1.Nc3 An Underdog’s Repertoire + PGN May 01, 2026

Know Something They Don’t: 1.Nc3

In chess, some ideas are dismissed long before they’re truly understood. If something is unpopular, most players never even consider it, assuming there must be a good reason.

But every now and then, a closer look reveals: the move isn’t bad at all, it’s just overlooked. And once you discover such a move, you can turn its rarity into your favor.

That’s exactly what FM Vladyslav Fishchuk found with 1.Nc3.

Over years, he developed it into a rare weapon that pushes opponents out of their comfort zone and into unexplored territory where their usual setups don’t work. The general goal: reach positions where it feels like playing Chess960, except you know the ideas and your opponent doesn’t.

But Fishchuk also shows that his 1.Nc3 is more than just a surprise weapon: it’s a fully functioning, ambitious repertoire he’s successfully used against a wide range of opponents.

It was his underdog win against co-author GM Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko that inspired this course.

The rare 1.Nc3 idea that surprises even GMs.

This rare idea against 1…d5 led to an advantage out of the opening, and ultimately to a win against a 300-point higher-rated opponent.

Impressed by both the originality of the approach and Fishchuk’s convincing results, GM Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko suggested turning it into a full Chessable course.

And here it is: a complete 450+ line repertoire for White, with Fishchuk providing the analysis and Oleksiyenko bringing it to life through video.

Uncharted Territory from Move One

The most obvious advantage of playing 1.Nc3 is that most players have no real experience facing it. Instead of running into your opponent’s well-prepared main lines, you pull them into unfamiliar territory from move one. Better yet, you’ll often reach positions that seem familiar, but they really aren’t.

One of your key systems is the Napoleon Attack (1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4), where Black may feel on familiar ground, but their “natural” moves often turn into serious mistakes:

5…Be7? is a normal-looking move
that leads straight into a trap.

According to online databases, the mistake 5…Be7? is the most popular choice in this line. Even a GM fell for it! And if even GMs can’t get it right, imagine what happens at lower levels…

Fishchuk’s 1.Nc3 is an ambitious system designed not just to surprise, but to create imbalanced positions that lead to fighting chess and strong winning chances for White, often introducing novel ideas:

The key idea, and a novelty, in the New Vienna Game:
defending the bishop tactically.

No matter how Black starts their game, you’ll often reach positions that look normal at first glance, but are quite unusual on closer inspection:

An unusual sight: no pawns in the center,
but White is objectively better.

1.Nc3 offers unique ideas, yet often transposes into familiar 1.e4 structures, making it a great fit for e4 players.

Depending on Black’s setup, you may reach Caro-Kann, French, Pirc, Modern, or even Sicilian positions. The course prepares you for all of them, while always steering the game into lesser-known territory:

Your 1.Nc3 knight in action in a rare
Vienna-style sideline against the Sicilian.

Battle-Tested and GM-Approved

This repertoire stands out not only for its rare and original approach, but also because it’s been thoroughly tested in practice, over years and with excellent results.

Starting every game with 1.Nc3, FM Vladyslav Fishchuk used it to win the Ukrainian Rapid Championship 2024 and take silver at the European Youth Rapid U18 Championship. Many of his most convincing wins came as the underdog, including his upset victory over GM Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko.

Oleksiyenko is one of Ukraine’s top players, a former national champion (2016), with a peak rating of 2643. But he’s also a highly regarded Chessable author.

His loss against Fishchuk inspired him to dive deep into Fishchuk’s 1.Nc3 and help turn this course into a complete package with his detailed video instruction.