The openings module seems poor to me

I've not started studying the Openings Module yet as I havn't had the time but the content doesn't seem to be nearly as good as the main module. Month 3 just has around 12 pages on the Najdorf.

For $15 that's over a dollar per page

I don't play the Najdorf anyway so I guess it wouldn't matter how many pages there were but it better be some quality recommendations and explanations on there to justify that price.

I think the main module so far is superb and well worth the money, but am kind of wishing I hadn't bothered signing up to the openings.

I was expecting a lot more. I thought we would have theory lectures on general opening principles, outlines to the main pawn structures and middlegame features typical of each opening and lots of annotated games to serve as our model games with dozens more unnannotated games like in Month Two of the Main module when examining the five different types of centers.

I suppose all of this might come later on in the course but so far with 3 months of 12 completed we really havn't received very much for our $45, especially compared to the main module.

I'm thinking of cancelling it and using John Watson's Mastering the Chess Openings for along with a couple reportoire books instead.

Is anyone else any further along in the course and give some feedback on whether the openings module improves and offers more detailed theory lectures, annotated games etc later on?

I have the same concerns. I am tempted to stop paying for the opening module.

I would like to hear from someone who is a few months in. If they start to include annotated games and theory lectures like they do for the main module they will completely redeem themselves but as we don't know before hand how it will go down its frustrating.

I just don't understand their structuring. Why jump from 1.d4 to include a little bit of 1.e4 and then the Sicilian Najdorf for black, it makes no sense at all.

They also seem to be missing many opening lines. There is no reportoire against the Albin Counter Gambit, which is pretty common at club level, and so far nothing against the main Ruy Lopez line, the Open isn't covered, the Chigorin, Breyer, Zaitsez, Archangel etc so I presume they must have a bunch of reportoire lines to finish just for the Ruy Lopez which makes the idea to jump to the Najdorf even more suspect.

They also claim they are going to teach us the Nimzo, the Dutch and the French and we still have all other responses to 1.e4 other than 1.e5 so at the rate at which they are handing out material now would mean the entire 12 months would just be these little brief handouts with no time for detailed annotated games in any but the most important main line of the most important opening.

I think I might email them and as how the course is to continue, a look at the monthly layout screen for the upcoming months would be helpful to make a decision.

What's even more interesting is that if you buy a reportoire seperately from them for e4 players against 1.e5 they play the Italian Game

It's confusing.

I am of the same mind. I like the main course but on reflection I am of the opinion that the opening module is not worth the money. As has been suggested there are better books at a much better price on the market.

I am not sure that the Nadjorf Sicilian is the right suggestion either. The Soviets were of a mind that when learning opening systems should be selected with a view to understanding middle games. On top of that the Nadjorf is highly theoretical.

If I had my time again I would have not purchased the openings module and spent it on booze instead.

BobbyBlunder wrote:I am of the same mind. I like the main course but on reflection I am of the opinion that the opening module is not worth the money. As has been suggested there are better books at a much better price on the market.

I am not sure that the Nadjorf Sicilian is the right suggestion either. The Soviets were of a mind that when learning opening systems should be selected with a view to understanding middle games. On top of that the Nadjorf is highly theoretical.

If I had my time again I would have not purchased the openings module and spent it on booze instead.

This is some solid advice right here. About the middlegame positions - not booze

I forgot who said that "you should play an opening with specific middlegame position in mind". Champions like Kramink or Karpov for example, played their opening to reach a position they were comfortable in! This is the main idea, to play the opening to reach a specific type of position you are comfortable in. Or take it a step further maybe even aim for a specific endgame position or endgame advantage!

I am only comfortable when my opponent fell into an opening trap or made an error & I have a clear advantage!! Otherwise I always feel I am playing catch-up.

hoopy wrote:I am only comfortable when my opponent fell into an opening trap or made an error & I have a clear advantage!! Otherwise I always feel I am playing catch-up.

You think that is bad.

I noticed that I'm playing slightly better as black than white and as far as openings go I've been concentrating 80% of my opening study on WHITE!!!!! LOL.

hmm I guess they revamped the whole opening module, I'm paying an extra $5/month for the opening module...did they used to charge $15? I don't see anything about the Najdorf until month 8, so I guess I won't be getting 12 pages of the Najdorf on month 3 Although I would still like to receive that...in addition to everything else. I'm slightly curious though, what did they do to your accounts when they revamped the course? Did they delete what they had before? such as the 12 pages on the Najdrof...