--- product_id: 89436171 title: "Keep it Simple: 1.e4: A Solid and Straightforward Chess Opening Repertoire for White" price: "27 zł" currency: PLN in_stock: false reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.pl/products/89436171-keep-it-simple-1-e4-a-solid-and-straightforward-chess store_origin: PL region: Poland --- # Keep it Simple: 1.e4: A Solid and Straightforward Chess Opening Repertoire for White **Price:** 27 zł **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Keep it Simple: 1.e4: A Solid and Straightforward Chess Opening Repertoire for White - **How much does it cost?** 27 zł with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pl](https://www.desertcart.pl/products/89436171-keep-it-simple-1-e4-a-solid-and-straightforward-chess) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description AWARD: ChessPub 2018 Book of the Year Why is this repertoire called simple? For the simple reason that the variations are straightforward, easy to remember and require little or no maintenance. International Master Christof Sielecki has created a reliable set of lines for chess players of almost all levels. The major objective is to dominate Black in the opening, by simple means. You don't need to sacrifice anything or memorize long tactical lines. Unless Black plays something stupid, when tactics are the simplest punishment. Sielecki developed this repertoire working with students who were looking for something that was easy to understand and to learn. Most of the lines he selected are occasionally played by grandmasters, but on the whole they lie outside the mainstream of opening theory. That means that there is hardly any need to monitor theoretical developments. Sielecki always clearly explains the plans and counterplans and keeps you focussed on what the position requires. Ambitious players rated 1500 or higher will get great value out of studying this extremely accessible book. Review: More than I Hoped For! - I am only the third reviewer, I believe, and I would normally wait a bit longer to review: so far I have read one section very carefully (and gone over it with a strong chess engine and ChessBase), and skimmed many other sections to see what lay ahead. But after doing that much, I was so impressed with the author's efforts and explanatory writing style that I felt the book clearly deserves 5 stars. Indeed, I hope other reviewers will join me and get this book's online rating up to where, in my humble opinion, it clearly belongs. Keep in mind that I don't know the author or have any personal involvement in the book's success, but it seems important that an author who writes with such care and skill should be supported. What a great book -- and one that, unlike most chess books that I own, I will likely finish because it is so usefully organized, intelligently thought out, and engagingly presented. I am normally a "c-pawn or d-pawn player" but am always looking to expand my chess understanding, and this book appears to provide a big opportunity to do that. The author simplified the selection of an e-pawn repertoire for those of us who lack a diligent International Master's understanding and experience. But he has not simplified the repertoire to the point of dumbing it down or rendering it too easily met. It seems just right to me: masterable but not routine, and likely to make an opponent think and not react by rote. And the author provides enough genuinely insightful and helpful explanation to enable us to play not merely by rote, as well. Furthermore, I was pleased to see that a number of illustrative, annotated games were provided as well, something many of us appreciate in an opening book. It occurs to me that I may be shooting myself in the foot leaving such a positive review: what if it causes a chess adversary to read and benefit from this excellent book? Oh well, this author deserves whatever appreciation he gets. Review: Magnificently Designed and Explained for Players up to 2200 - I have been playing chess for almost 50 years. I've seen many books that attempt to provide a decent opening repertoire for White with 1.e4, but this is far and away the best. The author avoids the sharpest theoretical lines, where forgetting one move could mean instant defeat, but provides lines that are unbalanced and have plenty of bite nonetheless. I would have guessed that choices like the Four Knights Scotch against 1...e5 or the Exchange Variation against 1...e6 were dull, but in fact, just as the author promises, they lead to unbalanced positions with winning opportunities and surprisingly dynamic play. Everything is clearly explained, with suggestions for expanding the repertoire if you don't like a particular line. I bought the book because I was dissatisfied with my choices against 1...e5 and 1...c5, but the suggestions in this book are so good and so clearly explained that I'm definitely thinking about adopting the lines he suggests against the French, Caro-Kann, and other defenses. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #2,270,855 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #2,096 in Chess (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 113 Reviews | ## Images ![Keep it Simple: 1.e4: A Solid and Straightforward Chess Opening Repertoire for White - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71svlunDQYL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ More than I Hoped For! *by A***S on March 29, 2019* I am only the third reviewer, I believe, and I would normally wait a bit longer to review: so far I have read one section very carefully (and gone over it with a strong chess engine and ChessBase), and skimmed many other sections to see what lay ahead. But after doing that much, I was so impressed with the author's efforts and explanatory writing style that I felt the book clearly deserves 5 stars. Indeed, I hope other reviewers will join me and get this book's online rating up to where, in my humble opinion, it clearly belongs. Keep in mind that I don't know the author or have any personal involvement in the book's success, but it seems important that an author who writes with such care and skill should be supported. What a great book -- and one that, unlike most chess books that I own, I will likely finish because it is so usefully organized, intelligently thought out, and engagingly presented. I am normally a "c-pawn or d-pawn player" but am always looking to expand my chess understanding, and this book appears to provide a big opportunity to do that. The author simplified the selection of an e-pawn repertoire for those of us who lack a diligent International Master's understanding and experience. But he has not simplified the repertoire to the point of dumbing it down or rendering it too easily met. It seems just right to me: masterable but not routine, and likely to make an opponent think and not react by rote. And the author provides enough genuinely insightful and helpful explanation to enable us to play not merely by rote, as well. Furthermore, I was pleased to see that a number of illustrative, annotated games were provided as well, something many of us appreciate in an opening book. It occurs to me that I may be shooting myself in the foot leaving such a positive review: what if it causes a chess adversary to read and benefit from this excellent book? Oh well, this author deserves whatever appreciation he gets. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Magnificently Designed and Explained for Players up to 2200 *by L***E on October 31, 2019* I have been playing chess for almost 50 years. I've seen many books that attempt to provide a decent opening repertoire for White with 1.e4, but this is far and away the best. The author avoids the sharpest theoretical lines, where forgetting one move could mean instant defeat, but provides lines that are unbalanced and have plenty of bite nonetheless. I would have guessed that choices like the Four Knights Scotch against 1...e5 or the Exchange Variation against 1...e6 were dull, but in fact, just as the author promises, they lead to unbalanced positions with winning opportunities and surprisingly dynamic play. Everything is clearly explained, with suggestions for expanding the repertoire if you don't like a particular line. I bought the book because I was dissatisfied with my choices against 1...e5 and 1...c5, but the suggestions in this book are so good and so clearly explained that I'm definitely thinking about adopting the lines he suggests against the French, Caro-Kann, and other defenses. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoyable and thorough *by S***M on February 14, 2019* A very thorough repertoire for somebody looking to pick up an e4 opening. I am returning to e4 after 10 years playing c4, and the lines offered in this book are solid, if not spectacular. Suitable for players at about a USCF 1500 level and up. If you use a product to help you learn openings, the formatting of the book is conducive to entering the lines into the trainer. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pl/products/89436171-keep-it-simple-1-e4-a-solid-and-straightforward-chess](https://www.desertcart.pl/products/89436171-keep-it-simple-1-e4-a-solid-and-straightforward-chess) --- *Product available on Desertcart Poland* *Store origin: PL* *Last updated: 2026-05-21*