Chess forum by Grandmasters

fixmood

Hi. I sent my games to fix mood (I played 11 games) and it showed me only 2 games. Do you know why? Is it intentional?

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Look under the filters on the right.  Change the entry for “Left the book” to “Both”. It defaults to only reporting games where you made the first move that wasn't in the book.

This means that out of the 11 games you played, your opponents played something not in the repertoire first in 9 of those game.

Dear Eliya,

I can see Jeff helped you here ( thank you Jeff) 😃

Is your issue resolved?

Undeserved 3 or 4 stars for courses

Seems really unfair to the course creators how some members give 3 sometimes 4  stars for high quality, carefully crafted courses because they can't find a pgn file (thats still there) or have a question about something in the course.

When rating courses, its always a good idea to ask first for clarification BEFORE rating as ratings cannot be taken back or changed.

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Dear Ovi,

Thank you so much for your support and kind words!
They are different people, different opinions (very wrong sometimes)

 

Fun SLP example

My position was absolutely trashed but I saw a vulnerability and went for it. 

https://lichess.org/p44jBdsLyJAp

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Nice trick!

I also always check the opponent's King when trying SLP!

Good luck :-)

27… slp:

https://lichess.org/rfusnY8U/black#54

Nice one!

Yesterday I got stalemated. First time against 1.b4, I totally forgot that part of the BlackMood course, but got a promising middlegame and then I completely ruined it. Eventually, when it was almost hopeless, I went for a stalemate and miracously somehow my opponent blundered into it…

https://lichess.org/KeGA0zr5wJ1q

The winning engame I've lost four times and draw one

Thoses are exactly the kind of endgames I always mess up to discover with the computer analysis that's supposed to be completely winning. Exactly why I began to study endgames in the first place. 
I got this position against an opponent and messed up in time scramble. Looked at the computer analisis, saw the winning move and it seemed all clear to me. Obvious! Seemed that obvious and so winning that I tried playing it against the computer full strenght. I often do that to train endgames: I take a position I'm supposed to win easily and play it against the computer, so I could confirm - in infirm a lot of time - that I understand well. Usually it takes a lot of try before getting it. I don't know if it's a good technique to train, but I find it more engaging than just looking at the analisis. 
So yeah, this exact winning endgame, I draw it one time against a human and lost it four time against the computer - wich is perfectly normal. It's +5 for white, white to move. I get how to get a second passed pawn and eventually win an important tempo, but it seems afterward the king and knights are blocking everything and I can't make progress. 
I suppose at this point I might win this endgame against a humain, but I'm still wondering what I'm missing. It seems that the c4 square is the door to progress, but black seems to always be in time to shut the door. Anyway, I will get it at some point. 
https://lichess.org/analysis/8/8/3n1k1p/p1p1pP2/Pp2P3/1P2K2P/3N4/8_w_-_-_0_52?color=white

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Here's me playing it out (first attempt) vs Stockfish on lichess: https://lichess.org/9AxLnzrm#87

(By the way it would have probably been simpler if I just captured on a5 at about move 8.)

It's a fairly simple win because of the pawn structure: the protected passed pawn on f5 gives white a big advantage, and the backwards pawn on c5 is a big weakness for black.

I'm not sure how black “shuts the door” on c4 when you play it out.  Feel free to share some moves.

One thing to think about in this endgame is what would the pawn endgame be like if the knights were swapped off.  It should be clear that the pawn endgame here is generally winning for white.  You might find it useful to play out some variations of the pawn endgame, with the kings starting on various squares.

New podcast with GM Georg Meier: Beyond Chess Success and What Really Matters

Imagine you’re in the top 100. 
You train with Carlsen and Kasparov and get invited to super-GM tournaments🤩

GM Georg Meier was living the dream!😊
Then, he gambited his safe chess career to explore a new path.

Why did he leave? What did he learn from his interactions with the world’s best? 
What traps can you avoid by learning from his journey? And is he happy with where he’s ended up?

GM Meier joins the ChessMood podcast for a conversation. Tune in on ⬇️

YouTube: https://youtu.be/0HSZg3gn0jI?si=dwa2PNzCdrR7XzhU

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-chess-success-and-what-really-matters-gm-georg/id1685445424?i=1000672210819

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0uhOPdTNEXy7kU9gCHWEKl

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Excellent perspective Georg puts on life and chess at the highest levels. And how important it is not be limited to living for chess only but broaden life's horizons.

