You thought the usual King’s Gambit was crazy? Try this variation. On the third move, after 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4, White plays 3 Nc3 – discouraging …d5, but allowing 3…Qh4+ pushing the king up the board: 4 Ke2. But there is method in this madness – White is going to play the knight to f3 to gain time against the queen. Korchnoi and Zak described 3 Nc3 as ‘A risky move leading to great complications in which a single inaccurate move by either side can have fatal consequences.’ If that’s the kind of chess you like playing, you are in the right place.

Grandmaster Harshit Raja, India’s 69th GM, has created a practical and powerful 1.e4 repertoire - perfect for players who want to play aggressively without drowning in opening theory. Whether you’re playing online or over-the-board, this course gives you solid attacking weapons that are easy to learn, fun to play, and difficult for opponents to face. 

Free sample video: Introduction

Free sample video: Scandinavian Defence

One of the most effective ways to improve your chess understanding is to know where your pieces belong and how to adapt when the board situation changes. When there’s no forced tactics, one must formulate a plan for what to do. Instead of looking for a win or advantage, it’s often easier to identify a piece that can improve its position and function. Even improving your worst piece is a simple concept that avoids assessment insecurity.

Every game begins with the opening - and even sometimes ends there! That doesn't have to be the case. With the ChessBase tutorials, you can rapidly get up to speed. "Openings Vol. 1: Open Games (1.e4 e5)" is the first part of a five-volume series on the basics of chess openings. Here you will learn from experienced coaches and experts just what you absolutely need to know about the individual areas, which basic plans are followed, how to play them and what pitfalls to watch out for. In 23 video lessons you will learn everything you need to know about the King's Gambit, the Vienna Game, the Italian, the Evans Gambit, the two-knight game, the Scottish, the Steinitz and Berlin defences, the Open Spanish or the exchange variation, Marshall, Philidor and Russian and much more.