Chess forum by Grandmasters

what to do if you can create a crushing attack but cannot finish off the game

I always create a crushing attack , but cannot find a way to finish off the game and think too much , get in time trouble and lose. Need some advice

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There are two reasons an attack is ineffective:

1.Your attack is simply not strong enough. Perhaps not enough pieces are involved, too many trades have occurred, or your opponent has too much counterplay. Timing of an attack is also important, as king safety and strong development are necessary preconditions. Remember that the ideal attack has many involved pieces with open lines, with pawns acting as battling rams out in front. I'm sure chessmood has many courses that can help you in this regard.

2.Your attack is strong enough, but you are unable to find the decisive blow. This is the aspect that I struggle with the most. Sometimes your pieces seems perfectly placed, but the final win is too elusive. The only solution is to practice tactics. Familiarizing yourself with puzzle themes and mating patterns will help you spot the invisible wins.

Hope this helps!  - Jake

Maroczy with g3, section 8

Dear CM coach and members, is really Ne4 not possible? 

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 O-O 8. O-O Qa5 9. Nb3 Qh5 10. Nd5 d6 11. Nf4 Qf5 12. Bd2 Ne4 13. g4 Qe5 *

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Hello,

After 12…Ne4 13.g4? is not a good move, as that just weakens the Kingside. White can play Be3 as a pawn on b2 and can't be captured because of Qc2 or Qb1 for white.

Good luck!

Pasini variation against Modern Pirc

Hi Chessmood,

I recently played a game against a friend and he played 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 a6 5.g4!? Nd7 6.h4 c5. How should I have responded against this setup with …Nd7 and …c5?

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Hello,

In the given position I like the development with Qd2 followed by 0-0-0 and playing on the Kingside.

Good luck!

Focusing on only 1 game or not?

I just started reading “Learning how to Learn” by Barbara Oakley, and at the very start of the second chapter (the first one being an introduction), she talks about 13 year-old Magnus getting up from the board during his match against Kasparov (Reykjavik Rapid, 2004) which ended up being a draw. Oakley uses this story as a way to explain sometimes you focus too hard on, eg a math problem, and end up missing the big picture and therefore you don’t get the solution. Similarly, Oakley describes that Magnus needed a little break so he can focus better, the moral being sometimes you need to focus less to be a better learner.

However, Avetik recommends in his Blunderproof course to only focus on your game so that you blunder less and don’t think about other games. Since the event Magnus - Kasparov played was called the Reykjavik Rapid, I would assume it wasn‘t too long a game but I could be wrong. So now I am very curious: do you think we should take mini “breaks”, or should we listen to Avetik because trying to not blunder is much more important to us than Magnus?

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What I got from it was not to spend time looking at others' games. Walking away for a break (especially after a lot of analysis) or because you have the position in your head and are still thinking is fine. Some juniors also can't concentrate for too long (and much to the annoyance of everyone else constantly walk about when the floor is squeaky).

The only good exception I can think of is a team event when you need to know if a draw will be sufficient to win the match, and usually I just do a simple evaluation like in the scale course. (Well in one case I had to keep an eye on how another game was progressing to not spend too long in order to get a lift home).

New success story: Over 500 points in 1 year - The adult chess improver looking to do the improbable!

Hello champions!?

Recently, we interviewed an adult chess improver from our family who raised 500 points in 1 year!

He’s one of our earliest Pro members and you might have heard of him. His name – Jay Garrison.
During our conversation, Jay generously shared the approach and strategies that helped him raise over 500 rating points!
He talks about:

✅The different parts of the game he focussed on to build his core chess strength.

✅A secret hack he uses to keep the right mood!

✅An advice he would give to someone who has limited time to study.

As a bonus, we also threw some rapid-fire questions at Jay and got some interesting answers…?? 

Hopefully through his story, you’ll pick up some useful ideas to implement in your chess improvement journey!

You can check out the complete interview here ?

https://chessmood.com/feedback/jay-garrison-adult-chess-improver

Here on this forum thread, you can drop your questions and congraluatory messages to Jay!

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Congratulations Jay.

Hi from Italy, conratulation Jay, it's amazing! I must ask you a couple of questions. 1) Why you new account started from 1641 and not from 1500? 2) You was 1641 Blitz Lichess sept 30 2020 and only 16 day after (Oct 16 2020) you reached 1905! Great! That is the bigger part of your growth, since now you are 1955. From october 2020 to april 2021 you remained about at 1900 and from feb to april 2021 you made another growth (to 2033). In the third period (from April 2021 to in september 2021) your rating arised not so fast but constantly and you reached your maximum, 2088 (sept 24 2021). May you tell us anything about your training during this 3 periods of your amazing growth? Thank you! Giulio pet 24 2021)

Hi Jay, I'm Alessio. Congratulations for your success! I would ask you a couple of questions because I'm following the road of improvement and I would know your perspective about some topic. 1-How many hours spend on chess weekly? Because I spend 8 hours of chess weekly and I feel that the improvement is very slow..but I think it's normal relate to my chess programme. (I'm following the instructions of chessmood coach so the quality is very good) 2-how do you manage breaks from chess? Do you feel sometimes tired because you work a lot during a week? What do you do? This is my main problem because in my job I use always my mind and Sometimes I don't have energy to manage a chess workout! I need to divide the hours and set priorities. Thank for your future feedbacks!!

