🏆 Shortlisted for Best Opening Course of 2021 🏆
The mission to counter
every Black response to 1.e4 presses on! In this installment of his complete 1.e4 repertoire,
Grandmaster S.P. Sethuraman shows you how to tackle the most challenging defenses Black can play against your 1.e4:
the Sicilian, French, and Caro-Kann.
If you haven’t already, check out Part 1 of the course which covers a slew of Black’s other defenses, including the Scandinavian, Petroff, Alekhine’s Defense, and more.
Shut Down the Sicilian in Any Variation Black Plays
By now, you’re probably well acquainted with the beauty of 1.e4. White can achieve aggressive, open positions and play for a win (Bobby Fischer did say it was “best by test”!)
And with GM Sethuraman's repertoire, you'll
keep it that way. No quiet, drawish anti-Sicilian lines here - against 1...c5, we're going to war with an Open Sicilian repertoire that
goes for the full point.Black has a variety of options in the open Sicilian to challenge White, but with this course, you'll have the tools to counter
anything Black can throw at you. You'll be able to outplay him not only the
tournament variations, but all those
annoying pet variations, too:
♟
Najdorf - play fearlessly in all the main lines with 6.Bg5
♟
Dragon - learn to put out Black’s fire with the
Maroczy Bind (c4 and e4 dominating the center)
♟
Classical Sicilian - make Black walk the tightrope in the
Richter-Rauzer Attack (6. Bg5)
♟
Sveshnikov and
Kalashnikov - redirect every trick Black throws at you in the so-called “Dirty Harry” Sicilian and its evil relatives
♟
Taimanov and
Scheveningen - knock Black off his chair with the
Keres Attack (6. g4!)
♟Fight off less common variations such as the
Four Knights, Paulsen, and
Grivas Sicilians
♟Stomp the
Nimzowitsch (2...Nf6), O’Kelly (2...a6), and other sidelinesFry the French with 3. Nc3
There are many ways to fight the French, but you’ll employ the most vicious:
3. Nc3. Black can take 3. Nc3 in a few directions, but if you take GM Sethuraman’s advice, all roads will lead to victory.
♟
Classical Variation (3...Nf6) - you’ll have fun raiding White’s kingside from the get-go with the
Steinitz Variation (4. e5, followed by a quick f4)
♟
Winawer Variation (3...Bb4) - Black will struggle to develop ‘normally’ with the disruptive lines you’ll employ, whether he chops the knight on c3 or not
♟
Rubinstein Variation (3...dxe4, followed by ...Nd7, ...Ngf6) - deny Black the draw he desires in this variation with simple yet effective attacking setups on the kingside
Crush the Caro-Kann with the Tal Variation
Black often hopes for a quiet, maneuvering game with the Caro-Kann, but with the
Tal Variation in the Advance (3. e5 Bf5 4. h4!), you’ll dash those hopes quickly.
The Tal Variation is less common than other tries for White, and you’ll get a nice element of
surprise against your opponent. The variation definitely lives up to its namesake by embodying the
all-out attacking nature of the 8th world champion.
And if Black gets combative with 3...c5? You’ll deny Black of the anticipated 4. dxc5 and play the calm 4. Nf3. You’ll keep the sword sheathed early on, but trust that GM Sethuraman will show you how to follow up with a smart attack.
Complete Your 1.e4 Repertoire
After taking this course, you’ll have a
complete 1.e4 repertoire you can use for a
lifetime. With GM Sethuraman’s easy-to-follow explanations, you’ll be able to roast your opponents regularly just like he does. While studying the lines, you’ll quickly understand what keeps him in India’s top 10 player list!
You’re well on your way to
total domination with the White pieces. Get Part 2 of
Lifetime Repertoires: 1.e4 and complete your journey towards 1.e4 mastery!
