Feedback 1 on GM’s Opening Laboratory
Grygoriev Alexey, UKR, FIDE Rating: 2121 (Sept. 2013 List), FIDE ID: 14131161
"I am amazed how much methodologically and competently (step by step) this course (by the way, and the first course "The GM's secrets" too) is made. These two courses are invaluable as a help to save a lot of time and efforts. The focus goes on the most important ideas (without any "water" or unnecessary variants); it helps to build correct system of thinking in one's head. The Course shows the basic strategic ideas of an opening on which it is necessary to concentrate your attention first of all. Thus it becomes clear why some openings (for example, Pirc or King's Indian defense) which seems good at first sight, actually are doubtful enough - because they transfer these unresolved problems to the middle-game.
In this course, there are many practical recommendations which I have found useful to myself: how to work effectively with a database, how to use the computer for an openings' study etc. The practical part of course - which helps to create a powerful opening repertoire both for white and for the black - deserves separate panegyrics.
By the way, for those who want to study chess seriously - these two courses simply invaluable as a help to save a lot of time and efforts."
Feedback 2 on GM’s Opening Laboratory
Andreas Muegge (Germany)
you will get a sound and honest repertoire that can be played up to master level and beyond. "It's very tempting to study openings - who doesn't want to get a good or winning position after a couple of moves? Unfortunately it doesn't work this way and it's not so obvious why. GM Igor Smirnov understands the dilemma and guides the chess student into the right direction. He shows how to learn the openings efficiently - any opening - and even better, he has prepared a complete opening repertoire, saving you a lot of time. It contains no shortcuts or exotic variations, you will get a sound and honest repertoire that can be played up to master level and beyond. I have used it in the last weeks and can say that it leads to exciting chess games. Does it make me a better player? Not without further work, but the focus is always on the basic principles of chess and I know clearly what to do in the middle-game where the real battle starts.
Feedback 3 on GM’s Opening Laboratory
Gyulia Mamedova (Azerbaijan)
"The only thing I regret is I lost so much time looking for such a course.
"I've started Igor Smirnov's "Grandmaster's opening laboratory" recently. I was sure I would have any results after I have finished it. But my chess skills are improving so fast that I decided to share my results for today with other chess funs. Yes, I'm just a chess fun! The course is so easy to absorb that even beginners can use it without any difficulty. I. Smirnov leads you during the course, answers all the questions arising, explains everything in a very simple way.
I'm advancing step by step and believe in becoming more and more confident in chess by the end of the course. My father was a professional chess player. He left me a lot of books on chess theory -from easy ones to very hard. I tried to learn them by myself but gave up many times. Why? Because I got lost in the information. Now, after I. Smirnov's recommendations the openings in the theory books are very clear to me to choose. I appreciate I. Smirnov for sharing the opening secrets with anybody who is really interested in chess. Learning chess with such a professional coach helps to improve the ability of thinking in advance, analyze the situation, build a good strategy and tactics to achieve it. The only thing I regret is I lost so much time looking for such a course! So, I advise you not to waste time and start it. I would like to finish with saying "There is no limit in what you can do, once you put your mind to it". And chess is no exception."
Feedback 4 on GM’s Opening Laboratory
Mohammad Naji
Honestly, I was so impressed from the Videos! I watched them all, and now I am learning the Practical exercises. I cannot say anything else except there is a lot of effort in these Videos, in addition to secrets! Although it needs a lot of exercise, but if I follow all your recommendations, I will not be lost in learning all the openings :) Thanks a lot. People who bought the other videos, will definitely buy it. I will recommend it also to people who are really (a lot of people) in a headache or trouble in wanting to master the Opening, which is a key to any Chess winning. Highly recommendable For Beginners and Professionals!
Feedback 5 on GM’s Opening Laboratory
Muralidhara GK (India), FIDE Rating: 1682 (Sept. 2013 List), FIDE ID: 5062462
"The Grandmaster's openings laboratory", the sequel of "The Grandmaster’s secrets", is not only a great course but is a very practical help for Intermediate players. The conceptual knowledge imparted in "The Grandmaster’s secrets" are clarified and dealt with required fineness in the Opening Lab. I started enjoying opening with out actually studying it, where as my friends in practice games are more worried about this stage. As a chess enthusiast, Intermediate chess player and more important as a “father of child” interested in chess, I found it very simple, clear and elegant. It also helped me to correct "wrongly learnt and habituated" knowledge. I want to recommend it for all "beginner and intermediate" chess friends".
Feedback 6 on GM’s Opening Laboratory
Pedro Milet (Brazil)
"When I started playing chess competitively about a year ago, my first chess coach decided to teach me what he thought was a solid, coherent opening repertoire: the idea was to bring about Slav and Caro-Kann - type positions, where I would have a very solid position - and absolutely no idea what to do next!! The middle-game positions were always GM positions where I couldn't find any plans; I felt lost and the game felt dry. Worse: I wasn't learning much from the games.
One year later, I stumbled upon Igor's course: I was baffled by the simple yet effective advice Igor managed to pack in those lessons! I got that "a-ha!" feeling when I realized how wrongly I went about studying openings. For instance, before the master level, you shouldn't learn openings that will beat other amateurs, you should learn openings that will bring positions that will strenghten your chess understanding!! Duh!!
Then Igor sets out to teach you how to learn openings effectively and which openings are appropriate before and after master level. I must say I feel confident that I can now create a powerful opening repertoire that will finally bring the fun middlegame positions! And the ones that will actually teach me chess!"
Feedback 7 on GM’s Opening Laboratory
Richard Dumoulin (France)
"HE IS SHOWING A LIVE DEMONSTRATION of how an International Grand Master prepares an opening...
"Well, what can I say? Not only is Igor giving excellent practical opening advice and material, revealing some chess champions methods etc... above all HE IS SHOWING A LIVE DEMONSTRATION of how an International Grand Master prepares an opening line with ChessBase! Personally, I find this already worth the money and I have run the videos several times to make sure I have grasped all the details. I was even surprised by the fact that an opening repertoire for White and Black was included as a bonus. Igor is basically providing the "fish" and the "how to fish"! What I also appreciate about the course is the honesty and the effort Igor has put in revealing his ideas and points of view.”
