Chess forum by Grandmasters

Evaluate this pawn endgame

I thought I am winning as white. But share your evaluation and also the reason.

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231 chess players saw it. No one knows pawn endgames?

I was just wondering about high quality discussion.

You expect to share my opinion why this position is equal but dont share your opinion why its winning.

Dont get my wrong, i am very interested about this type of conversation but the starting post is not about high quality posting.

I think I would be very happy if I were white in this position. Maybe I am wrong but that is my instinct. I feel the idea of creating a passed pawn on the h-file is always a problem for black. I will only try to be careful with the pawn pushes. But I only see white winning or drawing this position. 

Ιf both kings come to the centre,it can be easier for white to make a passed pawn on the queenside with the help of the king. On the other hand, black should be slower in the making of a passed pawn, as they just doubled their pawns on the f file.

Daily Puzzles

Hello ????!!!

I really enjoy ☺️ solving the daily puzzles! They are very difficult but fun ???? I want more like ???? the daily puzzles!!! So, where does ChessMood get the daily puzzles from? I would love to solve more similar puzzles ???? ???? 

Thank you!

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Sorry for all the random question marks, they were meant to be emojis which for some reason came out as question marks :(

Caro Kann - what line is best after Qb6?

Hi Coach!  In the course, the recommendation is Qxb6 but I am not sure about that if black does not play e5.  But in the section "model games - the endgame" Na3 is preferred.  But even there, it seems to me that black does not need to drop the N back passively but can play Nc4.  What line should we use?

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Scotch: "Our Attack Comes Sooner " Avetik ---- Ho Hum ?!

My record at Rapid with the Chess mood White repertoire is rather good. For example Grand Prix attack 7 wins 1 loss. It was particularly good with the Scotch game but with some scary open 'knife fight ' type games. However, I've just lost a couple of games where my h&g pawn  push from the f3 spring got blocked and my opponent crashed through on the queens side after his own pawn push.

For example :-- e4 e5 : Nf3 Nc6 : d4 exd  ; Nxd4 Nxd4 ( happens so often ) : Qxd4 c5 ? : Qe3 a6 : Nc3 b5 : Bd2 Bb7 : 0--0--0 Ne7 ?  I saw but refrained from Qxc5 as it would open the c file and he had Rc8 and the black bishop was going to jump out as well . I tried to push on the K-side with f4 as f3 g4 etc seemed slow now. He played Nc6 and and he fianchettoed his bishop  to g7 and the Q came to b6 etc . His knight anchored on d4 and he was having all the fun !! 

So with the Queen on e3 blocking the d2 bishop and the f1 bishop not doing much and so many moves to pawn roll on the K-side it seems Black is doing well ? I need some ideas, as my confidence in this Qe3 and quick queen side development has been hit..................... 

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Fwiw I play Qd3 in this line often followed by be3/f4 for this reason.

Simul v Anand

Guys, you're not gonna believe this! ChessMood openings rock!!!! I just played a simul  against Vishy Anand on chess24, 30 + 30, scotch opening, definitely lots of bad mistakes from me and I missed loads of stuff (12.Ra3 was poor), but the opening just gave such a huge attack!  I think Anand was having difficulty with his connection and the Chess24 interface, and he said afterwards that he was struggling to concentrate.   This was the game: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.h4 f6 9.c4 Ba6 10.Rh3 fxe5 11.Bg5 Nf6 12.Ra3 Bb7 13.Rb3 0-0-0 14.Nc3 Qe6 15.Rd1 Bc5 16.Na4 Qe7 17.Qd2 Bb6 18.c5 Bxc5 19.Nxc5 Qxc5 20.Be3 Qd5 21.Qb4 c5 22.Qa4 Qc6 23.Bb5 Qe6 24.Bxc5 a6 25.Bd6 axb5 26.Qxb5 Qxb3 27.Qxb3 cxd6 28.Rxd6 Bc6 29.Qb6 Ne8 30.Rd3 Nc7 31.Rb3 1-0

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Wow this is sensational! This just showcases how rock solid the analysis given in chessmood is. Even if you lose your way the understanding of what you should do is taught very well. Congratulations Nigel! This is every chess fans dream!

La fantastica!!! 

I am adding your game to this post for easy viewing:

Pirc PGN is wrong

In the video course for Pirc when I went to download PGN it was the wrong one (Scandinavian).  Can you guys correct it please?

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@Anthony_Norris

I just downloaded the pgn file from "Crushing the Pirc" and it is the "pirc pgn" not the Scandinavian. Are you sure of what you said? Because no one corrected anything from our part and I am downloading the file 916-75.pgn which is the one for the Pirc... Please, kindly check it again...

2021 Superbet Chess Classic (Useful pgn)

https://grandchesstour.org/2021-grand-chess-tour/2021-superbet-chess-classic

I was following this event and watched live commentary. From which I selected model games and also made tests based on it. Tomorrow I will upload a pgn which is based on tests+ full games .  So those who wants to test their skills can download it tomorrow and check your calculation as well as instincts and endgames and tactical abilities. Thanks and good luck in your chess.

