The Ultimate Bulletproof 1…e5 – Fight the Deviations from 2.Nf3 + PGN November 18, 2025

The Ultimate Bulletproof 1…e5: Fight the Deviations from 2.Nf3

When Classical Principles Meet Modern Preparation

The chess world has witnessed a curious paradox in recent years. While opening theory explodes in complexity across the Sicilian, French, and Caro-Kann, the classical 1…e5 has quietly evolved into what FM Or Cohen calls “an island of stability in modern opening theory.” This seven-volume project, co-authored with GM Grigor Grigorov, challenges the fashionable notion that Black must sidestep central confrontation with moves like 1…e6 or 1…c6. As GM Jan Gustafsson memorably put it: “I have a hard time believing in moving a pawn one square like 1…e6, 1…c6, 1…g6, etc. The center is there, fight for it!”

Volume 1A represents the first step in this comprehensive undertaking—a course specifically designed for players who meet 1.e4 with the principled 1…e5 but face everything except 2.Nf3. Cohen and Grigorov’s philosophy is refreshingly pragmatic: they’re not interested in creating chaos or delivering knockout blows against club players. Instead, they’ve built a repertoire “as if preparing for a World Championship match,” prioritizing stability, liquidation, and clean paths to equality. The course doesn’t chase computer-generated brilliancies; it lives and breathes in practical play, tested through countless blitz games and refined over two years of research.

What’s Inside

This course tackles White’s most dangerous attempts to sidestep main-line theory after 1.e4 e5:

• The King’s Gambit (2.f4) – Complete analysis with both classical and modern defensive approaches
• The Vienna Game (2.Nc3) – Including 3.f4, 3.d4, and critical 3.Bc4 lines (with 3.g3 reserved for Volume 1B)
• The Center Game (2.d4) – Comprehensive coverage of this direct central strike
• The Bishop’s Opening (2.Bc4) – All variations except 3.d3, which appears in Volume 1B due to its connection with reversed setups
• The Scotch Gambit – Fully analyzed and integrated into the broader repertoire structure

Training Resources:

• 30 carefully selected test positions
• Memory Booster for pattern recognition
• To Go Version for rapid review of critical variations
• Professional video instruction

The course structure deliberately separates early deviations from the mainline Petroff territory (Volumes 2A through 3B), making Volume 1A particularly valuable for players who prefer 2…Nc6 systems but want a complete answer to White’s second-move alternatives.

Repertoire Map

After 1.e4 e5:

2.d4 (Center Game) → 2…exd4 – Full analysis provided
2.f4 (King’s Gambit) → 2…exf4 – Complete defensive repertoire
2.Nc3 (Vienna) → 2…Nf6 with:

• 3.Bc4 Nxe4 (covered here) / 3…Nc6 (Volume 1B)
• 3.f4 d5 (covered here)
• 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 (covered here)
• 3.g3 (deferred to Volume 1B)

2.Bc4 (Bishop’s Opening) → 2…Nf6 with:

• 3.d4 and rare moves (covered here)
• 3.d3 (the main alternative to 2.Nf3, saved for Volume 1B)

2.Nf3 → 2…Nf6 (Petroff) leads to Volumes 2A-3B
2.Nf3 → 2…Nc6 covered primarily in Volume 1B (Four Knights and related systems)

Cohen and Grigorov recently collaborated on The Ultimate Damiano Defense Guide, which serves as “Volume Zero” in this series—covering the provocative 3…Nxe4 in the Petroff. That course established their working methodology: deep engine preparation filtered through practical testing, with the flexibility for students to adapt the material to their own needs.