Looking for an easy-to-learn yet super-solid repertoire for Black against everything, which doesn’t require endless memorization of sharp theoretical lines? It’s here – and it was voted the best opening course on Chessable by the users of the most popular chess learning platform.

In this book, YouTube personality IM Christof Sielecki, aka ‘Chessexplained’, presents a complete solution to chess players of all levels for their opening choices with the Black pieces. With this one-volume repertoire, you will not only safely navigate the opening phase, but you will actually understand what is happening and how you can play for a win.

You’ll learn to fight 1.d4 and 1.c4 or 1.Nf3 with the Queen’s Gambit Declined, using the early a6-variation favoured by Magnus Carlsen. This tried-and-true opening will stand up to master level play and offer a few nasty surprises to your opponents.

Against 1.e4, your main weapon will be the rock-solid Caro-Kann, well known as one of the toughest openings for White to crack. You will be able to cut through the theory and go straight for interesting middlegames with good winning chances. Also included are weapons against almost all sidelines.

Why is the repertoire called simple? For the simple reason that the variations are straightforward, easy to remember and require little or no maintenance. But, as IM Sielecki puts it, ‘simple does not mean boring!’