Chess forum by Grandmasters

counter sicilian d3 KIA style with c3

It's mentioned in the counter sicilian videos (Be2 section) that d3 transposes to other lines mentioned. However there is a reasonably popular idea of playing c3 KIA style (for those who just play that against anything, and it doesn't allow the same response as 2. g3 as no d5). After 1. e4 c5 2. d3 Nc6 3. c3 straight away d5 is probably enough here, but after 1. e4 c5 2. d3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. c3 - this hasn't transposed to the closed lines directly due to no Nc3 (even though some plans may be similar) and now White is either going to go for KIA style development with Nd2 now or soon after, or aim to get d4 in now it's supported. e5 seems logical against this plan, though blocks in the g7 bishop for now, hoping for a backward d3 pawn as compensation.

So is this correct on what to play, and maybe a small video in either the closed or further elaborating in 2. d3?

Replies

Looks like it's now covered with 2. g3 in the closed section (the original minor moves video suggested the counter d5 so the KIA wasn't covered).

100 Strategic Games

Hi Chessmood Team!

While watching the course Classical commented games I had a specific doubt in one of the videos (One of the best courses of chess! Love the effort your team puts in for your improvement!)

https://chessmood.com/course/chess-classical-games/episode/6748 

10:50 Here why not exd5 opening the b1-h7 diagonal for our a4 bishop so it can be happy

Thanks for the reply

Vedant

Replies

No reply?

Sorry for the delay, sometimes we cannot reply as fast as we would…
😅

In this case both captures are logical but cxd5 is a bit more precise because taking with the e pawn would weaken the square f5, and after Rf8, f5 could be a possible move in the future. Also we have our pawns in light squares, makes sense exchanging the Bishop, isn't it?😀 Still your idea is also very good and it makes sense, but having the center, exchanging the Bishop and a bit of the King Side under control seems more natural. I would say, the game move is number 1 and yours number 2, still both work.😀

How do I buy courses with Moodcoin?

I don't know if I need to get PRO to do this (I'm not a PRO member) or if I'm just stupid. Can someone tell me how to buy a course with Moodcoin?

Replies

Hello, when you click on some courses, some do not have the Lifetime buy feature (SLP course is one example of this.), on the others, to the right of the introduction video will be a little tab there. At the top should be a button to buy the course. Once in the payment page, click moodcoins as the payment method and if you have enough funds, you can buy it.

Hope this helps!

Opening on the flanks

Hi all,

Recently I've come across opponents who open with d4 or e4 (nothing unusual there) but their next moves are a3 and h3.  This seems completely at odds with the idea of taking control of the centre.  Is it just some sort of pre-emptive attempt at discouraging their opponents from moving their bishops to the b4 and g4 squares? 

Replies

Hello!

A3 and h3 are usually a waste of time.

Chessmood made a video about “Senseless pawn moves” in the Openings Principles course :

https://chessmood.com/course/opening-principles/episode/3425

There is also a youtube video by Chessmood about the best setup if your opponent makes passive moves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDeaXGraeNI

I found this nice article on this topic, so if you want to read more about it, you can do it here: https://chessmood.com/blog/why-you-should-not-trust-chess-engines-blindly 😃

I hope this helps you!

Have a look at the scale method course on the engine evaluation section.

7 Q Methods exaample 1

Hi coach 

In ex 1 7q methode almost at the end of the video you say that the plan is to play on King side where we are stronger by playing g4 h4 g5 h5…but if we go g5 1st then Nh5 comes from black and we can't go h5 anymore, I can't see how to move away that knight. Wouldn't be better to go g4 h4 h5 h6? Thank you in advance 

Replies

No answer?

Sorry Claudio, I completely missed your post.😅
Yes, you are right, Avetik just explained the typical moves but not in the best order possible. It should be as you suggest.

We are taking note of this. Thanks!!! 😃

Disconnections when losing

So, in my relatively short time playing online chess, I've already experienced 3 occasions where my opponent has disconnected (quite a high proportion from my small number of games played).  Each time I was ahead of my opponent - better development, more captured pieces, and moving in for the checkmate.  

Do people somehow consider disconnecting to be preferable to resigning?

Or am I seeing a pattern that isn't there and it's just a coincidence?

Replies

Hello,

Yeah, some people think if they “Disconnect” they didn't actually lose the game, as in they may have won if they played on. They consider it better for their ego. Hope this helps!

Your pal, Armandas

1 d4-Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 g3 what is the chessmood recommendation??

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O 

What should I play according to chessmood?

Replies

I think that you can go c5 before castling altough it sould transpose to your line too.😀

The tricky Shlechter Variation against French

Hi GM Avetik!

First a big thank for the amazing lines in the course.

In Section 4 - 5. …. Nbd7 Video 4. Nice checkmate we arrived at this position.

It's a winnig position for White but GM Avetik gave us here 15. Nh5 which is a big blunder cause 15. ….. Nf5 equalize and White can do nothing.

I think the correct way to continue should be something with 15. Qf6.

Replies

Yes, you are right, we will take note of this. Thanks!😃

Dealing with black and white sub-variants

Thanks to the wonderful team of chessmood coaches.

I had a request from great professors and prominent and powerful trainers.

Please make educational videos to deal with white sub-forms such as sub-movements. Because these moves are very annoying, especially in blitz, and I can't deal with the complications after that.
1. g4
1. g3
1. b4
1. f4
1. e3
1. a3
1.a4
1. h4
And ........

Please make educational videos for dealing with black sub-forms such as sub-movements. Because these moves are very annoying, especially in blitz, and I can't deal with the complications after that.

  e4 b6

e4 a6

e4 g5

e4 h6

e4 h5

e4 e5
Nf3 Bc5

Many thanks to the esteemed chessmood team

Replies

Catalanhakra,

Don't get me wrong but maybe you should ask your great professors and prominent and powerful trainers to explain you how to deal with this. 😀
Many of the moves are already explained if you had looked at our courses before asking and the ones that we are not comenting is because it is not necessary and knowing basic opening principles will be enough.

Hi I think it's not realistic to expect courses on all these very rare openings. These rare moves violate opening principles. You will meet them only very rarely in serious games.
It is also not practical to spend your limited time trying to learn these moves. It's not a good opportunity cost. I would spend my time learning to play proper openings, middlegame play, tactics etc instead.

Blunder can make your depression

😂

Hi today i play on blitz tour via lichess 7 round 

I have suffer blunder many round and losing .

This is my example my case and feeling during calculation

This game opponent is too low level 

After opponent play Qh4 

I stop and think he can check mate also white just played 2. g3 

black already hanging pieces rook and queen .

My variation on head 

A: 1.g3 … some where move queen 2. Nxh8 white is better a lot

B: i find other idea to make beautiful i want to trap queen and forget opponent checkmate .

So i decide play 1.Bf4 ? too stupid what i do in my life too shame!!

after moving ohhh shit losee

i think most player even GM case like me know the simple idea but find other idea also forget dangerous on a moment .

When i make blunder this is typical my case sometimes i shouting and want to destroy somethings .

How to recovery like this case? , I solved tactic routine or recovery playing a moment ?

Replies

Hello,

Blundering is very common in all of chess and it happens in all levels (yes even GM's blunder). So blundering doesn't mean you are a bad player, and that's why getting angry about it doesn't solve the problem. You rather should think why you made it and try to work on it. Also you don't have to immediatly collapse psychologically, you rather should try to save the game as hard as you can(ok unless you hang mate in wich case you lose).

If you want the chessmood advice on how to reduce blunders or how to recover from one take a look at these articles: https://chessmood.com/blog/stop-blunders-in-chess (how to reduce blunders)

https://chessmood.com/blog/slp-method-how-to-save-lost-positions (How to save a lost position)

Also you can study the courses in wich these topics are analyzed if you have access to them, the Blunderproof course on how to reduce blunders ( https://chessmood.com/course/blunderproof) and the SLP course on how to save a lost position (https://chessmood.com/course/blunderproof)

Hope this helps!

Thanks sir  i done about SLP course and i  tryplay SLP gambit for recovery for recovery mood 

Fine now ^_^

You identified the threat of mate in 1. Mate ends the game, so either your move needs to checkmate, check or prevent the mate (capture an attacker, defend, block, escape).

Aside from the mate, Bg5 would be great winning the queen. It's a pattern I bet you've seen before. The problem is making it on automatic because in some tactical puzzle it was the winning move (and the danger of such puzzles).

The brain is good at automatic association which linked that formation with a trapping move, the weakness is it can't easily see a second (weaker) association. Like an optical puzzle, once you see it one way it's hard to see another. For me the mate in 1 is far stronger than the queen trap.

That's experience I guess. Solving more mating puzzles will help.

However keeping the evaluation you made in your head while you look for moves is practice, and like already said we all make stupid blunders. Treat it as an opportunity to improve rather than something to get angry at.

A blunder check might help, but in blitz there usually isn't the time. However with such threats and pieces pointing at your king, you need to use more time here, and is part of time management. Possibly hints at a longer time control being beneficial.

Hi there, hope you're all safe and sound!

  Your move was not a blunder if that wasn't checkmate in one, your move could be a brilliant move then.

But, have you even tell yourself before making a move on the board: What's opponent next move? or: what will be the opponent's respond?

In the past, I was same as you, I was making a lot of blunders in my games.Then, I asked myself, What should I do to prevent this blunders?

Finally, I found the right answer: "Think well"=>"predict opponent's respond" => “make your move”!

with this tactic, I perfectly focus more on games and prevent more and more my blunders!

Thanks for reading!

A game of firsts

No serious questions in this post.  Just sharing developments in my fledging chess studies 😀

In a game that I played this afternoon I had two firsts - one good, one not so much!  

• Firstly, I got my first ‘Brilliant’ move in the Chess.com post-game analysis .  I'm sure that many of you get loads of these every game but for me this is a major achievement (I'm easily pleased!).  
• Secondly, as a consequence of taking more time to avoid blunders … I ran out of time!  Oh well, I'm sure that I'll get quicker with more experience.

How about you guys and girls?  Any firsts to share?  Or just general commentary on your development?

Replies

Congrats on your first Brilliant move! 🎉  

Even more advanced players don't get Brilliant moves very often, so that's definitely a sign of improvement!  😃

Do you play with an increment (e.g. 10 minutes + 5 seconds for each move), or without (e.g.10 minutes)? I would recommend playing with increment, because you will run out of time less often.

And as you already mentioned, you will get quicker by just playing more games. 😃

Update: I think the problem was tunnel vision

I made a point of visually sweeping the board and taking into account what every single piece was doing and I got back up to 900 from low 800s in the last few hours. 

Think I'm going to write out a list of things to consider before making a move and spend some time playing longer time controls with the list in my hand explicitly running through it before moving anything.

Replies

Sounds more to do with not seeing the right things. In chess you can't see everything, nor totally understand what's going on in many cases. Trying to break into individual components doesn't really help either because they can be combined in many ways. A sweep, list or blunder check can be a crutch to some extent, but it's more pattern recognition that is the issue here (noticing threats or simple tactics). Solving (simple) tactical puzzles will develop this.

The list will eventually become a calculation process, but the main points at your level are:

What did the opponent just do, and what if anything (especially tactical or mating) do they want (trying to answer why or positionally will unlikely be useful at this level).

What are the checks possible.

What are the captures possible.

And if the first two don't lead to anything, what are the threats (to simplify a move that attacks something for now).

Add in a bit of basic knowledge of well covered by the booster courses and you should see progression.

1 Nf3 C5 2 c3 what is the Chessmood way?

Hi Chessmood!

I played against a strange move 2 c3 cause Nb1 knight have problem to develope to c3 and controll d5.

I think black can play many different opening and setup. My question is what will chessmood do against it? What different openings can white and black play? my opponent talked about many different passive setup like Phillidor. 

Replies

against this particular setup I usually play like this: 1.Nf3 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.d4 Qc7 (just to defend the pawn) then develop KID style like g6, Bg7, 0-0, d6 maybe b6, Bb7 depends. I don't think white has very active setup (kinda London style) so there are many ways to play here

Hi Erik,

2.c3 itself is not a dangerous way of playing, you can choose several ideas.
I would recommend to follow opening principles - accordingly develope the pieces and fight for the center.
Setup recommended below by Paulius is very applicable.

The summarize s 2.c3 is not concrete at all and there are various option to continue. Keep the opening principles and fight for the center.

