You’ve tried the slow, positional grind of the Slav and the Queen’s Gambit Declined, but White is not intimidated. And the Indian games are just not doing the trick either. But what can you play to score the full point against 1.d4?

You need a bold, aggressive response that shakes White up from the outset. And not just some one-shot pet system – you need a solid repertoire that will last you a lifetime.

Challenge 1.d4 with the Fighter’s Repertoire

Grandmaster Swapnil Dhopade knows the struggle. Growing up, he was looking for a heavy-hitting repertoire that could prosper even in the super-competitive chess country of India.

He found it in the Benko Gambit and Vienna System – a repertoire that bagged him a grandmaster norm and propelled him to superstardom as a frequent tournament medalist. Now, amateurs and elite players alike flock to him so they can take lessons at his highly acclaimed chess academies.

The Benko Gambit lends itself very well to the active, positional chess needed to compete in today’s tournament scene. Black’s goal is to give up a pawn to rip open the a- and b- files, which then become targeting ranges for the rook, queen, and knights. They coordinate exquisitely with a kingside fianchetto bishop to direct maximum firepower towards the queenside.

Check out this typical Benko position:

Black’s pieces are perfectly coordinated for a queenside counterattack

Of course, White might stubbornly try to avoid the Benko and go into a Queen’s Gambit. For that, you can look to GM Dhopade’s lively, counterattacking Vienna System in the Queen’s Gambit Declined.

In the Vienna, you’ll grab on to White’s c-pawn and follow up with a break from your own c-pawn to challenge White’s center. This unfrequented line of the QGD will put White’s opening knowledge to the test and make him second-guess avoiding the Benko Gambit.

A typical Vienna pawn break

GM Dhopade presents these opening weapons and much more in over 500 trainable variations:

🎯 A complete manual to the positional and aggressive Benko Gambit, including how to address when White declines the gambit

🎯 A guide to the Vienna System inside and out, so that White can never control the position

🎯 Thorough walkthroughs of other openings White has at his disposal, such as the London System, Trompowsky, Catalan, Colle System, Veresov, and more

And it’s all taught to you by a grandmaster renowned for his teaching as much as his tournament successes.

GM Dhopade knows how to break down the cutting-edge theory so you can use it in a practical setting. You’ll learn the finer points of positional chess so you can take the initiative and run with it.