A good opening repertoire should help you get a reliable start to the game without forcing you to memorize endless theory.
That is why, with his permission, I created a simplified video course based on GM Avetik Grigoryan’s WhiteMood and BlackMood repertoire from ChessMood.
The course gives you a complete opening system for White and Black, focused on the main ideas, common variations, and practical plans you are most likely to use in real games.
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- Price: $39
- Includes about 2.5 hours of focused video instruction plus a supporting Lichess study.
Why a Simple Repertoire Can Work Better
Many chess players make opening study too complicated. They try to memorize too many lines, prepare for rare sidelines, or jump between different openings before they understand the ideas behind them.
But for most improving players, a practical opening repertoire should be built around clear plans, common positions, and lines you can actually remember.
The goal is not to know every possible move. The goal is to reach playable middlegame positions where you understand what you are trying to do and have fun doing so.
What Makes an Opening Repertoire Practical?
A practical opening repertoire should be:
- sound enough to trust
- active enough to create chances
- easy enough to remember
- based on clear plans
- focused on common variations
Even if you do not buy this course, this is a useful way to think about your openings:
Choose openings that lead to positions you understand, with plans you can actually follow. That is usually more useful than memorizing long variations you may forget or never reach in your games.
Repertoire Outline
The course gives you a practical opening repertoire for both White and Black.
For White
The White repertoire is based on 1. e4, which immediately fights for the centre and often leads to open, active positions.
Instead of trying to memorize the longest main lines, the course focuses on practical attacking systems where the plans are easier to understand and use in real games.
The repertoire includes:
- Scotch Attack — an active system against 1…e5 that opens the centre and creates early attacking chances.
- Grand Prix Attack — a direct attacking setup against the Sicilian, often aiming for kingside pressure.
- French Attack: 3. Bd3 — a practical way to meet the French without entering heavy theoretical lines.
- Caro-Kann: 3. Bd3 — a simple and aggressive setup that helps White develop naturally and play for active chances.
- Scandinavian: 3. Nf3 — a clean developing move that avoids unnecessary complications and keeps pressure on Black.
- Cochrane Gambit — an aggressive weapon against the Petroff, designed to create imbalance and practical problems.
- Stafford Gambit — included as part of the repertoire coverage so you know how to meet this dangerous and popular gambit.
The main idea is to play openings that are active, practical, and easier to remember — while still giving you real attacking chances from the start.
For Black
The Black repertoire follows GM Avetik Grigoryan’s practical attacking approach: do not play passively just because you have the black pieces.
Against 1. e4, the course uses the French Attack. The goal is to challenge White’s centre, create counterplay, and reach positions where Black has clear plans instead of simply trying to equalize.
Against 1. d4 and other openings, the course uses a practical Dutch Attack setup. This gives Black an active structure, kingside attacking chances, and a consistent plan that can be used against many different first moves.
This makes the Black repertoire easier to learn because you are not trying to memorize a separate system against every possible opening. Instead, you learn a few active setups, understand the main ideas, and use them in a practical way.
What You Get in the Course
The course gives you a complete opening system for White and Black.
It includes:
- about 2.5 hours of video instruction
- a complete repertoire for White and Black
- explanations of the main opening ideas
- practical lines you are likely to face in real games
- a supporting Lichess study for review and practice
The repertoire is aggressive, exciting, and based on sound opening principles.
It is designed for players who want a practical opening repertoire without spending months memorizing theory.
Recommended rating range: 800–1800
Get the Simplified Repertoire
If you want a ready-made opening repertoire for White and Black, you can see the full course here: