What it teaches
Three strong American players, grandmaster and former U.S. champion Lev Alburt, grandmaster Roman Dzindzichashvili and grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn, built a complete, ready-to-use repertoire for Black against all of White's main first moves. What makes the book stand out is the "explained" part: every choice comes with a clear account of the ideas behind it, the plans for both sides and the typical traps, so you understand the positions you reach.
The repertoire is designed to be practical for club players, favoring active, sound systems over lines that require memorizing reams of theory.
Who it's for
Club players from about 1200 to 1900 who want a complete, coherent repertoire for Black without assembling it from several books.
How to get the most from it
Learn the repertoire one opening at a time, and play it in online games before using it in tournaments. Review your games against the book's main ideas, not just its moves.
Key takeaways
- A coherent repertoire is easier to learn than a patchwork of openings.
- Understanding plans lets you handle moves the book doesn't cover.
- Knowing the typical traps saves games and wins quick points.
- Practice a new opening in casual games before relying on it.
Read next
For an overview of all openings, read Fundamental Chess Openings. Explore each opening further in our openings library.
