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SLP Method - The Art of Saving Lost Positions
Course
99 episodes
(4 hours 29 min)
(4 hours 29 min)
Creators
GM Avetik Grigoryan
From time to time, you’re going to get into losing positions. It happens even to the world’s best players. So how should you approach these positions?
Most players would give up in such situations and leave a lot of rating points on the table.
On the other hand, there’s a breed of players who often swindles their way out of lost positions. It almost seems like they got a lucky escape.
See moreIn fact, during his professional chess career, GM Avetik was often called – ‘lucky Avetik’. That’s because he used to save lots of lost positions. And since many people had no clue how he did it, they attributed it to him being lucky.
However, saving lost positions (or SLP) is a skill anyone can learn. And this course teaches you that. You’ll learn:
- The specific mindset you should adopt when you’re in a difficult position.
- How to provoke mistakes from your opponent in such situations?
- How to train to improve your SLP skills?
…and much more.
For Avinash Ramesh, learning to save lost positions (or SLP) was the most important skill he picked up from ChessMood, and it played a big role in him going from 1900 to 2400 FIDE elo and scoring 1 IM norm in 1 year!
This course will give you the tools to hone and sharpen your SLP skills. As you become good at it, your opponents will hate you, or compliment you by calling you lucky 😀 But only you’ll know it’s not just about luck 🙂
Below are the positions from the course:
Ready to become a lucky player and save lots of rating points?
Let’s get started!
What you'll learn
- The mindset you should adopt when in a difficult position.
- How to make it harder for your opponent to win?
- The unconventional chess principles you should follow to save a lost position.
- The art of bluffing.
- How to provoke mistakes from your opponent?
- How to train to improve your SLP skills and so much more…
Course Content
-
99
Episodes -
111
Quizzes & Trainings -
3
Attachments -
4 hours 29 min
5
Students give this course an average of 5 out of 5 stars.
Rahul kumar
All lessons are very good
Alexandre Bur
Amazing course again, thanks a lot Avetik! I just followed your advice and start creating a lichess account dedicated to SLP training before moving on WWP course. I had a real fun to play my first two SLP games today, and it worked, 2 wins over 2! Applying your 5 steps SLP method works great, especially with the right mindset (the chessMood).
Today I impose my own challenge to play 20 games (20+10). Only after that I will start WWP course as a reward.
Thanks a lot for all high quality courses
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Alexandre! Thank you very much for kind words.
And you absolutely got it! Best of luck and update us how things went on.
Max Ezerskii
Avetik,People and my colleagues do not admire at me at all
Do you want to make them angrier by this course?
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Ahahahaha :)
Max Ezerskii
Having a good time these days!
Only you Lucky Avetik and me!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :)
Advika
GOOD !!!!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :)
Thanks!
Yuya Sato
This course is incredibly practical and really great.
Before watching this course, I played the same way whether I was up material, equal, or down, and I would end up losing. I also lost mood quickly and often considered resigning. However, after watching this course, I learned how to fight in losing positions - basically attacking the king, make my piece happy, and setting up a last-dirty traps.
Moreover, even when I lose pieces, I now think of it as “Plactice SLP mode!” and keep fighting without feeling down. In one game, I was on the verge of resignation, but because I didn’t give up on my turn, I got lucky and captured opponent’s queen for free, winning the game.
From now on, I plan to watch this course three more times and apply what I’ve learned in real games to reinforce and consistently practice these strategies.
Of course, avoiding blunders and keeping all my pawns and pieces safe is ideal. However, mastering how to fight even in losing positions and staying resilient until the end might be invaluable for future.
This is also a topic that can be applied not only to chess but to life in general. Thank you Mr.Avetik.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
"This is also a topic that can be applied not only to chess but to life in general. "
Exactly my friend! I am so happy to be helpful not only in chess.
Best of luck!
Voran
Update: the further I go on my chess journey the more I find these skills are really important. I blundered my rook a few hours ago and immediately thought 'ok let's just attack the king with my bishop and queen'. I won. Earlier in my development I would have panicked and tried to save as much material as possible.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great Voran! Keep us updating, especially with good news! :)
David Canos
I was still on chapter 8 of the course last week when I went to the park to play some games there, unfortunately I blundered a piece in the tenth move due to an opening trick i didnt see, inmediately I activate the SLP mode, I lasted 30 seconds looking at the board to feel my chess has already changed.
