E4 New York Style: Rozman’s Practical Weapon for White

Chessly calls it “our most popular course: an attacking repertoire for White”. The idea behind E4 New York Style is to skip the main-line theory most club players have studied and steer every game toward setups you understand and your opponent probably does not. Against 1…e5 you play the Vienna, not the Italian or Ruy Lopez. Against the Sicilian you avoid the Open Sicilian completely with 2.a3 or 2.b3. Against the French and the Caro-Kann you take space and attack. The ideas repeat from one chapter to the next: Rozman points out that his anti-Sicilian setups often “look very familiar” if you have watched the Vienna chapter.

This is the White half of a pair. Its Black partner, E6B6 New York Style, gives you a single …e6/…b6 system against every White first move; E4 New York Style tells you what to play after 1.e4 against every Black reply. Together they make a complete GothamChess repertoire. Both sit in our Levy Rozman (GothamChess) collection.

What You Will Play With E4 New York Style

The Vienna against 1…e5

Rozman tells you that if you watch only two or three chapters, it should be the first ones. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 he plays 3.f4, the Vienna Gambit — “except it’s not really a gambit much at all,” because taking the pawn runs into e5 and the f6-knight has nowhere good to go. Every other second move for Black gets the delayed-f4 Vienna System, with a simple order Rozman sums up as “bishop, pawn, pawn, knight, castle”: Bc4, d3, f4, Nf3 and short castling. The third practice game shows why one knight move to a4, removing Black’s dark-squared bishop, is a line you must remember.

Pick your anti-Sicilian: 2.a3 or 2.b3

Chapters 3–8 give you two separate Sicilian weapons, and Rozman is clear that you choose one: the a3 Sicilian is “very aggressive and tricky” and the b3 Sicilian is calmer. With 2.a3 the point is b4 to deflect Black’s c-pawn; if Black grabs the material, White builds a full centre with c3 and d4 and uses the lead in development, including a Na3–b5 idea aimed at c7. With 2.b3 the bishop goes to b2, and against …Nc6 it often comes to b5 to capture on c6. Separate chapters cover …e6/…e5, …d6 and the critical …g6 and …Nf6 replies.

French and Caro-Kann: space first, then attack

Against the French you get a b3 system (with and without …dxe4) or, for variety, the Two Knights with Nf3 first, which keeps a b3 Sicilian available if Black switches to …c5. The Caro-Kann is close to Rozman’s heart — he calls it the opening that “carried me to Master” — and he gives you what he sees as the most practical answer: the Advance with 3.e5. Against …c5 you take the pawn and make Black waste time winning it back. Against the main-line …Bf5 he skips the Short Variation for 4.h4, preparing g4 and h5 to trap the bishop.

Modern, Pirc, Scandinavian and the back-alley stuff

Against …g6 and …d6 setups you take two central pawns and choose between a fast attacking plan (Be3, Qd2, long castling and Bh6 to trade the fianchettoed bishop) and a more solid set-up based on h3 and g4. The Scandinavian chapter does not chase the queen. The last chapter covers what Rozman calls “the back alley stuff”: Owen’s Defence with …b6, early knight moves and other rare replies.

That attitude — develop calmly and let your opponent overextend — explains the “New York Style” name better than any move list. If you prefer more classical lines after 1…e5 (the Ponziani and the Italian) and a Fantasy Caro-Kann, look at the separate GothamChess 1.e4 Repertoire. It is a different course with different lines.

E4 New York Style: Course Index

Who E4 New York Style Is For

• 1.e4 players up to club level who want an aggressive repertoire without memorising Open Sicilian theory.
• Blitz and rapid players who like surprise value — the a3 Sicilian and 4.h4 against the Caro-Kann catch many opponents cold.
• Players switching to 1.e4 who need a complete, compact answer to every reply in about three and a half hours.
• Owners of E6B6 New York Style who want the matching White repertoire.

It is less suited to ambitious tournament players who want main-line Open Sicilians or deep theory — these lines are chosen for practical chances, not to win a theoretical debate. If you want a 1.d4 repertoire instead, the sister course D4 Dynamite does the same job with the London and the Trompowsky.

FAQ

What is the difference between E4 New York Style and E6B6 New York Style?

E4 New York Style is a White repertoire starting 1.e4. E6B6 New York Style is a Black system based on …e6 and …b6 that you can play against 1.e4, 1.d4, 1.c4, 1.Nf3 and the rest. They do not overlap; together they cover both colours.

Do I need to learn both the a3 and the b3 Sicilian?

No. Rozman says plainly that you should choose one. Study chapters 3–5 for the sharper a3 lines or chapters 6–8 for the calmer b3 lines.

What files do I get, and how is it delivered?

23 MP4 videos and the repertoire PGN (898 MB in total). Digital files. Crypto payment only. Fast delivery is handled manually after payment confirmation. Download links remain available for 7 days; save your files locally.