Thank you Avo and Georg!

Rare 5th move for black vs Schlechter opening

Hi all

So I've started playing the Whitemood Schlecter opening vs the French. My understanding is that white's light sq bishop is important and we play against black's (usually bad) light sq bishop.

However I recently had a game that went thus: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Bd3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Ne2 b6 - with black clearly intending 6…Ba6 to try and exchange their bad bishop.

I haven't seen this move covered anywhere and wondered what the best response is for white and what white's plan should be - the engine gives either c4 or 0-0 but I don't see what the idea is afterwards.

Thanks.

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French or Dutch attack ?

What should i play here as black?

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2. f5 we play the Dutch attack here if you are playing the simplified chessmood openings 

Tactic Ninja Puzzle

Section 15, quizz at the end, puzzle nr 3, can not be right, because you get a back rank mate. 

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I checked it. The bishop on f5 protects the c8 square, so you can take back the rook to c8 after Ra8+. That's the other purpose of the first move.

white stonewall setup

how can we play as a black if white played stonewall setup? recommend a chessmood setup  or chessmood opening

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I don't know for the openings courses, but you might find interresting the first game in the 100 strategic masterpieces course, Schlechter vs John: there is interresting principles analized about playing against a stonewall structure. 

Best OTB tournament for me , 2/45 u1800

i participated in the ACO world senior chess championship in crete ( Greece) and I got second place in the group D ( 1800-1600) . It took place in a all included 5* resort from 1-10 oct 2024 . There were 3 GM available for free analysis after each games ( Daniel King , Zigurd Lanka and Spyridon Skembris ) . We had 4 lectures , 3 blitz tournaments and 1 simul as sides activities . 
I regrouped my games in a lichess study if any of you are interested to take a look at it . Few comments were added in French , I did not checked with engine most of them . I got lucky in some games as i blundered occasionally and got away with it some times but also scrapped some winning games too ! Being leader  in the last rounds , i tried to manage stress but it was not easy and sleep got disturbed … it was a very nice trip ! 
https://lichess.org/study/RYrWM5Bv/0ZKJper6

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Congratulations Denis.  That is excellent! 😎

I'll be sure to take a look at your Lichess study.

Congratulations! Got any interesting stories from the tournament? Did you get your games analyzed by the GMs? I want to hear more about this amazing lifetime experience, if you're willing to share more.

Castling into a queen & rook skewer was the best move!

Hey all,

Just doing a post-game review and this made me laugh.

I'm white and it's my move.  My pieces are developed and my king is a little exposed so I figure now is a good time to castle.  I opted to castle queenside because I wanted a rook on the semi-open d-file.

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/122652865819?tab=analysis&move=17

Did you spot what I failed to see?  After I castle, my opponent can (and did!) move his bishop to g4 and skewer my queen and rook!!

I was annoyed with myself for not seeing this but consoled myself with the fact that I was planning a fork move that I had seen - Nf5 would hit black's queen on e7 and defend the g7 square for my queen if black decided to castle.  

Well, the Chess Gods must have been smiling on me because black did castle!

What made me laugh was that in the game analysis my castling ‘error’ was actually considered to be the best move!  Chess is a funny game 😆

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Being completely winning despite giving up a full piece with check is insane. And the computer says no mistakes. You should definitely submit this in the game of the month form. Very well played!

Oh man, I looked at the computer analysis and they are some crazy crazy lines there!
I probably wouldn't have castled long because of the skewer and because I'm human, but seeing position and knowing it's the best move, it make some sense to me, thoses things happens when you have such a huge development advantage over your opponent. After castling and loosing the exchange because of the skewer, you have all your pieces developped, while your opponent stil has the entire queenside still undevelopped. The computer want to explode the center quickly to capitalize on the development advantage and is willing to sacrifice the exchange to do it as quickly as possible, not letting the opponent time to castle or develop. That's the power of quick development. Well played!

Chessmoods coach usernamnes from different chess sites!

Can we make a base with chessmood users in test games with chessmood openings? 

Otherwise, for a start, it might be enough with different usernames that our trainers have? Then we can use https://www.openingtree.com/

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Dear Erik,

I am little bit unsure about your request - can you please clarify, so I can provide a convenient answer?

Thank you :-)

coach

Hi. what do I need to do to get one of your coaches to coach me?

