Attacking Repertoire for Beginners Caro-Kann and Slav Defense + PGN Aug 25, 2025

Opening Attacks with Black Made Simple
— By Reading the Bishops

Your knights always go to the center. Your queen and rooks — they can wait. But your bishops? They need good squares now. Get this right and your development, your pawn breaks, your attacking plans… everything falls into place!

Case in point:

The pressure on d4 becomes unbearable. All from one well-timed …Bg4 pin.

The proud d4-pawn is just about ready
to fall, and it all started with …Bg4!

It works the other way, too.

You swap your …Bg4 for their knight. Then leave White with a bishop doomed to bite on granite!

You swap your bishop on g4, place
your pawns on light squares… and
voila! Now you have better pieces.

This bishop-focused planning is at the heart of Attacking Repertoire for Beginners: Caro-Kann and Slav Defense.

Inside, FIDE Master Midas Ratsma and Arthur Maters show you where the bishops belong in every opening line… and how this one decision shapes your structure and paves your path to an advantage.

Ratsma has already guided thousands of Chessable students to the next level… earning a stellar 4.7 stars from nearly 1,000 ratings.

His attacking repertoires and beginner’s guide to chess have become go-to resources for steady improvement without drowning in theory.

Ratsma’s coaching style is simple: trim the fat, focus on core ideas, and arm you with the patterns that actually win games!

He’s joined by Maters who brings the fireworks.

Known for his sharp style, his courses don’t just teach you what to play — but how to create tactics-rich positions and come out on top.