Good stuff Jay! I'm glad your hard work is paying off. One thing I was wondering is how often are you having sessions with your coach? cheers, Peter

Wow Jay, you really are a dedicated adult improver! I am humbled by your single minded dedication to achieving your chess aims , and I wish you good luck. Can you let us know how you use the chessmood materials (apart from creating your opening pgn files). For instance do you join the events, repeat study materials such as classic games/tactics etc? Or are you now concentrating more on homework from your coach?

Great job Jay???

Jay, Congrats on your progress/success so far. Keep up the consistent effective work!!! I will be following your journey. What are you doing non-chess? Especially books. Bret

Hi Jay, Yours is a very inspirational success story for us adult improvers just starting out on a serious path of chess improvement! Please let me pick your brain a bit about the details of your pgn mangement: what tools do you use to create/edit them, how do you review/drill the openings (personal chessable course made from your pgns, chess tempo opening trainer, flashcards, something else?), how do you organize the pgns themselves (one massive file for white & one for black, or per opening? Do you use pgn tools to merge/split them in order to create chessable courses?) If you could give an overview of all the tools you're found the most helpful, that would be great!

Some of the advice is gold:

 ‘You just got to get 1% better every day. Trust the process.’

 Thanks for the interview!

Training partner

is anyone here from Philippines? reply here i want someone to be my trainin partner 

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New article: How to Use ChatGPT to Improve Your Chess

Hello champions,

Can you use ChatGPT to improve your chess?
From where does ChatGPT get its information?
What are the dangers and how can it lead you in the wrong direction?

Discover the answers and enjoy some amusing stories in today's article⤵️

https://chessmood.com/blog/ChatGPT-chess

Feel free to share your thoughts on this topic under this forum thread.

Replies

Hi Avo,

What an excellent article!

I'm a blogger and I know only too well the power of ChatGPT and its impact on internet articles.  It is brilliant … at regurgitating what others have already written.  There are no original thoughts, no shared wisdom from experience gained over the years, no humour, no emotion, just an ‘average’ article produced very, very quickly and cheaply.  

Sadly, for many websites that is exactly what they want - it is good enough for Google and good enough to attract customers to the website.  And that is how they make their money.

I'm glad that there are still people who write based on their own skills and experiences - keep producing great content Avo!

Dear GM Avetik, 

Nice article! 

ChatGPT is not intelligent, it is a plagiarism/BS machine. “Artificial intelligence” may be a good aspiration, but we are far from it. 

I asked ChatGPT a basic physics question a few months ago: 

“A boat is floating in a bath tub. A stone is in the boat. The stone is gently transferred from the boat to the bottom of the bath tub. Does the water level in the bath tub go up, go down, or stay the same? Explain.”

ChatGPT gave a correct answer, with a very poor explanation. I told it that its answer was incorrect and to try again. It said sorry, here is a correct answer now, and changed its answer from a correct one to an incorrect one. I said OK, now your answer is correct but your explanation can be improved. It replied with a different incorrect explanation. 

So yes, there is no intelligence there, just a BS machine that plagiarizes from all over the internet. There are documented examples of it getting even basic, factual information incorrect, so I don't think it should be trusted even for basic facts. Because it just trawls the internet for the most common phrases, in topics for which disinformation or misinformation is common, incorrect facts are likely to be returned in ChatGPT queries. The potential consequences are frightening.

Simple proof is ask the moves of a well known opening, often you'll get something else. It's not just consuming untrustworthy data, there isn't enough reinforcement in the amount of chess information freely available on the net. If it could consume all the books by grandmasters I suspect it would be more accurate and right more often.

Excellent article Avo, sure sounds like it wasn't written by a machine…

The poem is a primitive attempt to mash together some Asimov and some rhymes.

This is still infant AI. If it starts learning at a exponential pace, it could become dangerous in a decade or less. Consciousness awakening might be in the mix also!

This is fun article. Clearly ChatGPT is not a chess master. Take it from a literature teacher, it's not a poet either. :) 

New article - 9 Rules You NEED to Know to Win Won Games

“I was so close to winning…” has left many chess players frustrated.
You play a nice game. You get a big advantage. 
But still, you don’t win.
It doesn’t have to be this way.

There are specific Must-Know rules every Grandmaster uses to convert more winning positions than an average player.

