Should I do the openings course after the main course?

The main course is keeping me busy enough, I am concerned that if I try to do the openings module at the same time, I may "burn out" -- diluting the effect of the main course. EG I should spend more time absorbing the main course info rather than "get through it" and then start the opening content for the month, so I'm seriously considering doing to opening module AFTER the main course.

What would you recommend?

Don't do the openings. The main course is enough, for sure. If you end up in month four with too much time on your hands, then reconsider. That's my recommendation anyway.

Thanks BDK. I think I will focus on the main course and just immerse myself in that and worry about the openings later.

BorgQueen wrote: I am concerned that if I try to do the openings module at the same time, I may "burn out" -- diluting the effect of the main course.

I'm only in week two, so here's my uneducated opinion.

I think that contrary to diluting the main course that the openings study is synergistic and essential to get the most out of the training.

So far I'd estimate that I've spent less than four hours with the openings module, and while I've decided to focus on the 1.d4 repertoire, I've also used some of that time to port the 1.e4 repertoire to my computer and may still do some work with that as well.

The 1.d4 repertoire for month 1 consists of only 346 positions. Using Chess Opening Wizard software I have alreay trained all of the Tabiyas and have about 80% of the moves memorized. In a couple of days I will port the complete repertoire as a Fritz opening book and plan to use the remaing time till the next course material arrives playing quick training games as much as possible and applying the supplied TODO LISTs.

Unfortunately, the authors did not do any work to "polish" the 1.e4 repertoire and simply provide a repertoire and dozens of example games. As a result, after porting the repertoire there are over 5000 positions, far to many for a quick study. I'd estimate that there's probably about 8-10 hours work required to reduce the data to a workable repertoire.

Now that I have an established workflow I expect that the average time for opening studies will drop to about 45 minutes, 5 days per week (without working 1.e4).

Bottom line is I don't think that the opening studies need to be particularly time consuming. But it is an individual decision in the end.....

Yeah, I must suck at studying openings. I could easily spend 10 hours one one month's opening content.

PawnCustodian makes a good point, the reason I got the opening modules personally. However, don't worry while the opening theory draws on the strategy material, you don't need the opening material to get a lot out of the strategy material. It's a nice supplement, but do you really need to supplement climbing mt everest?

My problem is that if I don't do in now in all likelyhood it will never get done!

I guess if I have the time I will look at it, but I don't want t rush the main content to fit it in.