Openings
The library

Opening courses

A repertoire for each colour, every line annotated move by move and checked with Stockfish. Switch on the courses you play and the coach brings their lines back in Today until you know them cold.

Reading room of the National Library, Reykjavik, 1968

Your repertoire

 

A course that is on feeds your daily plan. Pausing it keeps every line you learned and stops the reviews until you switch it back on.

Around three is plenty.

Every course

28 courses · 416 lines

Each card shows the position its main line reaches and how the opening plays. Activate puts a course in your daily plan; open it to see the lines.

Colour

Order

Ordered by how often each opening turns up in club games on Lichess. Showing 28 of 28.

  • Scandinavian Defense

    For Black · ECO B01

    An active 3...Qa5 repertoire with precise move orders.

    5 chapters · 19 lines · 1 trapOpen course

  • Italian Game

    For White · ECO C50

    The bishop points at f7 from move three.

    7 chapters · 15 lines · 1 trapOpen course

  • French Defence

    For Black · ECO C15-C19

    Build the wall, wreck their queenside, and pick the road you can remember.

    8 chapters · 25 linesOpen course

  • Queen's Gambit

    For White · ECO D35

    The oldest offer in chess, and the pawn comes back.

    6 chapters · 16 lines · 1 trapOpen course

  • Caro-Kann Defence

    For Black · ECO B12

    Everything the French wants, without burying the bishop.

    6 chapters · 15 linesOpen course

  • Philidor Defence

    For Black · ECO C41

    Hold e5 with a pawn, accept the cramp, and aim the knight at c5.

    3 chapters · 11 lines · 1 trapOpen course

  • Ruy Lopez

    For White · ECO C88

    Ask about the knight, then never let go.

    7 chapters · 27 lines · 2 trapsOpen course

  • Petrov's Defence

    For Black · ECO C42-C43

    Do not defend the pawn. Go and take one back.

    3 chapters · 9 lines · 1 trapOpen course

  • London System

    For White · ECO D02

    The bishop leaves first, the knight lands on e5, and the plans repeat.

    5 chapters · 17 lines · 6 trapsOpen course

  • Scotch Game

    For White · ECO C45

    Trade the d-pawn for e5, then take on c6 and play with the extra space.

    5 chapters · 14 lines · 5 trapsOpen course

  • English Opening

    For White · ECO A10-A39

    Control d5, choose the right centre, and navigate every reply.

    8 chapters · 38 linesOpen course

  • Vienna Game

    For White · ECO C27

    A King's Gambit that never has to be a gambit, and one line that is pure chaos.

    4 chapters · 15 lines · 4 trapsOpen course

  • Hartlaub-Charlick Gambit

    For Black · ECO A40

    The Danish spirit against 1.d4.

    4 chapters · 8 lines · 1 trapOpen course

  • King's Gambit

    For White · ECO C33

    A pawn, an open file, and a game your opponent has never studied.

    5 chapters · 16 lines · 2 trapsOpen course

  • Queen's Gambit Declined

    For Black · ECO D30-D69

    One setup against everything, and the pawn takes on c4 when it gains a move.

    3 chapters · 12 lines · 1 trapOpen course

  • Slav Defence

    For Black · ECO D17-D19

    Hold d5 with a pawn, get the bishop out first, then live on the b4-hole.

    3 chapters · 6 linesOpen course

  • Danish Gambit

    For White · ECO C21

    Activity for a pawn, with the critical defences included.

    4 chapters · 22 lines · 6 trapsOpen course

  • Classical Dutch

    For Black · ECO A96-A99

    One pawn move, and White has to work for the draw.

    2 chapters · 5 linesOpen course

  • Alapin Sicilian

    For White · ECO B22

    One move against every Sicilian, and no Sicilian structure to learn.

    4 chapters · 12 linesOpen course

  • Pirc Defence

    For Black · ECO B07

    Let them build the centre, then knock it down.

    5 chapters · 16 linesOpen course

  • Scotch Gambit

    For White · ECO C44

    Skip the recapture, aim at f7, and make Black solve problems.

    4 chapters · 18 lines · 5 trapsOpen course

  • King's Indian Defense

    For Black · ECO E60-E99

    Let the centre advance, then attack it from the flanks.

    2 chapters · 5 linesOpen course

  • Sicilian Najdorf

    For Black · ECO B90-B99

    One quiet pawn move, and then everything happens.

    3 chapters · 12 linesOpen course

  • Nimzo-Indian Defence

    For Black · ECO E20-E59

    Pin the knight, take it, and play against the pawns it leaves behind.

    4 chapters · 12 lines · 1 trapOpen course

  • Accelerated Dragon

    For Black · ECO B35

    One tempo, and the Yugoslav Attack is gone.

    5 chapters · 12 lines · 3 trapsOpen course

  • Benoni Defence

    For Black · ECO A56-A79

    Hand over the centre, take the queenside, and keep the game sharp.

    4 chapters · 14 linesOpen course

  • Grünfeld Defence

    For Black · ECO D70-D99

    Hand over the centre, then take it apart.

    3 chapters · 16 lines · 1 trapOpen course

  • Catalan Opening

    For White · ECO E00-E09

    Fianchetto, hand back the pawn, and grind the endgame out.

    3 chapters · 9 linesOpen course

The shelf by colour

Openings for White

Defences for Black