Pfeiffer G v Smyslov V - Classical Endgames

Is it me or did Smyslov blunder in this endgame?

It appears to me that after 43. Ka1 the best move was 43...Nxc2+ with a completely winning endgame.

But instead, he played 43...Kf6 and white can just take the N on d4.  After 44.  Nxd4 I can't see anything for black and white looks like he has excellent chances to win this endgame a piece up.  44. Re1 played in the game doesn't present a challenge.

Is it possible that the notation in the game is wrong and that white actually played 43. Ka2.  This would make more sense because then Smylov would have had Nc3+ winning the Rook after Nxd4.
I think this is more likely than Smyslov simply blundering a piece.
What do you think?

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I checked this in the database and it appears that Smyslov played Kf6, allowing Nxd4 but we do not know the time left on the game, maybe Pfeiffer was struggling with the time or both of them... But yes it appears as a blunder, after all even World Champions blunder from time to time...

From Avetik regarding this>

Ah... N2a3 was played in the game, not N4a3 So the Nc2 should have been on c4 Sorry about that guys, will fix it soon.

Overlap between lessons here and youtube Daily Lesson with a Grandmaster?

Looks like there is a lot of overlap between these two learning resources. 

It would be a big help of time saving to list what's covered in youtube "Daily lesson with a GM", but not covered here. Thanks!

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It would be nice just to be able to access them from here, but evidently there is a problem linking the website courses list with Youtube

Another nice thing would be able to list them by topic category if you want to study the same area across multiple daily lesson. As the number gets large it gets unwieldy.

After solving some technical questions, we'll bring them to ChessMood and they'll be available only to PRO Members. 

Caro Kann course doubt

In the main section, after 7...Qb6 the course analyses quite deeply 8.h3 with Na3 following - white gets a good position after 10...e5.  But instead of 10...e5 it seems to me that Kd7 is absolutely fine, and a game I just played went this way with no advantage for white.  In the model games section, however, Coach says he prefers 8.Na3 to h3 so I am trying to decide whether I change my Chessable database line.  In that model game, though, Coach says that black cannot go 11...Na5 because of 12.b4, but I see nothing wrong with 12.b4 Nc4.  Also, in this line, instead of 10...Be7 it seems to me that 10...Bh5 is better.   What should be the ChessMood repertoire line be after 8...Qc6?

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Nigel, glad to see that you are active again in the forum, we were missing you lately... As for this variation, can you write exactly the lines that you are refering to? Because it seems to me that you are mixing a bit the moves... Thanks and looking forward to your reply... By the way @Nigel_Fleming did you win against Anand again, or it was just a one time thing?

Just for our newer members that may not have seen it> Nigel's post with his game against Anand with the Scotch: https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/simul-v-anand

Nigel I didn't understand well the question, the lines were mixed... 
After some experience with this variation, I highly recommend 8.Na3. 
There are model games added to the course. 

Alekhine 4...dxe5

Coach, any plans to expand the Alekhine course to cover 4...dxe5?   Hope so!  I have a friend who plays it against me and it is quite a tough line to crack!

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There is no large advantage to be had there for White in the 4...dxe5 line, it's very solid and you will need to practise how to play such typical structures more generally where you have a bit more space and slightly more active pieces. This is not so much of an Opening problem as a Middlegame one, indicating that some instructive Model games should go a long way. 

David Smerdon played a very important game in this line some years ago if I recall correctly which included a nice positional exchange sacrifice. The game was very instructive in showing White's dynamic potential when facing solid but passive opening systems of this type. Moreover the key tactical idea uncorked in that game along with the positional justification behind it, can also be applicable in some lines of the Scandinavian Defense as well, so a careful study of the strategic motifs used could prove invaluable later:      

Hey Nigel! 
Kevin is great as always :) 
We're going to upload how to play against 4...de5 and also 4...c6. 
It's gonna be very interesting suggestion :) 

vs caro g6 with Nh5!?

Hello, I have a question about this position, which recently got played against me. Txs for your insights!

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Hey Paulius! 
Have you checked the advanced sections? 
I highly recommend the idea with Nf3,Ne5!? It's very practical and very easy to play. 
After 7.Nf3 Nh5 I would just play Be3. Nh5 is not placed well. 

Questions not answered..

My questions arent been answered and i was not able to play the rook pawn tournament today.. I want my doubts to be answered.. Pls.. I am aspiring to be a good player.. Pls dont disapppoint me.. 

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There is some delay in getting questions answered, it's frustrating indeed, but there are no doubt good reasons. GM Avetik is busy recording videos and with the daily lessons, GM Gabuzyan has been playing quite a lot recently. It would be nice to have a better way of listing all the questions which require a GM answer that are still outstanding as having questions answered is a real plus. I have one outstanding as well myself.