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Hi Eliya,

Please send a message to our client support team [email protected]

and they will provide you the information 🙂

Alapin Bc4/Nf3 without d4 variation

Hi All,

played today a game in our league.

I felt very good preped and had good confidence.

But here in the game after i played fast Be6 my opponent took some time and i had the chance to think, what actually happens after Re1 or even Ng5. In the game opponent took Be6 and it lead to known territory from video course.

But what would be the suggestion after mentioned Re1 or Ng5? I funnily asked Stockfish on depth 40 about Ng5 but his variation actually looses in the end for black if im not wrong. xD

Thank you for your help!

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Dear Fred,

I checked the position and have 2 suggestions.
Instead of 11…h6 I like more Rd8 move - as next moves of white like f4 - are bit unusual.

As well if you are playing on very high levels, and need super engine Prep - instead of Be6 you can try Bf5 move - which leads to complicated engine lines with equality.

 

Rossolimo Doubt

https://lichess.org/O3Y9Pezr/black#11

. This game was Exchange Rossolimo with 4.Bxc6 dxc6 and here my opponent confused me with 5.Re1. I realised that if I go Nf6-Nd7-Nf8 manuever, he will quickly play e5-e6 and then crush my pawn structure so I was feeling a bit annoyed and then I played Bg7-.e5 and then manuevered by knight via Nh6-f6-Nf7-0-0 and then launched an attack with f5. My opponent gained an advantage in the opening and it was a bit uncomfortable to make a lot of pawn moves, though I somehow generated counterplay. Can you suggest a remedy to this line. Thank yu

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Hey AK Chess,

After 5.Re1 e5 - followed by Qe7 and developing the Knight to f6 - should be the best way in my opinion.

calcman

Is there a quiz to the calcman course because in the last video of the course GM gabuzyan said that there is a quiz but i don't see it. Also on one of the videos he said that there is a link to play a blindfolded online game, but i don't know where it is so can you send the link?

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The quizzes are within the various sections in-between the videos - enjoy the course, it is a great one!

Dear Eliya,

I checked about your question - here is the missing link https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/blindfold-trainer/

which will also be added to the course.

As well we have now quiz examples in between of the sections, and we might upload more training positions soon - not sure about the exact dates.

Thanks for being focused and working hard!
Good luck :-)

Why is there no dutch pgn file?

Why is there no dutch pgn file?

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Hi there!
I have just tried and it works :) 

Can you please check one more time?
Here is the link: https://chessmood.com/course/blackmood-openings

 

Blogs

Why are there no more blogs?

Replies

Hey Random Guy,

We are doing different uploads - courses, podcasts, trainings, blogs as well - we have couple of hundreds articles - and if you read them all, will ask you to be patient and wait as for sure we will have more!

Thanks for being committed and putting a great effort 🙂

New article: 7Q Method: Your Roadmap to Formulating Chess Plans in Any Position

Do you ever look at your position, feel clueless, and not know what to play next or how to think? By asking these 7 questions, you can find a solid plan in almost any position 😊

Discover how in today’s article:
https://chessmood.com/blog/7q-method-chess-planning

Replies

sir to me this article was really helpful but when i was going through the example i found out that i was just checking candidates moves and calculating variation for justifying the weakness of pawn or attack which i do naturally which hinder the process and make it difficult to had more precise positional solution to the question for ex in many position you said that the opponent can use this or that weak square for their knight but i can't simply think of it easily as it is not the part of my candidate moves. making all the calculation blurry so how to avoid it.

On question 7 on the board that says white to play the pawn is supposed to be on h2 but it's on h4

Edit: I see the black dot in the corner, and you wrote that it's white to move. I think you accidentally made a move while taking the picture

Would you recommend playing slower time controls, such as 15+10, while we are learning the 7Q Method? My thinking is that the extra time would allow us to really apply the method during our games and get comfortable with it. Then, once we have mastered the 7Q Method, we can transition back to faster time controls.

Thanks for your input!

thanks for giving

Alapin 12.Re1 feels uncomfortable

Hi All,

following game (https://lichess.org/gRWt9qml/black#23) i played after funnily watched today whole alapin course.

My opponent played 12Re1 and after 12..Qd7 i got somehow in trouble.. felt uncomfortable getting a kngiht to e5 and what i played was even worse.. i checked afterwards and all 3 mastergames played Qd5. what would you recommend here? i think this Re1 idea after Na3 i couldnt find in the videos.

Thank you for the help in advance. :)

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