Opening: D39: QGD: Ragozin - Vienna Variation
Player(s): Yermolinsky, Sulava, Chinchilla Miranda
It is no secret that chess players, from the club level to 2700 Grandmasters, put a lot of emphasis on studying openings. The question is, how to do it right?
A good 80% of books on the market have always been opening monographs, and the newfangled source "Chessable" is likely to exceed that number. Lots of big names in its stable of authors. The product offered is a "complete opening repertoire," essentially made of examples of high-profile games decorated by computer evaluations.
While I cannot deny such works a certain degree of usefulness, mainly when it comes to helping already established players further advance their opening knowledge, I doubt they can serve as a good starting point in obtaining said opening repertoire.
I have long been advocating a different approach to the problem. Instead of studying opening moves, one should study the resulting middlegame (and sometimes, even endgame) positions, at least at the initial stages.
What to play on the first move is not an easy question to answer. Some self-searching can help one choose wisely. A typical 1.e4 player values the initiative above everything else and is ready to go after the enemy king's first chance.
A 1.d4 guy is a different animal. His values lie in a better pawn structure, and he is mentally prepared to spend the first 15-20 moves "defending," which in reality means thwarting Black's wild attempts at much-needed counterplay.
In due time I plan to show some examples of such play when we get to the Benkos and the Benonis, but a proper way to start is to address the most classical defense of them all, the Queen's Gambit Declined.
Teacher's library (640) D39 Yermolinsky Sulava Chinchilla Miranda opening
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Added on 08.14.2022
A65 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - KID - Part 2
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C40 GM Petrov: Surprise Repertoire for Black after 1.e4 e5, 2.Nf3 - Video 1: 2…Qf6
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E87 Coach Dan Heisman: Pieces Sacrifice in the Opening - Part 10
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A49 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Aiming for an Ending
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A70, A65 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - KID - Part 1
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C47 Coach Dan Heisman: Pieces Sacrifice in the Opening - Part 9
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GM Petrov: Surprise Repertoire for Black after 1.e4 e5, 2.Nf3 - Introduction
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A50, A39 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Combinational Skill
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A67 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - Benoni Part 5
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C57 Coach Dan Heisman: Pieces Sacrifice in the Opening - Part 8
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E63, E68 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Positional Plans
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A70 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - Benoni Part 4
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B24 GM Petrov’s New Strategies in the Middlegame - Vd20: Playing against Backward Pawns
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C57 Coach Dan Heisman: Pieces Sacrifice in the Opening - Part 7
Added on 07.19.2022
E04, D79 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Stereotypical Positional Advantages
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A70, E10 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - Benoni Part 3
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B58 GM Petrov’s New Strategies in the Middlegame - Vd19: Backward Pawns
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B33 Coach Dan Heisman: Pieces Sacrifice in the Opening - Part 6
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D02, A46 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Changing positional advantages
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A65, A70 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - Benoni Part 2
Added on 07.09.2022
E42 GM Petrov’s New Strategies in the Middlegame - Vd18: Playing against Hanging Pawns
Added on 07.07.2022
B33 Coach Dan Heisman: Improve Your Chess - Pieces Sacrifice in the Opening - Part 5
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A46, A33 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Threempo!
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GM Miguel Illescas recaps round 13 and 14 of the FIDE Candidates 2022
Added on 07.03.2022
A70 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - Benoni Part 1
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D41 GM Petrov’s New Strategies in the Middlegame - Vd17: Hanging Pawns
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GM Alex Yermolinsky recaps round 10-12 of the FIDE Candidates 2022
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C37 Coach Dan Heisman: Pieces Sacrifice in the Opening - Part 4
Added on 06.28.2022
E19 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Prophylaxis
Added on 06.26.2022
E18 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - Queen’s Indian - g3 - Vd 6
Added on 06.25.2022
D94 GM Petrov’s New Strategies in the Middlegame - Vd16: Playing Against Isolated Pawns
Added on 06.23.2022
C37 Coach Dan Heisman: Pieces Sacrifice in the Opening - Part 3
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E07, E17 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Never start a Fair Trade
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E17 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - Queen’s Indian - g3 - Vd 5
Added on 06.18.2022
E57 GM Petrov’s New Strategies in the Middlegame - Vd15: Isolated Pawn
Added on 06.16.2022
C57 Coach Dan Heisman: Pieces Sacrifice in the Opening - Part 2
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E02, E05 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Never Touch Wing Pawns!
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E17 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - Queen’s Indian - g3 - Vd 4
Added on 06.11.2022
C90 GM Petrov’s New Strategies in the Middlegame - Vd14: Outpost
Added on 06.09.2022
C57 Coach Dan Heisman: Pieces Sacrifice in the Opening - Part 1
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A25, A87 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Pawn Structure is Overrated!
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E18 GM Yermolinsky - What it takes to be a complete 1.d4 player - Queen’s Indian - g3 - Vd 2
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C02 GM Petrov’s New Strategies in the Middlegame - Vd13: French - Advanced
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C01 Heisman’s Improve Your Chess: An Amateur game (1)
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E05, A26 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Improve your Pieces
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E90 GM Yermolinsky - Remembering Viktor Kupreichik - Part 3
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C51 GM Petrov’s New Strategies in the Middlegame - Vd12: Attacking the King in the Center
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A30 Charles Storey’s “Positional Chess Skills” - Assessing your Position