I can feel clearly the move i would do in regular mode but i can see now that I should make an f4 and open the position and take advantage of my ahead in development and his unaware king and things would be complicated for my oponent.
I did it and I was able to recover the piece 10 moves ahead against a very good player who by the way was frustated.
Thanks Avo!!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Fantastic!
Thanks, David!
Kaiden Russell
I was struggling to win won positions, so I checked out the WWP course, and was sent over here.
I was not expecting anything much from this course as I already new that you should avoid trading when you are down material, and had been in many lost positions with all the chess games I had played, so had what I thought was some experience in this area, though this course was incredible, and has opened up a whole new side of chess for me.
The first game where I had a chance to pull off SLP was in the game linked below. I blundered a pawn, lost the mood, blundered another pawn, and then an exchange, and the game was practically over. But then I remembered the art of SLP, and turned things around with a knight sac and checkmate.
I haven't done the WWP course yet, but I can see why this is recommended first - as converting games is so much easier when you know to avoid complications (I always used to complicate positions when I was winning as I thought a checkmate would be the easiest way to convert material advantages, but it always backfired - I now know why). Can't wait to save more lost positions. Thanks GM Avetik.
https://www.chess.com/game/live/128366988865
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Kaiden, thank you very much for this fantastic review!
Trying to get Better for real
I found the course to be highly beneficial and I gained a significant amount of knowledge. Thank you for your valuable teaching.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks, Kosala!
Nehan Abdullah
One of the best courses I have ever seen and I’m saying this as a 2100 rated player on chess.com
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great!
Thanks, Nehan!
Jem Mendoza
the main thing i love about this course is just to have fun :). and everything else
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :) Thanks! :)
Christian Laringer
I’m really surprised that what is taught in this course isn’t highlighted more in other sources on improvement. Just the knowledge of what is possible to achieve in lost positions and how to apply a more positive mindset has been a huge boost. Whenever I end up in a lost position now it feels more like being presented with a challenge rather than the feeling of dread I had before. Another amazing course.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks a lot, Christian!
Yes... There are too many nice concepts in chess, that are never covered in chess literature, and our mission is to fill all those gaps.
Pb Peter
I think this is your best course. Other courses are also fine, but this information I just have not seen at other chess courses sites. This and wwp are must have courses to anyone between 1500 and 2000.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks!
I love it too. But still, my top choice is Endgame Roadmap :)
Sanj Dica
Oh my goooood avoooo.....what a course! Worthuuuuuh. And when will be the middle game Road map will come?
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :)
Thanks!
Rivith Perera
Thank you so much for this coures . I realy Loved It . I managed to save a game being a Bishop down after sacrificing a Rook . This will be very useful for my future games also.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Super!
Thanks too for sharing this! After you watch the WWP, you'll master all SLP-WWP strategies.
Rivith Perera
Thank you so much
Naman Khandelwal
I had watched this course, suddenly in this game when I was losing I sacrificed my rook on move 15 to disrupt the safety of king... then I made my pieces active (Queen and bishops) and made so many threats... My opponent missed and I mated him!
Link of the game: https://lichess.org/q2sQ87Kb/white
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Nice!
Many more SLPs are on the way :)
Tanush Dokka
This is going to help me allot. Thank you GM Avetik Grogoryan.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Happy to hear that :)
Richard McCormick
This is my favorite course so far. While I understand why you came up with the Golden Rule, I don't necessarily see how it aligns with the "Stalemate" and "Dirty Tricks" chapters. To me maybe simpler to just never resign and use your "I wanted to learn from you on the art of converting advantages" line. Thanks!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :)
Thanks too :)
Voran
Great course - it has come in handy a few times when I blundered my rook!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Haha :)
Thanks, Voran!
Voran
I thought of you earlier - I was playing 15|10 rapid and I blundered my knight. I was toying with the idea of resigning but I did notice that although I was down a knight my pieces were piling a lot of pressure on the g-file so I brought my rook over and attacked. I won :D
Hubert Bates
I have one question- do these apply to strategically lost positions as well?
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hubert, a great question!
If its strategically lost - yes!
If its strategically worst position - no.
