In this video course, we look at a complete repertoire for White after 1.e4. I’ve moved away from traditional lines like 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 and instead recommend a modern, strategic approach centred around an early d3. These quiet systems avoid heavy theory and allow you to steer the game into familiar territory. Against the Caro-Kann, the modest setup with Nf3 and d3 is surprisingly unpleasant for your opponent - and it's one I personally use, often with great results.

In the Sicilian, we focus on Closed-style positions, where understanding trumps memorisation. Against the French, the ever-reliable King’s Indian Attack (with Nbd2) gives us a harmonious and thematic way to meet 1...e6. These ideas have all been played at the highest level - including by Magnus Carlsen himself - proving they are not only practical, but also deeply sound.

I recently had great success using these types of setups in a Fischer Random tournament. What helped me most was not memorised theory, but a deep understanding of pawn structures, flexibility, and making the right decisions in unfamiliar positions. That’s the real value of this repertoire: it helps you develop positional feel, not just rote recall.

By the end of this course, you’ll have a full, idea-based repertoire with 1.e4 - ready to use in any time control and against any opponent. Combine this with the course on 1...d6 as Black, and you’ll have a universal system for both colours that is effective, low-maintenance, and surprisingly powerful.

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