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Chess Openings Tuesday - 18th August 2026

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

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Hey Reader,

Happy Tuesday, welcome back to the weekly email.

Just a quick reminder about the new releases, in case you missed the last email I sent:
- All books moves got updated and expanded
- New blunder & best move checklists (£3.47 / $4.70)
- New Opening Repertoire Builder (30 openings & calculator)

Lots of stuff in the works too.

And one more thing - our flagship bundle, the Full Library, is now back to the previous price of £46.97 ($64). You spoke, I listened.

​Get it yourself here →​

Here are this week's openings.

Amazon Attack

Chess Notation:

1. d4 d5 2. Qd3

Win Rate:

  • Black: 53%
  • White: 43%
  • Draw: 4%

Themes:

Aggressive, Flank Attack, Tactical, Tricky/Unorthodox

Pros

  1. Creates unusual positions outside mainstream theory
  2. May surprise unprepared opponents
  3. Develops the queen to a central square
  4. Supports potential e4 push

Cons

  1. Exposes the queen too early in the game
  2. Subjects queen to potential harassment by opponent’s pieces
  3. Violates opening principles of minor piece development
  4. Has historically shown poor results at high levels

Duras Gambit

Chess Notation:

1. e4 f5

Win Rate:

  • Black: 46%
  • White: 51%
  • Draw: 3%

Themes:

Aggressive, Fast Development, Gambit, Tactical

Pros

  1. Surprise value against completely unprepared opponents
  2. Avoids most standard opening theory
  3. Creates asymmetrical positions from move one
  4. May lead to creative play in casual games

Cons

  1. Severely weakens Black’s kingside structure
  2. Exposes the king to immediate attacking possibilities
  3. Provides White with multiple ways to gain advantage
  4. Offers virtually no compensation for the weaknesses created

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!

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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.

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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. Made a slight tweak to the layout, let me know your thoughts

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