e4 repertoire (CERTIFIED)

Question 1

Ruy Lopez

Explain how to beat the garbage Steinitz defense (3. d6) after d4

1. Bd7 (Nf6, rare g6)
2. exd4

Maybe add deffered Steinitz later on in Grandelius’s course

Answer 1

Bd7: play Bxc6 Nc3 and Nxd4.
* If Nf6 play Qe2.
* g6 is very rare but you do Nxc6 and Qd4

exd4: play Nxd4 + Nc3. If Nf6, o-o. Trade everything on c6, play f4, and then Qf3.

Question 2

Ruy Lopez

Explain how to beat the Janisch (3. f5) after d3
1. Nf6 (rare Nd4)
2. fxe4

There’s also a deferred Janisch. Wtf

Answer 2

Nf6: play exf5. Nd4 is very rare, but you go Ba4, blacks supposed to go c6 and you castle. If b4 instead of c6 you go c3.

fxe4: recapture and o-o. After Nf6 + Bc5 you do Bxc6 and take the pawn on e5. Then if they castle go Nc3 and retreat other knight to d3 if attacked with queen.

Question 3

Ruy Lopez

Explain how to beat the Cozio (3. Nge7)
1. The regular Cozio
2. The deffered Cozio with a6 first.

Answer 3

Regular: d4. Trade everything on d4. If Nc6 attacking the queen, you go to e3. Then Nc3 o-o.

Deffered: Nc3 o-o Re1. If Ng6, Nd5. There’s c3 ideas, and also Bc2 if black castles.

Question 4

Ruy Lopez

Explain how to beat the classical (3. Bc5) after c3
1. f4 rare move
2. Nf6 (retreat, don’t retreat after d4)

Answer 4

f4: play d4. If they take on e4, take on c6 then Nxe5. Qh5+ and Qe2 is winning.

Nf6: also play d4.
* Retreating is less popular, but if they do you play Nxe5 and take on e5 again. Qg4 Ke2 Qxg7 wins.
* If they take, play e5. If Ne4 castle. Then if dxc3 there’s a Qd5 forking idea. Make threats and attack, the advantage is too much.

Question 5

Ruy Lopez

Explain what to do in the Anti Berlin (3. Nf6 4. d6).
1. d6 g6 rare
2. Bc5 (Qe2, Qd6 both rare moves)

Answer 5

d6 g6: castle and play d4. If they take, e5 and Nxe5. If Qd4, Re1 and there’s no other responses

Bc5: Bxc6. Then o-o unless they blunder a pawn. From here if Qe2, play Nbd2. If Qd6, play c3 d4 Nbd2.

Question 6

Ruy Lopez

Explain how to beat the Fianchetto defense (3. a6 4. g6).

Answer 6

d4. After b5 and retreating , play a4 and recapture on d4

Question 7

Ruy Lopez

Explain how to beat the Norwegian defense (the d6 line)

Answer 7

Castle

If they play d6, play d4. You’re supposed to delay recapturing if they take and play Re1.

Variations branch out here but they aren’t common enough

Question 8

Ruy Lopez

Explain how to beat the open Ruy with o-o and d4.

1. exd4
2. The b5 line (Bc5, Be7)

Might have to add what happens if b5 and taking before a6, but generally it’s the same

Answer 8

exd4: play Re1 and if they defend with d5, go Nxd4. Bd6 is the critical line from here. You do Nxc6 and not take the bishop if they sac. Rxe4 is an idea from here.

b5: Bb3, d4, dxe5 and c3.
* If Bc5, play Nbd2 and Bc2. Nf1 reroute idea.
* If Be7 play the same moves, but Nb3 if Nc5+d4. From here there’s a line that goes dxc3 Nxc5 Bc5 Be4, then white plays Bg5 Rb1.

Question 9

Ruy Lopez

Explain how to beat the Moller, not the one with b5.

Will add what to do if b5, the Archanglesk later on in Grandelius’s course

Answer 9

c3. After Nf6, castle.

From here after o-o + Ba7, d4 and Bg5 are ideas. Then if b5 however, there’s supposed to be this refutation with dxe5.

