Win With White 1.d3

Starting a game of chess with White gives us the advantage of the first move.

However, given today's defensive systems Black has good chances of getting the half point or perhaps even the full point.

If White plays 1.e4, for example, we could find ourselves up against the Berlin Wall of a Ruy Lopez, or in collision with the latest novelty in a Sicilian.

Similarly, if White opts for 1.d4 we could be confronted by a Grunfeld or a Slav, both of which serve Black very well.

So why not play in an unorthodox fashion?

The author has designed a system for White based on the heretical 1.d3.

1.d3 has been given the name of the Mieses Opening which has not received any great accolades, but the author demonstrates that White's first move of 1.d3 is underestimated, and can provide a broad arena in which the second player is put to the sword.

In the first volume we survey the Reversed Philidor. In Volume Two we view The White Lion, in which White undertakes an attack against Black's castled king in the kingside, and the reversed French. Volume Three sees a review of White adopting a hypermodern approach and an exciting gambit line.

The author's work is based largely on his own experience of meeting both 1.e4 and 1.d4 with 1...d6.

White simply reverses the colours and starts the game with 1.d3, and he is a tempo up on Black systems that start with 1.e4 d6 or 1.d4 d6.

White's first move (1.d3) immediately takes Black out of book, and makes him think for himself. When was the last time you prepared as Black to meet 1.d3 on the first move?

1.d3 is a flexible move that invites Black to take the centre. White then has great potential for counter-attacking strikes that take the sting out of Black's central encroachments and pave the way for a White initiative.

1.d3 has attracted the attention of former World champions Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov.

So why not follow in the footsteps of these two giants of the chess world - ruin Black's home preparations from move one and hurl Black into a void of practically zero theory.