Chess forum by Grandmasters

New podcast with Kamal Ravikant: How you can win your inner game

Our guest is one of the brightest, smartest, deepest and happiest persons alive – Kamal Ravikant.  

Apart from building successful companies in Silicon Valley, becoming an investor, and founding a VC, Kamal achieved extraordinary feats like walking 550 miles across Spain.  

His bestselling book, "Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It," has transformed the lives of thousands, including a few Grandmasters!  

And in this interview with GM Avetik, Kamal shares how exactly we should take care of our inner selves to have better chess and life journeys.  

Choose your preferred platform to tune in:
The interview on YouTube
The interview on Apple Podcast
The interview on Spotify

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I have battled a few personal demons over the years and this is not the place to discuss the specifics of those struggles. What I am comfortable saying is that your conversation with Kamal really resonated with me. I've used some of the techniques you discussed to help me deal with some of my personal and professional challenges. I was not nearly as deliberate about them as the two of you have been, but they still benefited me. I think my next step probably is forgiveness. In strictly chess terms, his thoughts on finding a master and doing what they tell you to do strike me as being perfectly correct. I think that is a good way to approach learning any profession, trade or activity.

Another very interesting interview ! Thank you to bring these special people to our knowledge .

French Defense: Horwitz attack (?)

Hi ChessMood family! What would you recommend against the Horwitz, Papa-Ticulat Gambit in the French Attack, i.e., 1.e4 e6 2.b3 d5 3.Bb2.... ? https://www.chess.com/openings/French-Defense-Horwitz-Papa-Ticulat-Gambit

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Hi Angelo,

I don't think it's a dangerous gambit and in my opinion, there are several options.

I would choose between 3…Nc6 , 3…Nf6 or 3…c5. 

In my opinion, no need to capture on e4, as that's the main hope for white for quick development.

Chessmood coins

How to buy courses with the ChessMood coins??

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choose a course, click on "get lifetime access", and you will see the option with moodcoins

Try to do do the same with another course, not all courses can be bought with moodcoins. 😀

Book Recommendations

Hi there, I've been really enjoying the ChessMood podcast, and I was wondering if you have a list of non-fiction, non-chess books that you recommend for personal growth. I have my own favorites, but the list is constantly growing, and I'm always looking for new ones. Thanks!

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Terence McKenna - Food of the Gods // Piero Scaruffi - A History of Rock and Dance Music

Absolutely! 
Soon we'll upload the page “We recommend”, where among our recommend books, websites, youtube channels will be also non-chess books. 

Bug in Quiz from Inside GM Studer's Mind

Hello, I have found a bug in the first Quiz from the course inside GM Studer's mind. The quiz #5 which is the reverse color from the game if the rook takes on e7 and then the knight on d5 takes back, black will loose the exchange. I have also uploaded the picture here. Thanks for the great course and quizes and best regards, Armin

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Thanks😀

Thank you!
Fixed :) 

How to play after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3

I was curios if chessmood can provide a line after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 with concrete moves🤔

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The ChessMood repertoire is to play 2...g6 there. If 3.c4 then try to transpose into a Benko with 3...c5 4.d5 b5.

Improve Chess calculations

I am good at tactics, puzzle solving. I've completed all the "Tactic Ninja's" but when it comes to calculation I miss some or the other variation. How to be better at calculations ? Is there a course in ChessMood ? Please help with some references. Thanks

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Check Chessmood's study plan. They told one course on calculation is planned at some point but until then, they gave recommendations for books with lots of puzzles to solve :)

Accelerated Dragon_AS 7.Sc6 with f4

Dear Avetik and friends, after 13....Rb8 you analyze 14. dxe7, d7, g4, Bc4 and Bxa7. But: what about the simple 14.b3! Unfortunately, I can't see how Black can gain any advantage here. Thank you very much for an answer and your help. Sincerely Matt

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Hello Matt, as best variation against 14. b3 I found this: 14. b3 Qa5 15. dxe7 Re8 16. Na4 Qxa4! 17. bxa4 Bb2+ 18. Kb1 Bc3+ 19. Kc1 and then it is a dead draw, if you take the queen on d2, white takes advantage in the endgame.

lichess matches

Hello all, i recently found the possibility to play rapid matches (15+10s)in the lichess environment. For me this is a very nice experience and thought many chessmood family member might be interested. For the format see https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mR0UgAloPJuGlV2YZpyyLxdnOYhnuxQySh_MzDJlvBc/edit anyway last Saturday i had an almost impossible task to play against an almost 2400 player (400 point higher than me). But started with a "good" fighting mood. Lost 3:1 as "expected". But, I thought my play was not too bad in the first 2 games. Black / White / Black and White for me (French advance, Scotch with 8. h4 and again French advance and Scotch) What I like about the match format .. nice training format and especially for the opening lines. If you have time .. you might like my game 3 (correcting the mistake in game 1) 1) https://lichess.org/1uqxOXFqgHtm 2) https://lichess.org/ZMXDgTlaybVQ 3) https://lichess.org/MYmihRYW5rPv 4) https://lichess.org/Si6HnPug5o7O lost the first 2 games but especially with the french move order .. and early c3 I tried to remember why not Lb5 (Lc2) as in the first game and played "correctly" I believe, with the idea of blocking castling with move 9) Bb1 Bb5. My opponent blundered 10) Qb3.. allowing the following few moves with a nice (Vukovic mate at move 25). Well he helped me a little. Game 4 I was punished (and exhausted but happy with my win in Game 3. Blundered and punished with a mate in one. I can highly recommend to participate in this match format of lichess. Have a nice day.

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one of my best game

Hi guys been studying a lot of chessmood since one year and today i beat a strong young NM with a two pawns sack! This is the game keep the good chessmood and the content is amazing guys! [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [PlyCount "111"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. h3 a6 8. a4 Qe7 9. a5 Bf5 (9... Nbd7) 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. e4 Qe7 13. Bd3 Bc8 14. O-O Nd7 15. e5 dxe5 16. Bc4 Bg7 17. d6 Qf6 18. Ne4 Qf5 19. Re1 g5 (19... Qf4 20. Ra4) 20. Ng3 Qg6 21. Bd3 Qxd6 22. Nf5 Qf6 23. Nh2 O-O (23... h5 24. Be4 (24. Nf1)) 24. Ng4 Qe6 25. Qc2 h5 26. Bc4 (26. Ngh6+) 26... Qe8 27. Ngh6+ Bxh6 28. Nxh6+ Kh8 29. Qf5 f6 (29... Qe7 30. Nxf7+ (30. Bd3 f6 31. Qg6) 30... Kg7 31. Bd3 Rxf7 (31... Qxf7 32. Qxg5+ Kh8 33. Qh6+ Kg8 34. Re3) 32. Qh7+ Kf6 (32... Kf8 33. Qh8#) 33. Qh6#) 30. Bd3 Rf7 (30... Qe7 31. Qg6) 31. Nxf7+ Qxf7 32. Qg6 Qxg6 33. Bxg6 Nf8 34. Bxh5 Be6 35. Red1 (35. Bf3 Rb8 36. Rac1 (36. Red1) 36... c4 37. Red1) 35... Kg7 36. Bf3 Rb8 37. Rd6 Kf7 38. Rc1 c4 39. Rb6 Nd7 40. Rxb7 Rxb7 41. Bxb7 Nc5 42. Bc8 Bd5 43. Rd1 Bc6 44. Rd6 Bb5 45. Rb6 Na4 46. Bxa6 Nxb6 47. Bxb5 c3 48. bxc3 Nc8 49. Bd7 Na7 50. g3 Ke7 51. Ba4 Kd6 52. h4 gxh4 53. gxh4 Kc5 54. h5 Nc8 55. h6 Nd6 56. Bb3 *

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Congrats ! You should submit it for the best of June .