Best game Nov

[Event "Rated Blitz game"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/CNYq6eOn"]
[Date "2023.11.02"]
[White "yars995"]
[Black "TheIvke"]
[Result "1-0"]
[UTCDate "2023.11.02"]
[UTCTime "19:20:47"]
[WhiteElo "1960"]
[BlackElo "1942"]
[WhiteRatingDiff "+5"]
[BlackRatingDiff "-5"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[TimeControl "180+0"]
[ECO "B13"]
[Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation, Rubinstein Variation"]
[Termination "Normal"]
[Annotator "lichess.org"]

1. e4 { [%clk 0:03:00] } 1... c6 { [%clk 0:03:00] } 2. d4 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 2... d5 { [%clk 0:03:00] } 3. exd5 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 3... cxd5 { [%clk 0:03:00] } 4. Bd3 { [%clk 0:02:57] } 4... Nf6 { [%clk 0:02:59] } 5. c3 { [%clk 0:02:57] } 5... Nc6 { [%clk 0:02:59] } 6. Bf4 { [%clk 0:02:56] } { B13 Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation, Rubinstein Variation } 6... e6 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 7. Qe2 { [%clk 0:02:51] } 7... Bd6 { [%clk 0:02:57] } 8. Bxd6 { [%clk 0:02:49] } 8... Qxd6 { [%clk 0:02:57] } 9. Nf3 { [%clk 0:02:49] } 9... O-O { [%clk 0:02:56] } 10. Nbd2 { [%clk 0:02:48] } 10... Re8 { [%clk 0:02:55] } 11. Ne5 { [%clk 0:02:47] } 11... Qc7 { [%clk 0:02:48] } 12. f4 { [%clk 0:02:46] } 12... Nxe5 { [%clk 0:02:37] } 13. fxe5 { [%clk 0:02:45] } 13... Nd7 { [%clk 0:02:35] } 14. O-O { [%clk 0:02:43] } 14... Rf8 { [%clk 0:02:33] } 15. Rf3 { [%clk 0:02:42] } 15... Qb6 { [%clk 0:02:32] } 16. b3 { [%clk 0:02:38] } 16... Qc7 { [%clk 0:02:30] } 17. Rh3 { [%clk 0:02:36] } 17... h6 { [%clk 0:02:23] } 18. Qg4 { [%clk 0:02:30] } 18... f6 { [%clk 0:02:18] } 19. Rxh6 { [%clk 0:02:25] } 19... fxe5 { [%clk 0:02:11] } 20. Bh7+ { [%clk 0:02:23] } 20... Kf7 { [%clk 0:02:10] } 21. Qg6+ { [%clk 0:02:22] } 21... Ke7 { [%clk 0:02:09] } 22. Qxg7+ { [%clk 0:02:22] } 22... Rf7 { [%clk 0:02:05] } 23. Qg5+ { [%clk 0:02:20] } 23... Nf6 { [%clk 0:02:02] } 24. Rf1 { [%clk 0:02:12] } 24... exd4 { [%clk 0:01:52] } 25. Rhxf6 { [%clk 0:02:09] } 25... Rxf6 { [%clk 0:01:47] } 26. Qxf6+ { [%clk 0:02:07] } 26... Kd6 { [%clk 0:01:46] } 27. Bg6 { [%clk 0:01:56] } 27... Qxc3 { [%clk 0:01:40] } 28. Qf8+ { [%clk 0:01:50] } 28... Kc6 { [%clk 0:01:32] } 29. Be8+ { [%clk 0:01:47] } 29... Kb6 { [%clk 0:01:31] } 30. Qd6+ { [%clk 0:01:42] } 30... Ka5 { [%clk 0:01:26] } 31. b4+ { [%clk 0:01:38] } 31... Qxb4 { [%clk 0:01:24] } 32. Nb3+ { [%clk 0:01:37] } 32... Qxb3 { [%clk 0:01:20] } 33. axb3 { [%clk 0:01:35] } 33... b6 { [%clk 0:01:17] } 34. Ra1# { [%clk 0:01:33] } { White wins by checkmate. } 1-0

Replies

Hi Joseph,

I think you are looking for this thread:

https://chessmood.com/forum/main-channel/the-best-games-of-november-2023-and-the-prizes