They’re easy to apply in practice once you know them.

GM Avetik has shared 9 such rules in today’s article👇
https://chessmood.com/blog/win-won-games

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Kinder Surprise Variation

hi everyone , I have just finished the section 4 of the french attack and in my opinion the move 4...,Ng8 is very interesting and surprising  ; GM Avo named it “The kinder surprise variation”…

what do you think if it named …..may be…

 “The wild horse Variation” ?

Replies

Hi Riccardo! 
Well actually Avo named it kinder surprise already, but it was not a new variation completely. It had been played in the past too by some strong GMs, still the name you propose it's a good one, but in English it should be: The wild knight variation… 😁

Mating Matador quiz problems

Hello, 
Section 22, Greco's mate quizzes aren't working!

and many sections afterward as well! 

Replies

Yes, I confirm that I'm having the same problem.

Checking this.😀

Hi guys, thanks for letting us know!
We are working on!

CB17 & Engines...

Does anybody have had problems with infinite analysis when an engine (Stockfish or other) works in the background of CB17 ?

when firing the engine the chessboard becomes frozen and it's impossible to move any piece or pawn.

My sofware is out of use now since many weeks and the different tries I have made have not solved the problem. CB's staff contacted has not offered great help ?!

Many thanks to anyone having an idea 

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Scotch Game

In the 8.a5 line after c4 instead of Ba6 what if black plays Nb6? Any suggestions Chessmood team members

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In the section about 4.Nf6.

Pawn protection for king - escape square or not?

Hi all,

I'm a little confused (an increasingly common state since starting to play chess!) and would appreciate some feedback.

Imagine a typical scenario where you have castled kingside and your king is protected by the 3 pawns on f2, g2, and h2.  Should you, or should you not, have an escape square (eg moving h2 to h3)?

Some people recommend making the escape square as an essential part of the casting process.  Others say that as soon as you move one of the pawns you weaken the defence and so you shouldn't do it.

What do you do, and why?

Replies

Hi! 😃

Usually, when both sides are castled on the same side it's fine to move one of the pawn the h or a pawn to create a escape square for your king. However, if you are castled short and your opponent castled long, moving the pawns will create a target for your opponents attack. Additionally, remember activating your pieces is usually more important than pushing some random pawn on the king-side. 

It depends :)

If your opponent is threatening back rank mate, better do it. But if he has many pieces that can easily target your king… Try not to do it, BUT, if your king is in danger that can be removed by pushing pawns than it is ok. By the way, have you watched this? https://chessmood.com/course/spartan-shield Watch it if you want to understand it better, and choose what to do depending on your playing style. It would be different for every position.

I wholeheartedly agree with all of the other posts thusfar. Here's a way to think about the pros and cons of playing a move like h3:

Hints you SHOULD play h3:  it's the most reasonable way to defend back rank mate;  An opponent's piece on g4 could be deadly;  You really don't want your Nf3 pinned because that would weaken d4/e5;  You are considering playing g4 and attacking in front of your king (risky);  Your Bf4 could escape to h2;  Your Nf3 could redirect itself with Nf3-h2-g5;  An endgame is approaching and space is more important than time

Hints you SHOULD NOT play h3:  there are ways that develop pieces that also deal with the back rank threats;  Your opponent has castled queenside or is otherwise threatening a pawn storm;  Taking a piece with hxg5 would be ill-advised because the h-file would open (think Fishing Pole trap perhaps, if you're familiar);  You are only playing it because you lack a productive plan;  Two of your opponent's pieces are attacking h3 and threatening a sacrifice;  You lack a pawn on f2 and would be weakening g3

That got a lot longer than I intended, probably because I've wondered the same thing before. Obviously the answer depends on the specific position, but playing h3 should be secondary to piece development and not automatic at all.

It depends. 

If you have seen some of the ChessMood courses, you will see that it is a commonly repeated theme for the queenside-castled king to attack the king-side castled king. doing for example h3 (h6 for black) will only help your opponent force g5 through, opening lines. I recommend keeping your structure intact as much as possible when it is an opposite side-castled middlegame. 

On the other hand, If you have to kick out some unpleasant knight or other piece that is chilling on g5 feel free to do so (Although think about it first as you will be weakening your position a bit!)

If it is same-sided castling then it is possible to do such moves as h3 (h6) and nearing the endgame, often essential to survive back-rank ideas! But always keep in mind that freeing the king also makes it a bit more open and think about whether such moves are really worth it or not in the position.

Cheers, 

Ashwin

Most of the time it is up to your opponent's castling.