In the meantime, if you have the setup, it can be worth trying to play through the lines you have questions on in chessbase, scid or similar and use the engine / database to try to find playable lines. It enhances questions (the GMs won't have to start from scratch) if you have some suggestions or ideas. It also means you can better converse when they do suggest something as you have some experience with the line in question already.

It was the postponed webinar (normally these are Friday) today (of which is there is another tomorrow). The actual tournament takes place on Saturday - this week it's N+Ps vs Ps and is worth playing in and instructive participating in the webinar (which follows the Friday after usually).

@Sreenath_Nair

You posted one question about a general question in the Benko that was answered by Gabuzyan 1 week ago, then you requested a video.

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/doubts-regarding-benko-gambit

I replied to you too here in this post.

And 2 hours later you made this post where you ask that we answer your question. 2 hours later... Am I missing something? Can you point me out other posts that you made that need answer? Because I hope that we all can understand the need for some time after publishing a question.

We also want to create a sense of community and let other members answer too and therefore create some debate. This is the purpose of a forum, then of course a GM will give his opinion too (which it does not mean that can be always correct or the only option available)

We are collecting the questions and then we divide who answers them in our meetings or if there is something very urgent will be given proper priority. This is how we work and we are trying to do our best with the resources that we have, and even if you do not believe me, we are working very hard to make this site the best one for chess improvement. You will see it soon. 

Doubts regarding benko gambit

I have a doubt in the benko gambit.. In the session e4 we attack the e4 pawn with f5 pawn after exchanging queens. But no Gms recommended to support e4 pawn with f3.. What if white doesnt capture f5 wid e4 so that it doesnt isolate d5 pawn.. 

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What is happening in that case in endgames, usually black king is gonna get e5 square which also looks good. Instead of getting weakness on d4 white gets it on e4 so it's also not so good. Of course it depends on position end exceptions can happen.

@Sreenath_Nair

Want to know a clearcut black link for benko gambit if knight goes to

Want to know a clearcut black line for black in benko gambit if knight goes to Nh3 followed by Nf5. After fianchettoing.. His white bishop.. I happen to watch a video of damian lemos Gm.. BATTLING WITH THE BENKO

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Do you mean Nh3 then Nf4? Could you give an idea of the line in the video (without copying to much analysis - e.g. just a line or a sample game) which would help you get an answer.

Also I'd title it 'I'd like to know...' or 'Could you help me find...' or 'Is there...', etc - as it is now (I appreciate your first language isn't English) it sounds like you're offering the solution and it's a teaser.

@Sreenath_Nair

There are thousands of videos in youtube and internet but we cannot watch them all. Even if English is not our native language, as a chess players we communicate with chess variations. Please write exactly the variation that you are referring to and we will check it out. Thanks in advance!

Then we can all talk in the forum.

Creating PGN files is a HUGE time requirement

Dear Chessmood,

I very much enjoy your content. I have been working to create PGN files in chessable so that I can drill them, I have done this with all of the Scotch videos and most of the Sicilian videos but it is extremely time consuming. We each have only so much time we can devote to chess and it seems that spending time manipulating software is not the best use of chess time. It is also very difficult as the software has limits. I am spending hours upon hours wrestling with software and not actually learning chess. It is extremely frustrating.

Please tell me, step by step, how you recommend building chess PGNs. If this is the recommended way to learn what are the exact recommended steps that are not extremely time consuming and will facilitate the best learning. What software do you use and what is your study methodology with this software?

I have read your position that you do not want to hand over a PGN because the student may not watch the videos and they can learn more from building their own PGN. I very much disagree with this position, the videos are VERY educational and having them in conjunction with a PGN that can be clicked through does facilitate learning. However, I feel like I have wasted dozens of hours trying to build PGNs and I am probably not doing it right. Trying to learn openings this way is requiring much more time than perhaps you intended.

Thank you for your help,

Leslie

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You don't have to build the pgn all at once, it can be done bit by bit and updated at your own pace. To start with it is enough simply to list the main candidate moves shown in the videos in the pgn and work your way from there. The time investment is well worth it.

Hope that helps.

PostScript: What software are you currently using to create and view your pgns.

Hi Leslie, I think that Chessable interface is less than ideal for entering and keeping your pgn files. Normally we all work with Chessbase which is the standard between chessplayers, but it is an expensive software. I had been looking at free alternatives lately and I like the following software (opensource and free) which is called pgnchessbook. https://pgnchessbook.org/fileopen/
It has many cool features and I am sure that it is more than enough to insert the moves and maintain your repertoire up to date. And if you like to have your games on chessable, you can always import your pgns there. You can also check your games from chess.com or lichess directly on it.
Also I would recommend you to read again the post:
https://chessmood.com/blog/the-most-effective-way-to-create-chess-pgn-files

What I do is to watch the video first, take some notes of the main opponent moves and then I try to recreate the variations in the pgn. This is what you can find in the pgn provided in the courses, then from there you can build the rest after watching the videos, this is the idea, to fill the variations when you already know how to play, this way you will remember it much better. I hope that this helps, but we are here for you if you need us.

