Learn chess openings move by move: 28 courses for White and Black in which every move is explained, with traps to set and avoid, and 30 line courses that drill the main lines with spaced-repetition review. Every named opening also has a page of its own, with an interactive lesson.
Openings for White
Réti Opening and King's Indian Attack – 1.Nf3 keeps every option open. With c4 White plays the Réti, attacking Black's d5 pawn from the side; with g3, d3, Nbd2 and e4 White builds the King's Indian Attack, a reliable kingside setup against French, Caro-Kann and Sicilian structures.
English Opening – 1.c4 grabs the d5 square from the side and keeps the centre flexible. White usually fianchettoes the king's bishop on g2 and plays on the queenside and the long light diagonal, often reaching a Sicilian with an extra tempo.
Catalan Opening – White combines the Queen's Gambit (d4 and c4) with a kingside fianchetto: the bishop on g2 rakes the long diagonal toward b7 and a8. If Black takes on c4, White regains the pawn with Qa4+ or Qc2; if Black stays solid, White prepares e4 and keeps a lasting space advantage.
London System – A solid setup for White: pawns on d4, e3 and c3, bishop out to f4 before e3, then calm development. The same plan works against almost anything Black plays, so there is little theory to memorise. The course also covers the sharper Jobava London with 2.Nc3.
Queen's Gambit – After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 White offers the c-pawn to pull Black's d-pawn away from the centre. This course covers the Queen's Gambit Declined (Orthodox and Exchange with the minority attack), the Queen's Gambit Accepted, the main Slav, and how to meet the Albin Countergambit and the Chigorin Defence.
Anti-Sicilians for White – A practical toolkit to sidestep the heavy theory of the Open Sicilian. You get the Alapin 2.c3 against both 2...d5 and 2...Nf6, the Smith-Morra Gambit, the Grand Prix Attack, the Rossolimo against 2...Nc6 and the Moscow 3.Bb5+ against 2...d6, plus the traps that decide games in these lines.
Italian Game – After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 White's bishop aims straight at f7, the weakest square in Black's camp. You learn the classical c3 + d4 centre, the slow modern d3 plan, the Evans Gambit, and how to meet the Two Knights and the Hungarian Defence.
King's Gambit – With 2.f4 White offers a pawn to tear open the f-file and take over the centre with d4. This course covers the main accepted lines (Kieseritzky, Bishop's Gambit, Modern 3...d5) and the two big refusals, the Classical 2...Bc5 and the Falkbeer 2...d5.
Ruy Lopez – With 3.Bb5 White attacks the knight that defends e5 and builds long-term pressure instead of going for a quick attack. You learn the Closed Ruy Lopez with h3 and d4, and how to handle the Berlin, the Exchange Variation, the Open Variation, the Marshall (via the anti-Marshall 8.a4) and the old Steinitz Defence.
Scotch Game – With 3.d4 White opens the centre at once and gets free piece play after 3...exd4 4.Nxd4. You learn how to meet the Classical 4...Bc5, the Schmidt 4...Nf6 with the Mieses 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5, the Scotch Four Knights and the Steinitz 4...Qh4.
Vienna Game – After 1.e4 e5 White plays 2.Nc3, keeping the f-pawn free for an early f2-f4. You learn the Vienna Gambit against 2...Nf6, the Bc4 systems against 2...Nc6, and how to handle the wild Frankenstein-Dracula when Black grabs e4.
Openings for Black
Beating 1.d4 Sidelines – A practical repertoire for Black against the systems club players love after 1.d4: the London, Colle, Trompowsky, Torre and Jobava London. In every line Black hits d4 and b2 with ...c5 and an early queen, or neutralises White's favourite attacking bishop, and reaches a comfortable middlegame with a clear plan.
Benoni and Benko Gambit – Two fighting answers to 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5. In the Modern Benoni Black accepts a queenside pawn majority versus White's centre and plays for ...b5 and pressure on e4; in the Benko Gambit Black gives a pawn for lasting pressure on the a- and b-files.
Dutch Defence – Black answers 1.d4 with 1...f5, fighting for e4 with a pawn and preparing a kingside attack. You learn three set-ups (the Stonewall, the Leningrad and the Classical) plus how to handle the anti-Dutch tries 2.Bg5 and the Staunton Gambit 2.e4.
Grünfeld Defence – A dynamic hypermodern defence: Black plays ...d5 to challenge the centre, often lets White build a big pawn centre with e4, and then attacks it with the g7 bishop, ...c5 and ...Nc6. The opening is rich in concrete tactics against d4 and on the long diagonal.
King's Indian Defence – A fighting defence against 1.d4: Black lets White build a big centre, castles quickly behind the g7 bishop and then strikes back with ...e5 or ...c5. In the main lines the centre locks and both sides race on opposite wings, with Black's kingside pawn storm aimed straight at the white king.
Nimzo-Indian Defence – After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 Black pins the c3-knight and fights for e4 with pieces instead of pawns. Black is often willing to give the bishop for the knight to double White's c-pawns, then attacks the weak c4-pawn and keeps the position closed for the knights.
Queen's Gambit Declined – A classical, rock-solid answer to 1.d4 and 2.c4: Black holds the d5 point with ...e6, develops calmly and castles. Once the pieces are out, Black frees the position with ...c5 or ...dxc4 and ...e5, or swaps pieces with ...Ne4 or ...h6 and ...b6.