1. h3 - Sometimes you may have castled earlier than your opponent. If this is the case, then don't play h3. It will help your opponent to open lines by g7-g5-g4. Same is the case when castle on opposite flanks. Never play h3/g3 in this case as he can bring the rooks and open the files. It might also weaken your kingside. But remember, if the opponent has castled on the same side, then feel free to play h3 as a prophylactic move to remove a minor piece from g4. It is most of the time useful.
2. g3 - Play this only when you want your light-squared bishop to control h1-a8 diagonal from g2. Never exchange the bishop or else it will weaken your kingside.

Remember, you can always use these moves to prevent back rank mate.
But always think if you really need to move the pawns in front of king. Later the pawns can be moved to create a zugzwang in the endgame.

Thanks,
Naman

Moodcoins

I have a suggestion why don't you start doing the weekly tournaments on chess.com and reward moodcoins as the prize

Replies

We used to do weekly tournaments for years on chesscom where the prizes were similar to the monthly games, but we are not doing them at the moment. We will maybe do them again, thanks for your suggestion! 😀

Recommendation against 1. b4

Hello chess friends ! What would be the ChessMood setup recommendation against first move 1. b4  

Thanks a lot for your advices !

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Hello Haik, in another thread chessmood odysseus gave the following answer to your question:

“We will occasionally do a short course on b4 probably in the near future, but do not worry about b4, it is not a good move, just play healthy moves in the center. Personally the only thing I used in my games has been e5, Bxb4, Nc6 winning a tempo on the Bishop that will take e5  and that's it. Healthy development after that. No need to know more since you will almost never face this, and even if you face this opening, having a good center will give you a good game.”

This has worked very well for me and I hope you find it useful, too.

I think black has to be a bit careful and accurate in the e5-main (b4 e5 Bb2 Bxb4 Bxe5 Nf6 “etc”, many branches here) because, after all, white does obtain a central pawn for a wing pawn in this line, though at the cost of a lot of time..

Obviously there are no theoretical problems for black in that line, but I can understand the hesitation. Personally, I've had success with the main, but also with b4 e5 Bb2 e4(!?) and b4 c6 Bb2 a5 :D

It seems you have found some effective methods to fight 1.b4. I also like the setup with e5, Bxb4, Nf6, and eventually d5 and Nc6. Here's a win I just got against this questionable opening using this method:

https://www.chess.com/live/game/102271431937

Some of my play was questionable, but not more so than my opponent's first move!

Few questions from the bishop pair course

Hello everyone,

Thanks as always for the great courses on ChessMood :D. I just have a few questions after finishing the bishop pair course. Number one, what happens if I don't have the bishop pair and I try to trade one pair of bishops, but the opponent just continues to refuse? Isn't there no way for me to do anything? Number two, how should I judge if the bishop pair is stronger than the pawn or other pieces in a game? In a practical game, giving up the queen for the two bishops is hard to make unless there is a concrete reason that I can see why it is better for me.  

Thanks in advance :D

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Dear H. L.

The question is a little bit too generic and makes it hard to provide an accurate answer, can you please post the positions where you got these questions so it's easier to answer.

Error on Quiz Tacting Ninja - Blocking

Colors are switched. Qxa6 then it should be white to move. Nf5 blocking the f6 pawn and winning the queen or mate. SF says white is +8 here, there is no black to move to save the day. :)

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Thank you :)
Yes, should be white's move :)

Fixed!

Error on New Training Position

Hello, on this puzzle why Qf8+ fail? Both Qf8+ and Qe8 are mate in 2.

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Thank you!
Fixed!

tactic-ninja[Section 2]

https://chessmood.com/course/tactic-ninja/episode/2960/2189

It's possible to play Qd6 and get the same result as Qd3, but the exercise marks it as incorrect. ☹️

Replies

We have over 10,000 quizzes on the website, and we're adding hundreds of new. We try to be as careful as possible, but there is still the human factor… 

Thanks for sharing the link and details with us, much appreciated! 😀

Hi Jose :) Thanks for your help!
Fixed! 

I need help with chess:)

Hello my friends, I am an average chess player (1500) from Egypt, and I need some advice to reach a rating of 2000. I need (a strong opening for white and another for black) and some advice from the masters

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Hi Abdalla,

Have you had a look at the various ChessMood courses?  The main menu is here: https://chessmood.com/courses

In particular, you may wish to look at the Simplified ChessMood Openings section if openings are where you want to focus (these are for Elo levels between 800-1800): https://chessmood.com/courses?scrollTo=#simplified-chessmood-openings-for-800-2000-level  there is also an advanced section (for 1800-2600 Elo) for both white https://chessmood.com/courses?scrollTo=#step-by-step-opening-repertoire-for-white and black  https://chessmood.com/courses?scrollTo=#step-by-step-opening-repertoire-for-black .

Note that the courses are all currently unlocked to celebrate the 6th birthday of ChessMood so … take a look now, for free, to see which courses appeal to you.

Hope that helps.

Everything is explained here:

https://chessmood.com/chess-study-plans

Read carefully, it is full of advice.😀