I used to think openings were the easy part of chess.

From age six I crammed thick books, binged hours of videos, even paid pricey coaches — sure that memorizing enough lines would make me unbeatable.

After 15 years of that, I still froze on move 11. I’d leave the opening and wonder, “Now what?” Every coach’s fix was the same: more lines to study. I burned nights cramming — yet relaxed opponents still beat me.

I was ready to quit.

Then I noticed something: in my best games I wasn’t rattling off dozens of moves — I was using a few simple ideas I truly understood. The rest of my prep gathered dust.

So I scrapped the giant repertoires and drilled only the 20 % of moves that actually appear in real games. I mastered the plans until I could explain them to a five‑year‑old.

Suddenly everything flipped:

• My rating jumped past 2400
• I became an International Master
• I won the German U‑25 Championship
• I played Fabiano Caruana at a World Rapid Team event

All without living inside a theory cave.

Friends begged for the shortcut, so I turned my notes into a 10‑day plan. Club players tried it — and their ratings leapt in weeks, not years.

That’s when I realized: you don’t need endless memorization. You need the right 20 % and a clear plan for what comes next.

Now I teach that shortcut every day — and I’d love to share it with you.