You should open tests first then go to the game. So it will be easy for you to answer the tests well. I used chess.com's commented games as reference and also chess.com commented those games which were famous and also amazing during event. So all games are not gonna be commented but still the tests will test your overall skills. 

Good luck!

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Thank you very much @Abhi_yadav! I will be looking forward to it! I have not been following this tournament, it will be a nice way to catch up with it!

Finally I made it. It's my 4 hours or work. It includes more than 100 positions which can test you calculation, tactical, endgame, decision making skills. Good luck . Soon more contents like this will come so you guys will be up to date with events.

This is the pgn made by @Abhi_yadav

Thanks to his efforts!!!

I am glad to have such a training partner!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jx3PKwIJVZl3XSOV3YoNDTj7vHcbEBWW/view?usp=sharing

Try opening this

Access is open for all

Great idea. Thank you Abhi.

2021 Women Grand Prix - Gibraltar!

Inspired by Abhi's Idea, I am also making a pgn of most critical moments (tests) of this tournament

Will be posted by 18 June!!

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Cool, Thanks

I am sending part 1 which contains 50 tests!

More will come soon

Till then, happy Chessing!!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GcxNsbwOZlt3q7zvfz7deYcowDbMNkjl/view?usp=sharing

Grand prix 2...d6, 6...e6 7.d4!? - What about 11...Bd7?

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Hi @Pan_Zvukar! This is a good question. Can you please post your game, it can only help to see where you went wrong and we all can learn from it...

Here black is mostly trying to have some advancement on the queenside. White's main idea is smth like Qe1 and Rad1. Bd7 is bit slow up to me and playing the moves we usually do seems good up to me. Qe1 can soon go to the kingside. As well rook on d1 makes pressure on the d6 pawn.

Scandinavian 3.Nf3 g6

What would be the recommendation for White from ChessMood? Nigel Davies, in his Grunfeld book recommends to 1.Nf3, 1...g6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5.

Thanks in Advance!

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1... c5 would bypass that if you wanted to stay within the repertoire.

I checked it out. nothing special for black up to me. Nc3 followed by d4 and regular development for these structures seems to be good for me. 

Rossolimo 5.c3 - d4 line question

Hello, played a recent game in this line and got bad position after Be3. Nbd2 is analised in the course but how to proceed as black if white plays first Be3, then Nbd2. Txs

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I tried forcing the issue once with 10...Rb8 11. Qc1 Qb6 12. b3 Qa5 followed by exchanges on c5, b3 and a1. Both sides have to tiptoe a bit to come out of that resulting position in one piece, as black could accidentally cede the entire queenside with 1 inaccuracy, while white could accidentally allow the c8 bishop to become a menacing force with 1 inaccuracy. 

Alternatively, 10...c4 has been tried in online settings. Black will most likely drop a pawn if white really tries to disfigure the black pawns near the center, but in exchange, they will take near full light square control over the board, and promising prospects at delivering a "fast and furious" around g2. 

10...Qb6 as played by Dubov against Caruana in Wijk Aan Zee 2020. Dubov got a extremely pleasant position after the exchange of Queens. Hope it helps

With Regards.

Hello,

I do like idea with Qb6 which I analyzed recently,  but taking on d4 firstly. Than when white plays b3 at some spot a5-a4 looks good to me.

Grand Prix move order 2..e6 with 3..a6, b5, Bb7, d5

Hi,

Either I can't find it in the course or it's move order stuff, but what to do in this grand-prix line for white:

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.f4 a6 4.Nf3 b5 with Bb7 and d5 coming next.

Some guy been playing this against me, I seem to recall against early a6,b5 the nice plan with g3-Bg2,Nh3 waiting for d5, but in this situation f4 is already made, so suggestions please. Txs

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on which move? Do you mean play 4.g3 (but isnt 4.Nf3 recommended here in course?), Bg2 then Nh3? But in this move order black can switch again and play d5 or smth, now I'm really confused :D

yes, that would go to Nh3 line, if black played 2..a6, but first they move order us with 2..e6 to play 3.f4 and compared to Nh3 line there is no f4 yet

Maybe you can go 5.d3!? If black does d5 then probably ed5 ed5 g3 and Bg2 and now white bishop on g2 has some good diagonal. As there is no pawn e6 blocking the whole diagonal someday we can go c4 opening the full diagonal and if black plays something like 5...Bb7 then 6.g4!? An idea which is shown in modle games section. If 5...b4 then I think Nb1 is fine the Knight goes to d2 and maybe in the future to c4 if possible I hope it helps... Regards.

Paulis, you can f4 slots into the g3 systems as well. Essentially don't play Nh3 unless they do a early b5. Instead you follow up with Nf3 etc.

Yhe only time the Knight wants to go to h3 is when they have played a early b5, this is to allow the g2 Boishop to control e4 and the long diagonal.

See section 7 of the a6 anti sicillain course, where avetik plays a g3,f4,h3 followed by Nf3 type system if I recall as a model game.

I do think a short 30 min video or something on various move order tricks etc would help because a lot of moves transpose and you can end up in the wrong lines quite easily.

This is in the recording pipeline. Avetik is on it.

