Andrea Botez’s opening repertoire is refreshingly down-to-earth — and honestly, that’s part of why it’s so useful for regular players to learn from. Andrea is a club-level content creator, not a titled master, so she doesn’t lug around a grandmaster’s encyclopedia of memorized theory. Instead she plays a small set of practical, dependable openings she knows well. According to her Chess.com profile, her favorite is the London System, and she’s also been associated with the Modern Defense and King’s Indian Defense as Black. Let’s walk through them.
Repertoire snapshot
- As White: the London System — her go-to, solid and low-maintenance.
- As Black vs 1.e4: the Modern Defense — flexible and counter-attacking.
- As Black vs 1.d4: the King’s Indian Defense — sharp and combative.
- Big idea: reliable systems over heavy memorization — a smart amateur’s approach.
As White: the London System
The London System is Andrea’s favorite opening, and it’s a brilliant pick for anyone who wants strong results without homework. The idea is simple: White plays the same basic setup almost every game — pawn to d4, bishop out to f4, pawns on e3 and c3, knights to d2 and f3, and short castling — regardless of what Black does. You reach a comfortable, solid position again and again, so you get to know it inside out.
For a busy streamer playing dozens of fast games a day, that reliability is gold. You don’t burn mental energy in the opening; you just develop naturally and save your thinking for the middlegame. And despite its calm reputation, the London has real teeth — the bishop on f4 and a well-timed pawn push can turn into a nasty kingside attack, which suits Andrea’s aggressive instincts once the pieces are out.
The London is one of the most beginner-friendly openings in all of chess, precisely because it’s a system rather than a maze of forcing lines. If you want a first opening for White, this is one of the best places to start — see our best openings for beginners guide for how it fits alongside other easy picks.
As Black vs 1.e4: the Modern Defense
Against 1.e4, Andrea has been associated with the Modern Defense (1…g6 and a quick …Bg7). This is a hypermodern opening: instead of fighting for the center with pawns immediately, Black fianchettoes the bishop to g7, lets White build a big pawn center, and plans to undermine and counter-attack it later.
It’s a flexible, slightly provocative choice — exactly the kind of “come and get me, then I’ll strike back” chess that fits an aggressive player. It also has a practical bonus that streamers appreciate: the Modern can be played against almost anything White does, so you’re not memorizing a dozen different responses. You learn the ideas — where your pieces go, when to strike the center — and reuse them every game.
As Black vs 1.d4: the King’s Indian Defense
When facing 1.d4, Andrea’s repertoire has included the King’s Indian Defense — a close cousin of the Modern in spirit, and one of the most combative openings Black can choose. The plan is the same hypermodern idea, taken to its aggressive extreme: allow White a big center, fianchetto the bishop, castle, and then blow the position open with the …e5 pawn break before launching a kingside pawn storm.
The King’s Indian is famous for producing wild, double-edged races where both players attack on opposite wings. That’s high-risk, high-reward chess — a natural fit for Andrea’s love of sharp, attacking positions. It’s a more demanding opening than the London (there’s more that can go wrong), but the ideas are intuitive and exciting, which is why so many club players enjoy it.
The pattern: practical over encyclopedic
Step back and the logic of Andrea’s repertoire is clear and smart:
- With White, she picks the calmest, most reliable system (the London) to save energy and avoid opening disasters.
- With Black, she leans into flexible, counter-attacking setups (the Modern and King’s Indian) where she gets to fight.
That’s a genuinely good template for an improving amateur. You don’t need to memorize thousands of moves like a grandmaster. Pick a solid system for White, one or two fighting defenses for Black, and spend your real effort learning the plans behind them. It’s exactly how a club-level player gets the most chess for the least memorization — and it’s clearly worked for Andrea.
How to build a repertoire like hers
- Start with the London System as your everything-move for White. It’s forgiving and you’ll reuse it constantly.
- Pick one defense to 1.e4 — the Modern is flexible and low-theory — and learn where your pieces belong.
- Add one fighting defense to 1.d4, like the King’s Indian, if you enjoy sharp positions.
- Learn ideas, not just moves. Understanding why each piece goes where it does will carry you further than memorizing lines you’ll forget under pressure.
Keep exploring
See how these openings shape her playing style, catch her best games & moments, follow her rating journey, or head back to the Andrea Botez profile. You can also meet her sister Alexandra Botez or browse all chess players.
Written and fact-checked by the Chess Lab Academy Editorial Team · Facts verified against Wikipedia, her FIDE profile, and Chess.com, as of July 2026 · Last verified 2026-07-10 · How we verify content.