@Leslie_Smith

Following yesterday's conversation.

When you create a database in Chessbase it is automatically named "something".cbv This is your database in chessbase standard format. Then you have to change it to pgn which is the free and normal standard. You do not need to select the cbv, just select all the games that you need to convert to cbv by pressing the shift key and selecting. I hope that this makes sense.

We all own Chessbase, the normal software, not the web version. You do not need any extra database either.

https://shop.chessbase.com/es/products/chessbase_16_program_only

But if you are starting and do not want to spend the money, please do check and try the freeware software that I mentioned, there is no need to pay just to produce your pgns...

Enigmatic Chess Tactic: The Lifeline

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Thank you ChessMood for publishing this instructive article.

I enjoyed thoroughly the article. thanks to chessmood  

Is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 line missing from our repertoire

I lost to this line all the time. Please help. Thanks!

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Hi Kevin,

Shouldn't you just go 3...c5 and transpose to maroczy with g3 after next cxd4 or to benko after 4.d5 b5?

Yes, as @Paulius_Juknis pointed out, check out the Maroczy Bind course, the section 2 https://chessmood.com/course/maroczy-bind/episode/736

Also it can transpose to some benko lines, but I believe the Maroczy and similar lines are the most probable ones.

@Paulius_Juknis

The move-order 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 c5 is trickier than you might expect at first sight. See the following discussion from a year ago for details:

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/opening-for-black

Actually now might be a good time to drop sensei a friendly reminder to revisit this topic.

Yes, we'll play 3...c5! 
It's on our recording list. 

Thanks all,

I decided to transpose to KID classical or Financhetto after 1. d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6.

Which Player's games should I analyze in order to improve calculation

I want to improve my calculating skill which player's games should I look. Or are there any books where I can get games filled with chaos?

Replies

Puzzle solving is best way to improve your calculation. If you are under 2000 fide then i suggest you to try woodpecker method. You can also work on Train your Brain with 1200 Chess Puzzles. Rest i can share if I know your real strength.

Please help with my morning routine

Hi,

My name is Anton, i'm 34 from Toronto, Canada. I work full-time, from home, from about 8-30 to about 4-30. I drop by wife off at work around 6-30 am. Then I walk my dog, make coffee, etc.

Pretty much every day from Mon - Fri I have about an hour and fifteen minutes, from 7-15 to 8-30 to dedicate to chess.

Right now I have the following routine:

a) Warm up - I do one or two runs of Puzzle Storm on Lichess

b) I play 1 bullet game, 2+1

c) I play 1 blitz game, 5+3

d) I play 1 rapid game, 10+5

Then, perhaps around lunch time, or after work, I try to find time to work on openings (Chessable) and lessons (aimchess, or books I own). Because I have a busy work and also sometimes get busy in the evenings, I don't always find time to study chess. So mornings are pretty consistent, and evenings - 50/50. Some days I can study for an hour or two, some days - I'm too busy.

Question for more experienced players - would you change something with my morning routine?

Should I play a 30+0 game instead? This way I can play 5 longer games each week, but perhaps the quality of thinking will be better? Should I play 3 or 5 or 6 blitz games instead? Stick to same time control? Perhaps play all bullet games one day, then all blitz games next day, etc?

Or should I do lessons and studies in mornings, and play some games if I get a chance in the evening or weekends?

Should I mix it up - one day play, other day study in the morning?

Also, I probably don't spend enough time analyzing my games. I do analyze them, but probably not in enough detail.

Thanks!

Replies

I'm currently getting in 2 or 3 15 minute games a day and a number of 3 0 blitz ones in odd minutes. The blitz ones are useful (other than fun) for automatic reactions and openings (see recent blog article). The 15 0 ones simulate long play nicely without long thinks, detailed calculation but are mostly a good outline of play.

Analyse the blitz ones superficially, the 15 0 ones in more detail.

Scotch Game Query

In the standard Bc5 line . Hence Nb3 Bb6 : Nc3 Nf6 : Qe2 ---- my opponent played the surprising Qe7 instead of d6 or 0--0. I'm conditioned for Be3 with d6 and Bg5 with 0--0. I'm presuming an early Bg5 is right here not f3? Appreciate confirmation --- or otherwise !  

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Hi Keven

I would go Be3. Nxe4 is not good anyway because of Bxb6. So let's play our normal game:)

Normally the plan when they do this is to Castle queenside. Its covered in the course, we develop normally but often play g3,but, f4 etc. See the section on the popov plan if I recall 

I think the Bg5 move with the threat of Nd5 is the best for white. Qe7 looks strange and I have never faced it as well.

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...