If they take your pawn after c3, then Qe2 is an idea with Kh1 later on

Question 10

Ruy Lopez

Explain how to beat the closed Spanish mainline and the Gajewski gambit

Need to properly learn anti Marshall probably

Answer 10

You know the drill. Black does the Be7 meta setup. But if black does d6 avoiding the marshall, you can go c3 h3 and Bc2.

To beat the gambit though (d5) you go d4 and retreat to Re1.

Question 11

Ruy Lopez

Explain how to beat the Chigorin with c5 (d6 Na5 c5)
1. Nc6 line rare
2. Nd7 line rare

May need to add Breyer and Zaitsev later on, but they generally follow the standard Ruy Lopez ideas

Answer 11

You go d4.

If Nc6, you can play d5 and b3, then Be3 and Nbd2.

If Nd7, also d5. Nbd2 and Nf1 ideas.
* If c4 is played between Nbd2, play b4.

Question 12

Other e5 openings

Explain how to beat these Petrov and Philidor lines
1. The symmetrical petrov with Qe2 and Qe7
2. The mainline classical attack (Bf5 less popular, and Be6)
3. Philidor Defense d4 exchange

Answer 12

Symmetrical Petrov: Take the knight and play d4. From here, Nc3 Bf4 and Bg3. You’re developing trying to long castle and get Nb5 or Nd4.

Classical attack: After d5, play Bd3. If Bf5, play o-o and Re1. Then Nbd2 and try to take the bishop on f5. Then if they don’t let you, go Nf1 and Ne3. If Be6 instead, do the same things but remember c4 as an idea.

Philidor exchange: Nc3. You’re going for a setup with Bf4, Qd2, long castles. f3 attack.

Question 13

Other e5 openings

Explain how to beat these Tricky gambits
1. Stafford gambit
2. Elephant gambit
3. Latvian gambit

Answer 13

Stafford: d3 Be2 c3

Elephant: exd5. After e5, play Qe2. Then if Nf6, d3 + Nbd2 idea and winning.

Latvian: Nxe5. After Qf6, play d4 Nc4. There’s other moves but they aren’t that good.

Question 14

Open Sicilian

Explain the rare move 2 deviation Sicilians
1. the O Kelly
2. 2. b6
3. The Nf6 one

Answer 14

O kelly: c3. If d5, play exd5, d4 Be3. Nc3 Bd3 develop.

b6 setup: d4. Normal open sicilian setup. Black has to play a6 before e6 or else Ndb5. Bg5 idea, stopping e6.

Nf6: e5 Nc3 dxc3. Bf4 Bd3 Qe2 long castle develop

Question 15

Open Sicilian

Explain how to beat both the Accelerated, and hyper accelerated dragons

Answer 15

Hyper accelerated: Take the free pawn because they aren’t supposed to recapture. Then c3. If they did Qa5+ play Na3. Nb5. If then b6 (rare move), there’s then b4 e5 and Nfd4 ideas.

Accelerated: Play the Maroczy Bind. If black does the “Naroditsky” move order, go Nc3 f3 Qxd4. Then Be3 Qd2. From here, a line is a5, b3, a4, b4. Rc1 is an idea. Be2, Nb5 or Na4 are other ideas too.

Question 16

Open Sicilian

Explain how to beat these other Nc6 Sicilians without e6 or d6.

1. Grivas Qb6
2. Kalashnikov e5
3. Sveshnikov Nf6 and e5

Sveshnikov: might have to add Ne7. (you go c4)
Kalashnikov: might have to have to add the regular Lowenthal variations without d6

Answer 16

Grivas: Play Nb3 and Nc3. Then a line from here is e6, Qe2, Bb4, Bd2, o-o, a3. From here o-o-o and there’s Rg1 attacking ideas.

Kalashnikov: Play Nb5. After d6, N1c3. Retreat to a3 when attacked. The mainline is b5 where you go Nd5. If black plays Nce7 (kinda rare move), you can play c4, exd5, Nxc4 and a5 a4 Nb6 ideas

Sveshnikov: Nc3 Nb5. After d6, play Nd5, exd5, and if the knight retreats to b8, play a4. From here, develop with Be2 Bd2 and a5 idea.

