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Chess Cheat Sheets

Chess Openings Tuesday - 11th August 2026

Published 2 months ago • 2 min read

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Hey Reader,

Welcome back to this week's newsletter.

QUICK PRODUCT UPDATE

If you've been playing chess for a while and still aren't sure which openings you should actually be playing... then I've got the perfect thing.

The Opening Repertoire Builder.

It's the Essential Openings Collection revamped, with a new calculator that gives you a suggested opening for White, Black vs e4, and Black vs d4.

Answer 10 questions. Get 3 opening recommendations matched to your playstyle in just 2 minutes.

So you can either keep guessing what to play and spending hours figuring out your repertoire... or you can finally find some openings that fit YOU, and start playing with confidence from move 1.

Right, here are this week's openings.

Amar Opening

Chess Notation:

1. Nh3

Win Rate:

  • Black: 52%
  • White: 43%
  • Draw: 5%

Themes:

Aggressive, Flank Attack, Slow Buildup, Tricky/Unorthodox

Pros

  1. Creates unusual positions outside of standard theory
  2. May surprise extremely unprepared opponents
  3. Technically doesn’t lose material immediately

Cons

  1. Wastes a critical tempo in the opening
  2. Gives Black immediate equality or advantage
  3. Develops a piece to an ineffective square
  4. Provides no strategic compensation for the suboptimal development

Petrov's Defense

Chess Notation:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6

Win Rate:

  • Black: 45%
  • White: 51%
  • Draw: 4%

Themes:

Classical, Defensive, Endgame Oriented, Positional, Solid

Pros

  1. Solid defensive system with proven equalizing potential
  2. Avoids complex theoretical preparation in many lines
  3. Exchanges pieces early, simplifying the position
  4. Creates balanced positions to help achieve draws vs better opponents

Cons

  1. Can lead to symmetrical positions with limited winning chances
  2. Requires precise knowledge to navigate tactical lines
  3. May surrender initiative in some variations
  4. Often results in queen exchanges that require endgame skill

Amar Opening Complete Opening Trainer

Petrov's Defense Complete Opening Trainer

What do you think? Which of these openings do you prefer, and are you going to give them a shot in your games? Reply and let us know!

If you want true opening confidence and to dominate more opponents from the first 10 moves, but aren't sure where to start... don't worry, we've got you covered.

The Chess Cheat Sheets Academy is the perfect place to start. Each month, you unlock 10 full trainers for intentionally chosen openings to teach you a certain aspect of the opening phase.

Plus, you get 1 full month of the Chess Tactics Mastery training system, which guarantees long-term improvement.

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Find out more and join today using the button below.

As always, feel free to reply with your thoughts, suggestions, ideas, etc.

That's it for now. Catch you in the next one.

Cheers,
James
Chess Cheat Sheets
​info@chesscheatsheets.com​
​https://chesscheatsheets.com/​

P.S. The CCS Academy truly is the best place for long-term, lasting chess improvement. Check it out here.​

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