Clement Mukuka
I was laughing through the dirty tricks section. Some sections were a bit challenging especially the create traps section but I powered through and have been able to save games which I would have previously just resigned.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :) :) :)
Thanks, Clement! Wishing you to save lots of points :)
Swapneel Das
Very awesome course .... now I feel very confident to fight on, even in losing positions. I have drawn two games from lost positions and even won one game from a lost position, in an OTB tournament.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Yesss!!!
Links for the games, please?
Swapneel Das
But the games were played in an OTB (over-the-board) *Rapid* tournament and I wasn't at the top place then.....so I don't have any information about those games. However, I can give you some of the Lichess games in which I had lost positions. 1st one - https://lichess.org/YqunTvKEn1ym (opponent literally chased and harassed my king, I was forced to jettison a rook to save the king). Another game, this time from chess.com is - https://www.chess.com/game/live/110209317747 (where despite being material down, I attacked the king, till I caught him by surprise in the middle of the board with a checkmate!).
Swapneel Das
Just today, I saved another lost position, where I blundered a piece carelessly. The game was https://www.chess.com/game/live/128788367075. I felt insanely relieved when I finally got a draw - the blunder almost shook me like anything, making me feel that "How can I blunder" at this level.
Avacado Kiwi
Amazing
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thank you :)
Avacado Kiwi
Wow
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
:)
Anshu Singh
This course has helped me a lot. It has had me saving many lost positions, gain tons of rating points, and in many games where I lost material, instead of resigning, I took a deep breath, used your recommendations, and saved the game! Here is an example, where I played as extra_champ - https://lichess.org/awzQoUtcjrtO
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Nice!
Blunder Master
I've only done a few sections so far since it's unlocked. I've already saved so many games! I used to think it was okay to trade while down material in hopes of some stalemate, even if it was in the middle game. Thank y'all for unlocking the courses, and thanks, Avetik, for creating this great course!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
You're welcome!
Hopefully from blunder master you'll become saver grandmaster :)
KEVIN SAVIO
ITS VERY USEFUL....THANK U
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
You're welcome, Kevin!
I hope, you'll understand now the WWP even better and deeper!
Ralf Buese
Thanks for the course and the free week. Get a lot of ideas, to don't stop fighting to early.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great! Come on live interactive lesson, on July 31!
Yasiru Weerasinghe
It is a very usefull course.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks!
WWP the next?
Yasiru Weerasinghe
Sure!
Vincent Yu
OMG this is so amazing I saved like, 20 games that were lost and I raised 100+ points. #RightMoodRightMove #Ilovechesmood
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Wow, Vincent!
So happy to see this!
I hope you'll win more after finishing the WWP.
Pedro Miragaia
Loved the course thanks for the free week
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
You're welcome! :)
modith mutyalapati
helped me swindle a LOT of games
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great!
modith mutyalapati
thanks!
Seshi Ammasani
this is the best course on this website
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks, Seshi!
I bet you haven't watched the "Endgame Roadmap" yet :)
Okke Miram
really good course, i saved lost positions in a standard tournament and gained 60+ rating points !!!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Nice!!!
Chris Knight
Fantastic advice, for on the board and in the mind.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks, Chris!
Ace Mckareb
Thanks Coach GM Avo! Another great and eye opening course. Before this, there is nothing much to play on with lost position but now it can be something fun with switching on SLP mode. Who doesn't love an epic saved game? Can't wait to apply them in my games. Hope to become that formidable player that keeps getting up again and again and again.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great review, Ace!
Indeed :) SLP can be quite exiting :)
Dragon Slayer
this very interesting
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks! Why 4? :)
Shannon Berry
Saved a lost game before finishing the course! Eye opening!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great! Hopefully, many more to come :)
Dan Simms
this is legendary
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :) Thanks!
Aarav Katukuri
best ever!!!!!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thank you!
Vikram Medelin
Great! Amazing examples. Now I'll playing longer games :)
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :)
Thanks!
Just Some Random Dude
This is an fantastic course! But at the end there is said that you must keep practicing this. But how much do you need to?
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Matteo, thanks a lot!
There is no limit. Its a skill that can be improved and improved. I guess Hikaru is about 3,000 in this.
Just Some Random Dude
Okay, thank you!
I'm known on lichess as logarithm
Genius
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :)
Nathan Kuo
best ever
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :) Thanks!
