Openings

Aggressive Openings for Club Players as Black: Following our previous article about aggressive opening suggestions for white, we will present now a few options to choose from when playing with the black pieces. Of course, it can be more difficult to reach the type of position you want. Also, you can struggle with starting an […]

Aggressive Openings for Club Players as White: In our previous articles, we have given a selection of systems [for white and for black] that could be played without having to learn much theory in order to focus on understanding the middlegame and endgames and raise your rating. In today’s article, we will list a few […]

Opening Systems for Club Players for Black: In our previous article, we have given a selection of opening systems for white. Following the same pattern, we have thought of a few openings the club player can play with black. We have focused on systems that are solid and require less memorization than other purely theoretical […]

In modern chess having a sound opening repertoire is an essential part of achieving success in tournaments. Professional players spend a lot of time working on the openings in-depth, sometimes until the possible endgames that can arise.  Having the best chess openings for White is especially crucial to fighting for an advantage.

Scotch Opening Game is a very interesting opening, especially for those club players’ strength [meaning under 2200]. It is a pretty rare opening that may either be used as a surprise or as a weapon of choice. White challenges the black center right away and ends up in an aggressive-looking position. Black has his own […]

London System has always been a sideline, far from the latest hype when it comes to opening trends. However, this is not the case anymore, for in the past 2-3 years, maybe more, thanks to the efforts put by Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik, and needless to say Gata Kamsky, the London has become just as […]

London System: In today’s article we are going to propose a more “positional” approach for white where you won’t need to learn by heart many lines and computerized moves. But, we are also going to understand the resulting positions and the plans employed.

KID and Benoni: The pawn structure in the diagram below is not an unfamiliar one to the average player. As we all know, it can arise from different openings, mostly from those starting with 1.c4 or 1.d4 and Black responds with the King’s Indian Benoni-type of defense.

Openings: Finding a good one is not an easy task. Many club players get confused with all the information available and are not sure what to select. Things become especially tricky when it comes to playing with black pieces. Should you play the Sicilian, Spanish, or Caro-Kann? How should you study them and where do […]

Guimard variation of the French Defense starts with the move 3…Nc6 against white’s solid 3.Nd2 known as the Tarrasch variation. Black’s idea is quite simple, but also logical. First, he develops a piece with tempo, attacking the center. When white defends the d4 pawn, say with 4.Ngf3, then he plays another developing move and renews […]