Question 17

Open Sicilian

Explain how to beat all of the e6 Sicilians

1. Kan (Nf6, Bc5 rare)
2. Paulsen Nc6 Bc5
3. Taimonav Nc6 Qc7/a6
4. Pin variation Nf6 Bb4
5. 4 knights Sicilian

May need to add the Scheveningen Keres attack but it doesn’t fit with the Najdorf line.

Answer 17

Kan: Bd3.
* If Nf6, castle, and if Qc7 play Qe2. Then if d6, play c4 Nc3.
* If Bc5 rare, Nb3 Qg4 Qe2 o-o

Paulsen (Nc6 Bc5): Nb3 Qg4 Be3, similar to the Kan

Taimonav: (Nc6 Qc7/a6) - Be3 a3. Then if Nf6, play f4. Qf3 then long castles.

Pin variation (Nf6 Bb4) : e5. If Nd5, play Bd2. Then if Bxc3, bxc3 and if o-o, c4

4 knights sicilian: Nxc6, e5. Ne4. If Qc7, f4. If Qb6, the best move is c4 but Bd3 is way simpler.

Question 18

Open Sicilain

Explain how to beat the regular dragons in the Yugoslav attack.

1. Nxd4
2. d5
3. Dragodorf delayed castle setup

Answer 18

Nxd4: You recapture with the Bishop. Then if Be6, you need to go Kb1 to stop Qa5. Then h4 h5 pawn sac ideas with a3 and Bd3 ideas. Also Qg5 and e5 on a deeper level

d5: exd5 + Nxc6. Then Bd4. From here there’s a Qxd4 and Na4 b3 idea if Bxd4 Qb6 and Qa5. From here there’s also Qc5 as an idea, and Qe5 if Be6 is played

If they delay castling and play Nbd7 a6, the dragdorf, you should also delay castling and go straight for g4. From here h4 ideas and you wanna go for the big attack.

Question 19

Open Sicilian

Explain how to beat the Najdorf Variation with f3. (They castle, don’t castle, play h5 before anything else after Be6)

Need to add what happens if they play e6 instead of e5

Answer 19

The line after f3 goes e5. Retreat the knight to b3, and play Be3 and Qd2.

• If they don’t castle and do like Nbd7 for example, play g4. Then long castle if like b5 for example. Critical Na5 Nc4 idea in a rare b4 Bxd5 Nb6 line.
• If they do castle, long castle first, then g4 after Nbd7. Then g5 and there’s a Ne2 Ng3 retreating idea if b5 b4 Nh5.
• There’s also a chance you get h5 before anything else after Be6. Play Nd5 here. Develop castle.

Question 20

Open Sicilian

Explain how to beat the classical Sicilian with the Ritcher Rauzer. (Be7 without a6 or h6, a6+h6)

Answer 20

Bg5 + Qd2. Long castle

• If Be7 without a6 or h6 and Nxd4 (kinda rare move), recapture and when they castle, go for h4 with Kb1 f3 and Bd3 ideas.
• If a6 + h6, play Nxc6. Then Bf4 and Qe3. Finish development with Be2 and e5.

Question 21

Nc3 French

Explain how to beat the Winawer
1. They retreat (cxb4 mistake, cxd4)
2. They take (Qc7, o-o)

There’s also cxd4 here which I may need to cover in the future

Answer 21

Play e5, the advanced variation. After c5 play a3.

Retreat: b4
* cxb4 is a mistake because there’s Nb5 threatening Nd6+, and Qg4.
* If cxd4, play Qg4. If Ne7, you take a lot of stuff and white is winning, but if Kf8 there’s Nb5 Nf3 and Bb2 trying to get the pawn back

Taking: Qg4
* If Qc7, you take both g and h pawns. If cxd4, play Ne2 f4 Qd3 to avoid any traps
* If o-o there’s Bd3. Common lines involve Qh5 dark squared bishop developing to Bg5 or Bd2 depending on black’s move and etc.

Question 22

Nc3 French

Explain how to beat the Nf6 French in the Steinitz advance line.
1. Be7
2. cxd4
3. a6
4. Qb6

Answer 22

After e5 the moves you play in the line are f4 Nf3 Be3.

