My First Chess Opening Repertoire by Christof Sielecki (hardcover)

This My First Chess Opening Repertoire by Christof Sielecki is an English-language hardcover chess book that helps you build a first practical opening repertoire for both White and Black. It moves from opening principles to ready-to-use lines, with beginners and improving players up to around 1200 Elo in mind, and often beyond.

What the book covers

The book shows how to start a game sensibly without having to memorise a huge number of complicated variations. For White, the repertoire is based on 1.e4, while for Black it gives answers to the main systems White may choose. One of the openings discussed is the Sicilian Defence.

Its value lies in combining opening principles with concrete variations you can use at the board. That means you are not only learning moves, but also getting a better sense of why certain piece placements make sense, especially when your opponent does not follow the book exactly.

Who it is for

This is a good choice for anyone who wants to bring order to their opening play and stop improvising from the first moves. Christof Sielecki presents the material in a practical, accessible way, making the book useful for beginners as well as club players who want a first coherent repertoire without getting buried in heavy theory.

The emphasis is on lines that are easy to learn, logical and consistent with classical development, while still allowing active play. As a result, the book works as a practical guide to openings rather than a dry list of variations.

Author and edition

• Author: Christof Sielecki
• Language: English
• Binding: hardcover
• Number of pages: 264

Christof Sielecki is a German international master with years of chess coaching experience. He runs the ChessExplained YouTube channel and has also written courses for Chessable, along with three volumes of the Keep it Simple series.

Key details

• Product type: hardcover chess book
• Author: Christof Sielecki
• Language: English
• Binding: hardcover
• Number of pages: 264
• Opening repertoire: for both White and Black
• White repertoire: based on 1.e4
• Included opening: Sicilian Defence