It’s finally here! International Master Alex Bazea’s full 1.e4 trilogy is now complete. Together with Ambush 1. e4 - Fighting the Sicilians and Ambush 1. e4 - Fighting 1... e6, c6, and Sidelines, now you have a complete White repertoire, ambitious and creative, to hit Black hard with 1.e4.
IM Banzea gained a massive following for his antidotes to the Sicilians, the Caro-Kann, the French, and other semi-open openings. Not often do
so many Chessablers claim to have netted so many points precisely as they had studied it.
So it was natural that IM Banzea closed a full 1.e4 repertoire with the same premise:
Surprising but hard-hitting lines to turn Black on their head
The Vienna Opening/Gambit against 1…e5: a reliable weapon against anyone, yet unexpected even for the best-prepared opponent. The Vienna is fresh and full of ideas to outplay Black and Alex treats it as comprehensively as you would expect of a Lifetime Repertoire.
3.d4 against the Scandinavian: a smart idea to grab space in the center with 4.c4. In the mainline, a little nuance makes the difference between allowing Black’s counterplay and forcing them into a difficult endgame.
The Four Pawns Attack against the Alekhine: the most ambitious try to punish the Knight’s camping trip. Not only will you enjoy great attacking chances, but it also meshes well with the Austrian Attack against the Pirc! (see Ambush 1.e4 - Fighting Sidelines).
But in typical Banzea fashion, this is
Not just an opening course
Alex’s recommendations are modern and venomous, always striving for the initiative. They aim to
narrow your opponent’s options from the get-go and bring them into unfamiliar territory… yours!
This will give you both a psychological and practical advantage.
But most of all, it will get you
playable positions that you understand and feel comfortable with, rather than “securing an advantage” in lines impossible to remember.
You will
expand your strategic toolkit -pun intended- by studying themes like bishop pair vs. damaged pawn structure, purposeful development vs. routinary development, etc.
That’s why Alex put special emphasis on the model games chapter, as it will teach you to play the middlegame. So, even if you forget the theory,
with this repertoire you’ll be the better middlegame player.
For example, in this course:
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Learn the exception to the rules: how surrendering the bishop pair in an open (and seemingly normal) position can automatically put Black on the brink of disaster.
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See how to carry on 20 move-long attacks: relentlessly throw wood to the fire to crown a slow but sure kingside assault.
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Train your pattern recognition: find small details that bring you short-term benefits like ‘winning half a tempo’ that you can incorporate into any position.
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Understand when to disagree with the engine: learn little practical tricks to lure the game into your territory, even if the engines don’t appreciate it.
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Grow your positional bank of ideas: exploiting a weakened kingside castle with Queens off the board or balancing doubled pawns with dynamic play.
All of that in just 480 trainable lines and 12 hours of interactive video.
To make your journey easier, the course features four Quickstarter chapters: one on Scandi and the Alekhine each and two on the Vienna complex.
So hop on! Whether you are a fan of his first two courses or are picking 1.e4 up for the first time, this repertoire is perfect for you.
Ambush 1…e5, the Scandi, and sidelines with the final part to IM Banzea’s 1.e4 trilogy
