Opening courses
for serious players.

GM Arjun Kalyan explains not only why moves are made but also what is going on in the position and what we should be aiming for next — clear, helpful, and free of filler. A mature and genuinely instructive course: practical, original, and exceptionally well explained.

The choice of lines is very interesting and pragmatic — will cause opponents many headaches whilst being sound and grounded in principled play. Plans are explained very well, including what the opponent wants. The amount of detail is good enough for the ambitious intermediate without becoming too much of a slog. Perfect.

I had never played 1.e4 in my life before this course. I tested it in online blitz then classical tournaments. To my surprise, I began beating higher-rated opponents and my rating has been skyrocketing. Opponents often find themselves in uncharted territory and I get a quick advantage straight from the opening.

This is my new favourite 1.e4 repertoire. I used it to beat many strong players, including 2300 FIDEs. It has various practical recommendations which I love playing. GM Kalyan explains plans clearly even when theory ends and is very active in the course forums.

Learning this course really helps you improve your general chess knowledge and positional play. On my level (2400 chess.com) people really struggle in the 5.c3 variations. I really like the line where White gives up an exchange and gets incredible attacking pieces. A strong and consistent weapon against 1...e5.

A top-class Chessable course. The author has researched the lines properly and given sensible, solid recommendations. There is the right level of explanation in the footnotes to help the user understand the lines in a human way. Anyone between 2000–2400 would find this course useful.

I have played almost every defence against 1.d4 and most didn't suit me. Then I stumbled upon this great course. Arjun makes sure in every variation that the c8-bishop gets to play an important role, usually ruling over the long diagonal. A beautiful opening, beautifully explained.

The explanations are thorough and nicely written, the lines are rare and very exciting, and the author is responsive and puts in the work if needed. The Be7 Botvinnik branch is fairly new and packs a punch. Not a lot of people are prepared for what is coming. This is serious stuff — caution advised below 1800.