Calm & Collected 1. d4 by FM Marko Makaj

His near-2400 FIDE rating might say otherwise, but surviving in the opening used to be a major headache for FM Makaj.

Not only did the trends in his chosen systems shift almost every week; his hectic schedule also made it nearly impossible to keep up with the novelties and forced variations. (FM Makaj is a professional in the financial sector, where sleepless nights and long overtimes are an everyday thing.)

Results were as stagnant as the Dead Sea – until FM Makaj decided to reinvent his opening repertoire for White. He wanted to build one that’s…

Low Maintenance, Sound, Easy To Learn

…and has the power to knockout Black when given the chance!

A repertoire overhaul is a massive undertaking at any level, especially with the strict criteria above. But FM Makaj was more than up to the task. After years of playing and analysis, he’s now ready to share his work with you.

Here’s the opening strategy:

Play calm and collected chess, starting with 1.d4 followed by Ng1-f3 and Bc1-g5. Next, fortify the center by pushing the pawns to e3 and c3. And finally, complete your development with Nbd2, Bf1-d3, and castling.

This straightforward plan is not only a breeze to learn. But it’s also flexible and opportunistic.

Inside the course, you will see how to easily rearrange your position to gain central dominance, secure better squares, and build a flawless structure to capitalize on Black’s play.

At the core of the repertoire is the Torre Attack (1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 and 3. Bg5) and the Pseudo-Trompowsky (1. d4 d5 2. Bg5!?). These rock-solid systems stay largely unmoved by ever-changing opening fashion and cut down swathes of theory. So you have more time to improve other parts of your game.

But the second player better not mistake our simple approach for passivity, because this repertoire isn’t only…

Calm And Collected, But Cunning, Too!

Misplaced aggression and greed don’t go unpunished in this repertoire. In many lines where the second player tries to attack and win a “free” pawn (or two), you simply let them carry out their threat…

So you can penetrate enemy lines and pounce on their bare-naked king!

With FM Makaj’s guidance, you can turn these sharp ideas into spectacular WINS you’ll love to show to your friends. Not to mention these lines make for fun and instructive attacking lessons, too.

Plus, you also get :

😌 A complete and club-friendly 1.d4 repertoire, which simplifies your learning and gives you a pleasant position against the most challenging replies.

😌 Almost 17 hours of video-sync instruction, where FM Makaj guides you through his move choices and “transfers” his playing experience to you.

😌 Calm but ambitious counters to tricky sidelines. You will learn how to stay on top of the Dutch, Modern, Old Benoni, and Owen’s Defenses through simple positional moves that almost play themselves! (Odd first moves like 1…a6 and 1…Nc6 also tackled.)

😌 A Quickstarter guide with 55 core lines, which show you everything you must know to start playing this calm and collected opening system.

😌 Never-before-seen moves and refreshing takes on the main lines. Not only do these discoveries add the element of surprise to your play, but they also give you versatile ways to play for the WIN.

😌 Quick break-down of the middlegame plans for every variation. So you can follow through on your strong opening play and build on your advantages.

😌 Special chapters with over 120 model and blitz games. Simply replaying these instructive encounters can sharpen your “feel” for playing this 1.d4 repertoire.

Playing the opening need not be a nervous affair, where you have to always “look behind your shoulder” to avoid nasty surprises. With this repertoire, you can set your sights straight ahead as you cruise to a comfortable game.