Openings, the way a coach teaches them.

No books, no memorising walls of moves. Your coach shows the idea, you play the moves, and every trap gets played out on the board.

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All openings

65 openings

White Solid / defensive C50 to C54 Italian Game Quick development, a bishop on f7’s case and a slow squeeze.
White Positional C60 to C99 Ruy Lopez The Spanish squeeze, loved by every world champion.
White Solid / defensive D02, A46, A48 London System One sturdy setup you can play against almost anything.
White Positional D06 to D69 Queen’s Gambit Offer a wing pawn for the centre, then squeeze with the minority attack.
Black Solid / defensive B10 to B19 Caro-Kann Defence Rock solid, and your light-squared bishop stays free.
Black Sharp & tactical B20 to B99 Sicilian Defence Fight for the win from move one, with the Najdorf as your main weapon.
Black Solid / defensive C00 to C19 French Defence Let White build a centre, then hit its base with …c5.
White Attacking C44 to C45 Scotch Game Open the centre on move three and play with energy.
Black Sharp & tactical C55 to C59 Two Knights Defence Meet the Italian with a counter-attack, and never fear the Fried Liver.
Black Simple to learn B01 Scandinavian Defence Hit e4 on move one. Simple, direct and easy to learn.
White Positional A10 to A39 English Opening A Sicilian with an extra move, and a queenside pawn roll.
White Attacking C25 to C29 Vienna Game Knight to c3, bishop to c4, and the f-pawn joins the attack.
White Gambits C30 to C39 King’s Gambit Give the f-pawn on move two and race your pieces at f7.
White Gambits C51 to C52 Evans Gambit An Italian with a pawn sacrifice that buys c3 and d4 with tempo.
Black Solid / defensive C42 to C43 Petrov Defence Hit e4 straight back and build a fortress White can’t crack.
Black Solid / defensive D10 to D19 Slav Defence Hold d5 with …c6 and keep your light-squared bishop free.
Black Attacking E60 to E99 King’s Indian Defence Give White the centre, then storm the king with …f5 and …g5.
Black Positional E20 to E59 Nimzo-Indian Defence Pin the c3 knight, double White’s pawns and win the light squares.
Black Sharp & tactical B07 to B09 Pirc Defence Let White build a centre, then hit it with the g7 bishop and …c5.
Black Attacking A80 to A99 Dutch Defence Grab e4 with …f5 and build the Stonewall, as Carlsen does.
Black Sharp & tactical B70 to B79 Sicilian Dragon A bishop on g7, the open c-file and a race against White’s king.
Black Sharp & tactical B33 Sveshnikov Sicilian Kick the knight with …e5 and trade structure for dynamic play.
Black Solid / defensive B44 to B49 Taimanov Sicilian Pieces before pawns: …e6, …Nc6, …Qc7 and a flexible fight.
Black Positional B34 to B39 Accelerated Dragon A Dragon that saves …d6, so …d5 comes in one go.
Black Solid / defensive B56 to B69 Classical Sicilian Natural development with …Nc6, ready for every White setup.
Black Solid / defensive B41 to B43 Kan Sicilian Two small pawn moves, and every piece can still pick its square.
White Solid / defensive B22 Alapin Sicilian Meet the Sicilian with c3 and d4, and get the centre you want.
White Gambits B21 Smith-Morra Gambit Give a pawn, take the open lines and attack before Black is ready.
White Attacking B21, B23 Grand Prix Attack f4, a bishop on b5, castle short and head for the king.
Black Sharp & tactical C15 to C19 French Winawer Pin the knight, give up the bishop and fight an unbalanced game.
White Positional C03 to C09 Tarrasch French Nd2 keeps c3 free for a pawn and sidesteps the Winawer pin.
Black Solid / defensive C65 to C67 Berlin Defence Trade queens early and hold a rock solid endgame with the bishop pair.
White Positional C68 to C69 Exchange Ruy Lopez Take on c6, trade queens and win with the better pawns.
White Solid / defensive C46 to C49 Four Knights Game Bring out all four knights, pin with Bb5 and play a sound classical game.
Black Solid / defensive C41 Philidor Defence Meet 1.e4 with a compact wall: d6, exd4 and a quiet setup that hits back later.
Black Sharp & tactical B04 Alekhine Defence Lure White’s pawns forward with your knight, then hit the big centre from every side.