Be7: play Qd2. If a6 you develop with Bd3 and dxc5

cxd4: recapture with the knight. After Bc5, do Qd2 long castle. If opponent does o-o and a6, play Nb3 and Bd3 and g4 ideas.

a6: play a3. Then Bd3 o-o. If b5 Qb6, there’s a Bf2 Na2 b4 idea that wins the pawn back and gets compensation.

Qb6: play Na4. Then after Qa5+, play c3. b4 ideas. Beware of black saccing the knight

Question 23

Nc3 French

Explain how to beat the Rubinstein
1. Bd7 Fort Knox
2. Nd7

Answer 23

Bd7: Play Nf3 Bd3 o-o Ng3

Nd7: Also play Nf3. If they play Nf6, trade with Nxf6. Then black should play c5. You do things like Be3 Qe2 o-o dxc5 etc.

Question 24

Principled Scandinavian

Explain how to beat the Qd8 Scandinavian in the Nc3 d4 Nf3 setup
1. e6
2. Bg4 (slide back, take)
3. c6
4. Bf5

Answer 24

e6: you can play Bd3 o-o Ne4 and enjoy a good French

Bg4: h3. If they slide back, then there’s g4 Ne5. If they take, play Be3 Bd3. Try to long castle and attack or smthing.

c6: Bc4

Bf5: Anytime the bishop is on Bf5 go Ne5 g4 h4 basically

Question 25

Principled Scandinavian

Explain how to beat the Qa5 Scandis where you delay Nf3.
1. Bf5 e6 without Nf6
2. Nf6 Bg4
3. Nf6 c6

Answer 25

Bf5 e6 early: Bd2 and Bc4. Qe2 d5 ideas

Nf6 Bg4: Bd2 first. After Bg4, play f3 and there’s this bait line where you play g4 and f4 trying to trap the bishop and sac a pawn.

Nf6 c6: Bc4. A ton of variations, but the main ideas are Nd5 or Ne4, Qe2, and for Qc7 lines specifically Nf3 Ne5.

Question 26

Principled Scandinavian

Explain how to beat these Scandi sidelines
1. Qd6
2. Nf6 Nxd5
3. Portuguese gambit (Nbd7, c6)

Answer 26

Qd6: same Nf3 Ne5 idea. Also g3.

Nf6: d4 + c4. Play Be2 and develop normally. If Nb6 there’s even c4 Bc4 ideas.

Portuguese gambit: Bb5+
* If Nbd7, play Be2. Follow with Qxe2 c4 Nf3.
* If c6, dxc6. Yes, hang your queen. Go for Nf3 next.

Question 27

Tal Caro Kann

Explain how to win in the Tal variation of the Caro Kann
1. h5 (e6, Qa5+)
2. h6 (Bd7, anywhere else)
3. Qb6

Probably should add Bortnytk Carls soon

Answer 27

h5: Bd3. Trade.
* If e6, play Bg5. Then if Be7, Nf3 c4 Nc3 develop. If Qb6 however go Nd2 instead.
* If Qa5+, play Nd2 Ne2 and c4

h6: g4
* If they play Bd7, play Nc3. Go for Be2 Be3 Nf3 and develop
* If they allow e6, play it and trade bishops

Qb6 rare: Nc3 Ne2 Nge2 Be2

Question 28

Pirc and Alekhine

Explain how to beat the Pirc and Alekhine
1. Pirc (delayed Nf6, Not delayed Nf6)
2. Alekhine (dxe5, g6 and no dxe5)

Answer 28

Pirc: Be3 Qd2.
* If they delay Nf6, Just go Bd3 castle kingside and Bh6 as quickly as possible. Try to go for h4 h5.
* If not, long castle and Bh6. f3 h4 h5. This ONLY applies if c6 b5. There’s also more to this but Pirc is already rare af.

Alekhine: 4 pawn attack
* If dxe5, fxe5. Then develop with Be3, Nc3, Nf3, Be2
* If they don’t take and play g6, play Nc3 and if Bg7 go Be3. Again there’s more here but Alekhine rare af.