1. d4 for Ambitious Chess Improvers by GM Gyula Pap

Ramp Up Your Chess with a Simple, Robust and Reliable Repertoire

Forget the traps, zaps, and cutting edge theory.

When you’re coming up in chess, you want a simple and strong repertoire you can rely on – not one where you’ll forget the moves and plans over the board. Or one where you study long theoretical variations that never actually show up.

Angelika “Chessborn” Valkova brings you the solution with a simple, robust repertoire you can grow with to master level and beyond. And it’s got everything you need to handle virtually any Black defense against 1.d4 in one comprehensive course.

You may know her as a chess streamer and media personality, but Valkova is also a strong tournament player. A 2-time Ukrainian youth medalist, 2-time German Women’s Team Champion, and a candidate for Master of Sport in Ukraine, Valkova has become a veritable force in women’s chess just in the past few years alone.

And it’s thanks in part to her super solid 1.d4 repertoire. Created in collaboration with her coach and former second to Richard Rapport, Grandmaster Gyula Pap, this repertoire can stand up to some serious competition.

Here’s a peek inside:

♛ A principled approach with the Queen’s Gambit. You’ll follow up your 1.d4 with 2.c4 in all the major variations, going for a sturdy classical approach. And in the mainline Queen’s Gambit Declined, you’ll unleash a clever device to shut down enemy counterplay with ease

♛ Smart ways to sidestep your opponent’s prep. While sticking to principled opening approaches, you’ll also dodge the most challenging variations of openings like the Nimzo-Indian and Slav with lesser played but solid variations…and some fresh ideas to invigorate your play

♛ Simple and fearless setups against sidelines. A novel approach to fighting the Budapest Gambit and slick transpositions against the Modern (1…g6) and Owen’s Defense (1…b6) are just some of the no-nonsense responses you’ll have in store for sideline openings