Sukaina Kari
the best course ever
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks! :) Hehe :)
Shaurya Bagdia
I completed the course and saw benefits in my slp skills in a otb classical tournament against a higher rated player I was piece down but i started attack and won the game after regaining te piece
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great! Wishing you more victories like that!
Shaurya Bagdia
Thanks
Huimin Li
GREATEST OF ALL TIME 4.9/5 NEVER HAD TO DO THIS
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :)
Thanks!
Tigeria Li
This course is so awesome!I have not finished it yet but it has I feel like I have a big big takeaway every time I finish a section and I’m always eager to come back and watch another section.Thank you,Avetik!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Wow!
Thanks a lot, too :)
You'll like the WWP, too!
silly cate
goated course, had some fun acting at my local otb :)
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :) Thanks!
Joe BB
Another amazing course by the amazing Avetik Grigoryan! I had loads of fun when I tried out the SLP gambit and managed to save some games!
It feels wrong to give this course five stars... when it deserves fifty!!
Thank you!
ChessMood
Hehe :)
I'll create a new task for developers, to have at least six :)
Thanks for your kind words, my friend! BTW, what's your rating and what's your SLP rating?
Joe BB
At the moment my rating is 1500 on chess.com and my SLP rating is 1150, but i'm sure it will improve with practice!
Manjula Palihawadana
Excellent
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks!
Joel Gargus
I haven't yet finished this, but I already think this is a great course. I undervalued the course because I already feel that I have a decent ability to save lost positions because of my love for attacks against the king. However, this course presents something unique besides the knowledge of how to play in lost positions. There is a psychological aspect that benefits ONLY ChessMood students.
That benefit is that when we are losing, we can now shift gears into “SLP” mode. That’s naturally what strong players do anyway, but the concept of “SLP” actually makes it easier to accept that the position is worse and still be in a good mood. Saving the lost position is no longer a chore that must be done just to save a point or rating losses, but with the existence of this course, ChessMood students now have sort of an “SLP Challenge”. I’m not sure I’m expressing my thoughts well, but the bottom line is that I think the course's primary benefit is that it gives ChessMood students a rallying cry to help keep the right mood, and if I've learned nothing else, I've learned that keeping the right mood is more important than anything else when it comes to chess success.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
SLP MODE! YES!
Right Mood - Right Move! :)
yogesh vishwakarma
Amazing course!
Thanks for thanks giving!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
You're welcome, my friend!
Jinam Kothari
This course helped me in a OTB game. I was down a pawn, however I went for my opponent’s king and he was forced to trade everything with me. It was an opposite-coloured bishop ending which I drew easily. Thank you so much!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great!
Sarthak Singhal
Thanku So much for this content Its so helpful!!
ChessMood
Thank you too!
Save games! That will be the best thanks :)
Duc Binh
This is so so good!! This website is the best thing I've found this year!!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Nice! :)
Marco Moura
Amazing course!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks!
Cycling chess
First of all , i feel shame on this lesson what a lesson to make me like stupid
After i learned until session 6 everythings was changed !! also today on my games .
I remember you words on session .
First trap is work , Second trap is work . until my game ^_^
What!! a game dirty chance Thanks all sir
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :)
Thanks, too!
Sri Vikhyath Jayanthi
I'm 1291 Fide (And 2200 Online On Lichess) And Knew Some of The Strategies Of SLP But I've learned so Much While Watching The Course And While Doing The Quizzes. I Recommend This Course To Anyone Below 2200 Online.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thank you very much!
Clearly you are underrated.
Looking forward to see you getting 2,000+ FIDE.
rafael torres
Great course. Thanks.
ChessMood
Thanks too :)
Rohit Keshari
This course is amazing. It shows you how to comeback from losing positions and it does warm up your tactics. That’s whY I watch this before going to tournaments.
ChessMood
Super!
Thanks a lot!
Francois Chevalier
Another teaching that comes out of the box offering great practical value!
Congratulation!!
ChessMood
Out of the box!
Exactly :)
Thanks a lot! :)
Rahul Babu
Great course!
ChessMood
Thanks, Rahul!
MR. F
Goodie Goodie!
ChessMood
Thankie Thankie! :)
Sandro Safar
I don't usually leave reviews, but this was an absolutely incredible course!
