break, and shifts counterplay to ...f6. The course covers ten theory chapters and twelve model games, offering concrete answers to White's critical tries (including 4.e5 f6! and 5.e5 Ne4 6.Ne2! f6!). The aim: surprise, soundness, and full fight from move three.

The Queen's Gambit Declined with 4...Be7 covers Black's repertoire after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7, a classical setup trusted at the highest level since the 1927 World Championship match between Capablanca and Alekhine. The course addresses all of White's major setups, including 5.Bf4, 5.Bg5, and 5.g3, prioritizing understanding of plans over memorization. Key recommendations include 6...Nbd7!? against the main line and 7...Ne4!? when White closes the centre with 7.c5.

The Modern Caro-Kann – A Complete Repertoire for Black – Part 4, authored by GM Szymon Gumularz and FM Sebastian Reimann, addresses the Exchange Variation and the Panov-Botvinnik Attack, two systems designed to make Black's light-squared bishop a problem piece. Against the Exchange, the repertoire relies on 5...Bg4!? and the ...g6 setup; against the Panov, the rare 6...a6!? is recommended, steering play away from heavily theoretical ground. The course also covers the 2.Nf3 and 2.c4 move orders, completing a four-volume Caro-Kann repertoire series.

This course presents a complete Black repertoire against the French Advance Variation, covering both 4...Qa5 and 4...Qb6 after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3. The two queen moves share the target of the d4-pawn but lead to distinct strategic and tactical structures, with 4...Qa5 creating immediate concrete complications and 4...Qb6 supporting a slower positional plan involving the exchange of Black's light-squared bishop. The course was written by GM Anton Korobov.

This course offers a complete Modern Benoni repertoire for Black, providing concrete, deeply analyzed solutions to White's most challenging systems—including a key equalizing resource against the critical 7.f4 line. Across 16 chapters covering 7.Bf4, Nd2 systems, the classical main line, and the Fianchetto, it emphasizes practical fighting ideas over rote engine moves, preserving the Benoni's dynamic spirit while meeting modern theory with confidence.

GM Pier Luigi Basso's Mastering the 2...g6 Move Order offers a practical Accelerated Dragon repertoire after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6, avoiding several annoying lines that arise after 2...Nc6. It covers every Anti-Sicilian White can try—including the critical Alapin (met by 3...d5!), 4.Qxd4 lines, and 3.Bc4—and pairs with Basso's Open Sicilian course for a complete repertoire after 2.Nf3. Includes 10 chapters, video instruction, model games, test/training positions, a memory booster, and multilingual PGN.

GM Peng Li Min presents The Italian Game: A Dynamic Repertoire for Black, built on 3...Nf6 and 4...Be7 against the quiet Italian (4.d3). Rather than relying on forcing lines, the course teaches one solid structure with three recurring plans: fixing the queenside against White's a-pawn advances, the central break ...d5, and a slower kingside plan (...Kh8 and ...Ng8/...Nd7 preparing ...f5). This ideas-based approach aims to give Black a reliable, flexible lifetime repertoire.

GM Peng Li Min presents The Arkhangelsk: An Aggressive Repertoire for Black, a course built around 5...Bc5 and ...b5 against the Ruy Lopez, designed so Black dictates the game's direction. It features a consistent setup with a fresh main-line idea (8...Ba7!? after 6.c3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4), covers all White deviations across 15 chapters, and emphasizes active piece play. The author is a Ukrainian-born Swiss GM (title in 2022, peak 2575) who also created a companion Italian Game course.