Black Solid / defensive D27 Queen’s Gambit Accepted Take the c4 pawn, give it back on your terms and hit d4 with …c5 while White is still catching up.
Black Sharp & tactical D47 Semi-Slav Hold d5 with …c6 and …e6, take on c4 with tempo and race on the queenside.
White Positional E01 to E09 Catalan Opening A bishop on the long diagonal, a pawn you win back and pressure that never lets up.
Black Solid / defensive E12 to E19 Queen’s Indian Defence A bishop that bothers c4, a check that misplaces White’s pieces and a centre that never cracks.
Black Sharp & tactical D70 to D99 Grünfeld Defence Let White build a big centre, then tear it down with …c5 and the bishop on g7.
Black Sharp & tactical A60 to A79 Modern Benoni An unbalanced fight: your queenside pawns and the g7 bishop against White’s big centre.
Black Gambits A57 to A59 Benko Gambit A pawn for two open files and pressure on the queenside that lasts deep into the endgame.
White Attacking A45 Trompowsky Attack Hit the f6 knight on move two and pull your opponent away from the usual theory.
White Positional A09 to A14 Réti Opening Knight and c-pawn against d5, two bishops on long diagonals and a centre you open when you choose.
Black Sharp & tactical B06 Modern Defence Bishop to g7, then …a6 and …b5: you give White the centre and take space on the queenside.
White Positional B30 to B31 Rossolimo Variation Take on c6, double Black’s pawns and build with d3, h3, Nc3 and Be3. A calm way past Sicilian theory.
White Positional A36 to A39 Symmetrical English Black copies your fianchetto, so you play a3, Rb1 and b4 and open the b-file first.
White Positional B51 to B52 Moscow Variation Check on b5, trade the light bishops and clamp d5 with c4. A calm, solid way past the Najdorf and the Dragon.
White Positional A01 Nimzo-Larsen Attack The bishop rules the long diagonal, and your pieces fight for e5 before your pawns do. Fischer’s choice in 1970.
Black Positional E11 Bogo-Indian Defence Check on b4, trade the dark bishops and put your pawns on d6 and e5. White has nothing left to attack them with.
White Positional B23 to B26 Closed Sicilian Keep the centre shut with g3, Bg2 and d3, then push f4 and f5 at Black’s king. No theory race against the Najdorf.
White Positional B12 Caro-Kann Advance Grab space with e5 and go after Black’s good bishop: the calm Short system, the sharp g4 and Tal’s h4.
White Attacking C54 Open Giuoco Piano c3 and d4 blow the centre open while Black’s king is still at home. With the Møller Attack and Greco’s famous trap.
White Attacking D01 Jobava London The London with the knight on c3: jump to b5 to hit c7, then push the h-pawn at Black’s king.
Black Sharp & tactical B90 to B99 Sicilian Najdorf Fischer’s and Kasparov’s Sicilian. One quiet …a6, then a fight for d5 and a race against the English Attack.
Black Solid / defensive B80 to B85 Sicilian Scheveningen …d6 and …e6 build a small, tough centre with …d5 and …e5 in reserve. With the Keres Attack and how to meet it.
Black Gambits C88 to C89 Marshall Attack Give a pawn on move eight and throw everything at White’s king. Plus calm answers to the Anti-Marshalls.
White Attacking B13 to B14 Panov-Botvinnik Attack c4 turns the solid Caro-Kann into an open fight. You get an isolated pawn on d4 and quick play against Black’s king.
White Simple to learn A07 to A08 King’s Indian Attack One set-up against almost anything: Nf3, g3, Bg2, castle, d3 and e4. Fischer’s weapon, with an attack on the kingside.
White Simple to learn D04 to D05 Colle System A calm set-up with d4, e3, Bd3 and c3 that ends in one strong push, e4. With the famous bishop sacrifice on h7.
Black Gambits A51 to A52 Budapest Gambit Hit back at once with …e5. Win the pawn back on e5, and your pieces come out faster than White’s.
White Attacking A02 to A03 Bird Opening A Dutch Defence with an extra move: f4, Nf3, b3 and Bb2 aim at e5 and the king. Plus how to beat From’s Gambit.
Black Positional D32 to D34 Tarrasch Defence Free play for all your pieces in return for a lone pawn on d5. Learn when it is a strength and when a target.
White Positional D35 to D36 QGD Exchange Variation Take on d5 and fix the Carlsbad structure. Then b4 and b5 make Black a weak pawn on c6, the famous minority attack.