As a 2200 FIDE (and 2500 online) player, I knew a lot of these tricks, but I learned a ton and most of it was groundbreaking! It's been a long time since I learned something this powerful and I feel very happy :)
I can't wait to apply this in my games :D
ChessMood
Super!
Thanks for sharing this, Sandro.
Hopefully, you'll like the WWP course too :)
Kailas Goliwadekar
Good course. Nothing too complicated, most things I new earlier - consciously or intuitively. But still got some new tips and enjoyed examples. And in overall its very useful to check well structured material on such an important topic. I was about to put 5 stars until I watched the last section (at the current moment) about dirty tricks. Its really dirty, without quotes, to put piece en prise in hope to capture opponent's piece. Its debatable even in online chess, although now its almost cyber sport anyway. But OTB? To move a rook to another square in the last moment trying to fool opponent? And promoting that as a viable way to win the game? Sorry, but its a park chess. Real chess is not only about points got at any price.
Ilja Haitin
Good course. Nothing too complicated, most things I new earlier - consciously or intuitively. But still got some new tips and enjoyed examples. And in overall its very useful to check well structured material on such an important topic.
I was about to put 5 stars until I watched the last section (at the current moment) about dirty tricks. Its really dirty, without quotes, to put piece en prise in hope to capture opponent's piece. Its debatable even in online chess, although now its almost cyber sport anyway. But OTB? To move a rook to another square in the last moment trying to fool opponent? And promoting that as a viable way to win the game? Sorry, but its a park chess. Real chess is not only about points got at any price.
ChessMood
As Avetik super clearly stated, he was hesitating to add this. But he clearly said that it's his duty to show those tricks. And then you'll choose either you'll use them or not. Most of the top players use this. It's the last chance and all is ethical.
It was sad to see this comment...
Good luck!
N/A N/A
Very revealing
Leslie Smith
The SLP course is absolutely exceptional! Clear, logical, simple guidelines for how to approach a lost position. Having this is in your chess tool kit is a game changer. The examples are deeply instructional, just beautiful creative chess. But most importantly is that I have never seen any other chess course, book, or program even discuss SLP, this is a classic example of the high quality chess instruction that is provided by ChessMood. Combined with the SLP streams I feel my chess strength climbing! Very well done GM Avetik!
ChessMood
Thanks a lot, dear Leslie!
Akiba Rubinstein
Be careful!
After watching this course, you may want to reach lost positions more often... :D
In a nutshell: The course is full of practical tips on how to deal with lost positions. I was already familiar with most of them, but this is a nice refresher. Recommended and eagerly waiting for the next sections!
ChessMood
Hahaha :) :)
Thanks a lot! :)
Marius Cornee
This course subject shows the great pedagogic skills of the GM Avetik Grigoryan who found an essential general weak points of every player from every level, that no other coach (to my humble knowledge) has never talked about: great course. This is very handy also to train the attacking skills and allows you to treat any future loosing positions with a smile and a good mindset.
ChessMood
Thank you very much, Marius!
Sankar Anbazhagan
It helped me a lot with my games
ChessMood
Send us 1 cake for every saved game :)
Ovi - Silver Cloud
Excellent lessons regarding play when losing. Its one of the many areas Chessmood covers to help fill in deficiencies in one's game knowledge.
Avetik is a GM in coaching for sure.
Thank you!
GM Avetik Grigoryan
After having a successful playing career where he became the Armenian Champion in 2010, GM Avetik Grigoryan found his passion for chess coaching and switched to it full-time.
Since then, he has guided many ambitious players to become Grandmasters and International Masters and has over 10 years of coaching experience.
He believes anyone can improve at chess, with the right mood and proper direction. And with that vision, he founded ChessMood in 2018.
After having a successful playing career where he became the Armenian Champion in 2010, GM Avetik Grigoryan found his passion for chess coaching and switched to it full-time.
Since then, he has guided many ambitious players to become Grandmasters and International Masters and has over 10 years of coaching experience.
He believes anyone can improve at chess, with the right mood and proper direction. And with that vision, he founded ChessMood in 2018.
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Course
99
Episodes
111
Quizzes & Trainings
3
Attachments
4 hours 29 min
99
111
3
4 hours 29 min
Creators
GM Avetik Grigoryan
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