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Chess Openings Tuesday - 21st July 2026 (& Pricing Updates...)

Published 9 days ago • 2 min read

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Hey Reader,

Quick Pricing Update:
​I've been doing some digging into the data and realised that there's a lot of people interested in grabbing a single opening trainer, a bundle, or some other product, but not as many follow through to checkout and purchase.

Or in short, I've been gatekeeping files behind a higher price for no reason.

So, good news - there will be a whole lot of price reductions. Same (improved) products, cheaper price.

Here's a quick summary of what's changing:

- Individual opening trainers down to £3.47 (under $5)

- Practical Openings Bundle down to £19.97 ($27)

- New Essential Openings Collection at £34.97 ($47)

- Full Library reduced to £52.97 ($71)

- Chess Tactics Mastery (1-year system) reduced to £46.97 ($63)

This should all make our guides more accessible to more people :)

In particular, I'd really love to get some feedback on the Essential Openings Collection (specifically from people who haven't bought our guides before).

All updated prices are now live on the website.

That covered, here are your openings for this week!

Mieses Opening

Chess Notation:

1. d3

Win Rate:

  • Black: 48%
  • White: 48%
  • Draw: 4%

Themes:

Slow Buildup, Tricky/Unorthodox

Pros

  1. Avoids extensive opening preparation by opponents
  2. Reduces early tactical complications
  3. Provides flexible development options
  4. Can frustrate aggressive opponents who prefer open positions

Cons

  1. Concedes central space and initiative to Black
  2. Generally considered slightly inferior to standard openings
  3. Can lead to passive positions difficult to energize later
  4. Requires positional understanding to compensate for initial passivity

Rat Defense: Pounds Gambit

Chess Notation:

1. d4 d6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Be6

Win Rate:

  • Black: 49%
  • White: 46%
  • Draw: 5%

Themes:

Aggressive, Gambit, Hypermodern, Tactical

Pros

  1. Generates immediate tactical opportunities
  2. Bypasses extensive opening preparation
  3. Provides active piece play for Black
  4. Creates practical challenges for unprepared opponents

Cons

  1. Material deficit requires precise compensation
  2. Risky approach that can backfire with accurate play from White
  3. Leaves potentially weak squares in Black’s position
  4. Difficult to convert into clear advantages at higher levels

Mieses Opening Complete Opening Trainer

Rat Defense: Pounds Gambit 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.

Our Essential Openings Collection contains all the resources you need to master 30 of the most popular openings on the ladder - without the fluff or countless hours of other learning methods.

Check it out and claim yours now 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. Not part of the CCS Academy yet? It's the best place for long-term chess improvement. Check it out here.​

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