Anti-sicilian g6 - new novelty ????

In the line 1. e5 c5 2. Nc3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. e5 Nc6 7. Qa4

it was mentioned that the opponent has to play the regressive 7... Ng8, as Nh5 invites 8. g4.

Not to be outdone, in a 15 minute game my 2200 opponent comes up with the novelty 7... Ng4

:facepalm:

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Yes but after 7. ... Ng4 we can take the black knight, and where is black's compensation?

Today is not April 1st right?

You are so lucky @David_Flynn, this never happens to me! ;-)

Practicing The Openings

I often ask myself if I am doing things correctly. And, I want others' opinions. What is the tool you use to practice any opening thorougly? 

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we just play them so much online and on every weekend try to revise atleast one opening. So in the end of one month you can easily revise 4 openings!

Make your OWN pgns, add comments if you need, like we show in the blog. Then practice and analyze (seeing where you deviated), practice and analyze. This is the way to understand an opening, not to replay the same lines several times without understanding it, read the blog post regarding these topics, it can only help...

GP vs 2...d6, 8...e6 line, does Black have 10...d5?

Hello!

I am not sure whether this has already been discussed in the forum, but I have been looking at the position in the 2...d6 GP, 8...e6 line after 9.e5 Ne8 10.Be3. Is it possible for Black to play 10...d5? It is quite forcing as there is a fork on d4 coming, and I am not sure about White's position after 11.Bxc5 dxc4 12.Qc7, where SF13 gives Black big advantage up to depth 30.

Does White have enough compensation for the piece/exchange (in case of Bxf8)?

Thanks!!

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OK, I just found the answer in the Advanced Section. Apologies for the confusion...

Altough you answered yourself, you still deserve the "best answer" mark, lol!

Attack on King in Benko?

Hey, champions! 
Usually, in Benko, we put a positional pressure on the Queenside no? 
Just found a cool game, where you attack the king! 
Check out:

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=FbPJtAyqqNJhbJttLDcJRtaZNjCoj5iO12IT16FaKxXHAwrT7/fkRPnvccsZWmV5 

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Good one my friend, with my dear move Rb4, I will remember this one!

Closed Sicilian 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.f4 Nc6 4.Nf3 a6

In the line 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.f4 Nc6 4.Nf3 a6 i don't see where they covered it. But I could just missed it(in that case I'll have to rewatch). It's a common line where we can't play Nh3. Did I miss that section or are they adding one and if not what should I play against it? Also I'm new to this forum thing so if I did anything wrong with the title or whatever just tell me.

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As White we play 5.d3, d5 and transpose into our lines after 3.f4, d5, 4.Nf3, a6, 5.d3, Nc6, where we can continue with 6.g3 or 6.g4

Matthaus, it's a good question. 
You can still play with Nh3. The only difference is that you can't take on d5, and play Nf4, as the pawn is on f4. However, the positions are still very fighting. 
In the future, will add more in the advanced sections. 

Can you explain a good solution!

Hello!

Yesterday i played against 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Bd3 Nf6 4 e5 Ne4

What is your recomendations for White? 

https://lichess.org/V5o3bmOKtfES

Best Regards Erik Näckholm 

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I think Ne4 is a dubious move, as N can be easily trapped on e4. Maybe Nh3 with idea f3 next? as we cannot play immediate f3 cause of Qh4

There are 2 good variations against Ne4!?, which both give white around +1,4 advantage. 

4. ... Ne4!? 5. Nh3 h6 6. 0-0 c5 7. c3 Nc6 8. Be3 Be7 9. Qg4 g6 10. Nf4 

4. ... Ne4!? 5. Ne2 c5 6. c3 cxd4 7. cxd4 f5 8. a3 Be7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. f3 

Hello Erik

see this thread,  including an answer from GM Avetik

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/french-3-bd3-nf6

Hezhog

Any new ideas after you found a4!

Because I do like this system as black.

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It's a problematic position for Black. 

I think that in this position even if anyone finds any improvement the plans for black [ d5, b5 breaks (and Fischer's famous Kh8 Rg8 g5! if possible)] and the passive situation will not change. Though I am not telling this that this is bad, its very complicated ( and sharp, if you don't believe see the famous Karpov- Ulf Andersson 1975)  and demands accuracy from both sides.

What is your recomendations?

Hi!

Something strange move order for black early. I have only seen it later in videos here?

1 e4 d6 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Bc4 c6 4 d3 d5

https://lichess.org/6S7CgbKQo5QV

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Erik, with 2.Nc3 you choose to go for the Grand Prix Attack against the Pirc. With 3.Bc4 you deviate from the chessmood recommendation, therefore, you should follow-up with 3.f4 and only after 3…g6 play Bc4 

Apart from the chessmood's recommendation, which is the best answer ro Pirc, you can get a very sharp position with the Austrian attack. 1. e4 d6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. d4 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 then you can put your bishops on the "e" file, play e5, go for long castling and if your opponent takes on e5, you take with the "f" pawn, opening up the "f" file and prepare a kingside pawn push after Rdf1. But this is the second recommendation. Gran prix works better, but I have the Austrian as a second choice.