LiChess...

When I enter an opening on LiChess with the idea of downloading the pgn for later study. I don't obtain the icon "pgn" under the board ?! Many thanks to anyone having an idea to solve my problem !!🙂🙂

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Hi Jean-Marie! Do you use Lichess Studies? Are you having a problem there? Are you talking about a Chessmood pgn you want to download?

Smith Morra gambit

I have started to play Sicilian. I have watched main Accerated Dragon course and briefly Sidelines and Rossolimo. Which course covers 1.e4 c5 2.d4(with idea to play cd 3.c3). I have not found or missed this.

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It can be found in the Alapin course. We will decline the Morra by 3...Nf6, which transposes after 4.e5 Nd5 to the Alapin.

Launching the ChessMood Coaching Program!

Dear ChessMood Family 🤩
 

To help our students even more, we’re about to start the ChessMood coaching program! 

We’re not looking for any profit here. 
We’ll just connect the students who want to improve faster with our certified coaches without taking any commissions. 
 

If you’re looking for a coach, below is the link to fill in a survey so that we can connect you with the best match based on your need.

I’m looking for a coach 
 

And if you want to apply to become a ChessMood certified coach, click the link below.

I want to become a ChessMood certified coach 
 

With best wishes and love,
ChessMood Team 

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Attack like a viking

Greetings Chessmood team https://chessmood.com/course/attack-like-viking/episode/5138 At 2:27 isn't Rd1 winning a queen or a piece? Vedant

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Hi Vedant,

Your move also wins, however, the idea shown in the video is stronger and wins faster.

Good luck!

Course

When the middlegame roadmap will be available? Thanks

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Hi Tina! 

We are working on the course, every time it takes more and more time because we try to make it better and better and do our best.

In the meanwhile, did you watch Happy Pieces and the Wolf of Chess Street? They touch middlegame issues too. 😀

My first time trying WFM Anna Cramling cow opening

https://lichess.org/0raSAjFI8tzk/black

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https://lichess.org/BHSlpYXCXRv0 I just tried😂

SLP Course OP!!!!!

https://lichess.org/8ZO5rUMt0pv1 I was in some mood for playing SLP so played bh6 and boy the game was crazy I was lost at the end too but ⌛

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e5 in Nc6 AntiSicilian

Good day, guys e4c5Nc3Nc6aBb5e5.. will appreciate some guidance on the best response to e5 is f4 still possible? and I am guessing it's best not to take the knight. thank you for your assistance

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I do not see anything wrong with 4.Bxc6 bxc6, 5.d3 d5 6.f4 Bd6 and now exd5 instead of the seamingly natural f5 will give us a good and healthy position.

Fear Of Opponents

Hello Chessmood Family and Grandmasters, Recently I have played several Rating Tournaments and have faced an off-the-board issue which I am sure many others must also be facing... The fear of Higher rated opponents. whenever I was paired with anybody rated higher than me I felt frightened and couldn't play at my best, I was scared to lose my rating and went for draws in better positions and lost equal positions which could have given me half point. I believe the fear of my opponent to be the root of my bad moves as I do not face such difficulties against equal-rated or lower-rated opponents. Is there any solution to this and have any of you ever experienced the same? Thanks in advance!!

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I am totally with you, Soham. I had exactly the same problem in a tournament recently. The best for me would be if I didn't know my opponent's rating before the game, which is not always possible, unfortunately. Another- better- solution would be to not care about the rating, which is often recommended but very tough to implement. Any help is highly appreciated.

how to be better at blitz ?

Hello, Today, I reached a 2300 Elo rating in rapid chess, and I would like to thank the ChessMood team for what they share with us. However, I am still a blitz player with a rating of 1900-1950. Do you have any advice on how to improve my blitz skills?

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