Slav Defence – Black supports d5 with ...c6 instead of ...e6, so the light-squared bishop can still come out to f5 or g4 before the pawn chain closes. The Slav is solid, rich in ideas, and the same structure serves against almost every White set-up.
1.e4 e5 for Black – A complete, classical repertoire for Black after 1.e4 e5. You meet the Italian with both 3...Bc5 and the Two Knights, the Ruy Lopez with the Morphy main line (plus the Berlin as a solid alternative), and you learn healthy answers to the Scotch, the King's Gambit and the Vienna.
Caro-Kann Defence – Black prepares ...d5 with 1...c6, so that the d5 pawn is supported without blocking the light-squared bishop. Black gets a very solid pawn structure, develops the c8 bishop outside the pawn chain (usually to f5 or g4) and aims for a sound, slightly passive but hard-to-crack middlegame.
French Defence – Black answers 1.e4 with 1...e6 and 2...d5, building a solid pawn chain and counter-attacking White's centre with ...c5 and ...f6. Black accepts a slightly cramped position in return for clear plans and a rock-solid structure.
Petroff Defence – After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Black answers with 2...Nf6 and attacks the e4 pawn instead of defending e5. It is one of the most solid replies to 1.e4. You learn the main line after 3.Nxe5 d6, the answers to 3.d4 and 3.Nc3, what to do against the Cochrane Gambit, and the traps that punish Black for copying White.
Pirc and Modern Defence – Black lets White build a big pawn centre and then attacks it from the side. The bishop goes to g7, Black castles quickly and strikes back with ...c5, ...e5 or a queenside expansion with ...c6 and ...b5. Flexible and fighting, but Black must know how to meet White's attacking setups.
Scandinavian Defence – Black hits e4 at once with 1...d5 and, after 2.exd5, recaptures with the queen or (in the Marshall and Portuguese lines) with a knight. Black gets easy development, a solid c6-e6 structure and simple plans, at the cost of a little time spent with the queen.
Sicilian Dragon – Black fianchettoes the bishop on g7, where it bears down the long diagonal toward d4, c3 and b2. This course covers the razor-sharp Yugoslav Attack (9.Bc4 and 9.O-O-O), the quieter Classical 6.Be2 and the Levenfish 6.f4, plus the classic traps on both sides.
Sicilian Najdorf – Black's most ambitious answer to 1.e4: after 5...a6 Black keeps every option open, controlling b5 and preparing ...e5 or ...e6 and ...b5. This course covers White's five main tries — the English Attack, 6.Bg5, 6.Be2, the Fischer-Sozin 6.Bc4 and 6.h3 — and the traps you must know in each.
Two Knights Defence – After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Black plays 3...Nf6 and attacks the e4 pawn at once. You learn the sharp 4.Ng5 main line with 5...Na5, the quiet 4.d3, the open 4.d4 and the 4.Nc3 fork trick. You also learn the Fried Liver Attack, the trap every Two Knights player has to know.
More opening line courses
Anti-Sicilians for Black – Your answers when White avoids the Open Sicilian: the Alapin (2.c3 Nf6), the Closed and Grand Prix (…Nc6, …g6), the Smith-Morra, the Rossolimo (3.Bb5 g6) and the Moscow (3.Bb5+ Bd7).
Beat the London – Meet 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 with the active 2...c5: hit d4 and b2 at once with ...Nc6 and ...Qb6, then grab queenside space with ...c4 before the London set-up is finished.
Danish Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3: offer one or two pawns for two bishops raking the black king, open files and a big lead in development.
Englund Gambit – 1.d4 e5!? gives a pawn for quick piece play: ...Nc6, ...Qe7 and traps on the b-file and the e-file. Objectively risky, but full of pitfalls for an unprepared opponent.
Evans Gambit – Give the b-pawn against the Giuoco Piano (4.b4!) to gain c3 and d4 with tempo: a big centre, open lines against f7 and a lead in development.
Accelerated Dragon – The Dragon without ...d6: the bishop goes to g7 at once, and ...d5 in one move becomes possible. Against the Maroczy Bind (c4) Black plays solid, trade-minded chess.
Alapin Sicilian (2.c3) – Answer the Sicilian with 2.c3 and d4: a big pawn centre, no long theory, and a calm game where you know the plans.
Sicilian Classical & Scheveningen – The Classical Sicilian (5...Nc6) with Scheveningen set-ups (...e6, ...Be7, ...a6): flexible, solid and full of counterplay on the c-file.
Closed Sicilian & Grand Prix – Meet the Sicilian with 2.Nc3 and f4: a kingside attack (f4, Nf3, Bb5 or Bc4, O-O, then f5) without the Open Sicilian's theory.
Sicilian Sveshnikov – 5...e5: Black takes the centre at once and accepts a hole on d5 in return for active pieces, the bishop pair and the ...f5 break.
Sicilian Taimanov & Kan – 4...Nc6 with the Kan's ...a6 and ...Qc7: a flexible Sicilian where Black's pieces stay compact and the queen on c7 eyes e5 and h2.
Smith-Morra Gambit – Give a pawn against the Sicilian for fast development and open lines: Nc3, Nf3, Bc4, castle, Qe2 and Rd1 against the d6 pawn.
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