Robert Ris' Fast and Furious: English-Catalan-Opening

by Robert Ris
11/29/2025 – In his new Fast & Furious show, Robert Ris looks into the FIDE World Cup which has seen a lot of interesting games, featuring spectacular openings as the KO-format forces players to take a lot of risks.| Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.
This video course offers you a complete, clear repertoire for Black against the moves 1.Nf3 and 1.c4. The recommended variations are easy to learn and not difficult to remember, but also pose White serious challenges.

Robert Ris: "I have a closer look at the game Yakubboev-Esipenko, in which White in a must-win situation opted for an English-Catalan Opening (omitting the move d2-d4). The setup with 6.d3 and 7.Ne5 has become more popular in recent years thanks to the efforts by players like Caruana, Praggnanandhaa and World Cup winner 2025 Sindarov. In this episode I'll show some nice examples of what White is aiming for in these positions and how things could easily go wrong for Black. However, unfortunately for Yakubboev he wasn't able to repeat a similar success for White. Esipenko launched an interesting pawn sacrifice and quickly seized the initiative by exploiting White's weakened kingside. A crushing 26-move victory earned the Russian player a spot in next year's Candidates Tournament."

This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Overview
Free video sample: Chigorin: 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Nd7/cxd4

Exercise: White has won a pawn, but how is Black going to prove its compensation?

Feel free to move the pieces on the live diagram!

This week's show

Watch previous shows

Recent shows

Many more Fast and Furious episodes are available in ChessBase Videos

Links

<< Capablanca, the timeless maestro: Dialogues and reflections that never took place
European Blitz Championships 2025 - Live! >>
Topics: Fast and Furious
Robert is an International Master who mostly spends his time training and coaching talented youngsters. On the PlayChess server The Fast and the Furious is a popular show where he explains sharp opening lines for a wider audience. He is also a well-known ChessBase author who produced numerous DVDs and regularly contributes to ChessBase Magazine as well. Since 2015 he is the organizer of the Dutch Rapid Championships in his home town Amstelveen. He has started a YouTube channel with chess analysis as well.
Discussion and Feedback Submit your feedback to the editors

See also

Robert Ris' Fast and Furious: FIDE World Cup 2025

11/25/2025 – In his new Fast & Furious show, Robert Ris looks into the FIDE World Cup which has seen a lot of interesting games, featuring spectacular openings as the KO-format forces players to take a lot of risks.| Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can <a href="https://account.chessbase.com/en/create-account" target="_blank">register a Premium account here</a>.
More...
 2

See also

Robert Ris' Fast and Furious: Frankenstein-Dracula Variation.

11/15/2025 – In his new Fast & Furious show, Robert Ris looks into the Frankenstein-Dracula Variation played in the game Dubov vs Meier.| Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can <a href="https://account.chessbase.com/en/create-account" target="_blank">register a Premium account here</a>.
More...
 2

Video

60m English Anti-Bayonet

King’s Indian fans who choose the Mar del Plata attack (7...Nc6) against White’s classical system (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0) usually aim for a complex position with mutual attacks on open wings, requiring long-term strategic planning and tactical sharpness in critical moments. Computers often do not know how to handle the arising complex strategic positions, which suits players who like to think on their own instead of memorizing long variations. However, the fashionable Bayonet Attack (9.b4) interferes with Black’s ideas. After Black’s main move 9...Nh5 the positions opens, the lines get forced and computer analysis is important again. But this DVD offers an antidote against White’s Bayonet Attack, namely 9...a5! This move leads to sound positions with very few concrete lines, in which the focus is on strategy not on tactics. Objectively chances are equal but if Black knows what to do things might quickly become dangerous for White.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register