Chess forum by Grandmasters

New article: 37 Lessons from Chess that Shaped My Life

Last year, GM Avetik shared 36 lessons chess taught him about life.
He just turned 37… and yes, one more lesson joined the list 🙂

Here are the 37 lessons 👇
https://chessmood.com/blog/37-life-lessons-from-chess

Which resonates with you the most? Or do you have your own life lesson from chess? Share them here.

Ah, and say happy birthday to GM Avetik in the comments, and wish him something unique 🥳

Replies

Happy Birthday Avetik!

Thank you for good advice.

Take care!

Regards Erik from Sweden!

First of all happy birthday Avo !

Which insight speaks to you the most :
24. Adapt when necessary.
Life and a chess game are unpredictable; flexibility keeps you in the game.

And is there another lesson you took from chess in your life?
29. You can’t see everything.
Accept that perfection is impossible and move forward anyway.
 

Happy Birthday 🎂

Happy birthday Avetik!

Happy birthday Coach Avetikkk!

Happy birthday Avetik! I hope you had a great day.

Oddly, Chess taught me it is ok to lose and made it easier to find a more comfortable place in the world…

Thanks for all the advice and wisdom….

Life is too short for bullet or blitz. Each birthday reminds us we’re playing classical — think deeply, move carefully, and respect the clock.

Happy Birthday Coach Avetik.

Happy Birthday Avetik! Big thanks for all the insights which you shared, they changed my outlook on life in a variety of ways. Wish you to experience all the moments of your life as vibrantly as possible!

P.S. You may find this YouTube channel rather informative https://www.youtube.com/@BuddhasWizdom

Happy birthday Ave🎂🍾🎉

Hi. Happy birthday Ave. My 27th birthday is on 29th(today) and your 37 lessons brightened my morning on this special day. Thanks!

Happy Birthday Avo! Thanks for the 37 hours unlocked! Just enough time to redo the Mating Matador: one mating pattern an hour, exact 37 chapters.

Happy birthday Avo  🎉🎉🎉 to the greatest chess coach on the internet! 

Happy Birthday, very nice and useful life advices.

very nice (please like my msg at least 5 to 10 times)

happy bday avetik

Right Mood - Right Move!
This course was very beneficial for me.

Happy Birthday GM Avetik!

I think that taking a step back might be one of the most underrated advice. I was playing too much games, squeezing games at times i wasnt in the best condition to play, playing just because i wanted my elo back. It wasnt good, i took a break from chess. Now i'm back, playing when i can truly focus i'm on a 16-2-1 run and climbed at 1900, a rating i had never reached before.

Happy birthday, Avo;)

Question about "When to calculate"

In the Calclman course, I see that I am supposed to calculate in critical moments where significant gains and losses are on the line. But how do I know which positions are critical and worth calculating in? 

Replies

Dear Teddi,

That's a skill to develop over practice - the main thing is to scan the board tactically - see if there is anything hanging, lined up, the King, the positional factors.
In other words, if you find some ideas or resources that can help you to improve your position, that might demand a calculation, as your opponent will try to defend as well.

Chessmood weekly homework?

Hi CM team!  Some established coaching sites (i.e., Jacob Aagard, and now Noel Studer) provide a small set of weekly homework problems (student sets 45 min timer) without themes as a PDF, so students must analyze and make the best move from the given position.  These homeworks cover both tactics and positional play, and without known themes, feel more like training for actual game play.  The answers are usually covered in a weekly interactive video, but could be provided on the site.  Would CM consider this?  I know there is the puzzle per day already, but the solution explanations aren't provided – perhaps annotations and hints for each of the archived puzzles could work?  Or a new puzzle randomizer which grabs course training puzzles to create homeworks – one for under 2000 puzzles and one for over 2000 puzzles.  The homework solutions could then link back to the respect courses and sections.

Replies

Hi, Dear Joshua,

The issue with this is that we are trying to follow a structured approach, divided by the levels as well, so following this format might be a little hard. If you are familiar with our daily lessons, it's our sort of daily thing we have done, and maybe looking at that can be interesting for you as well?

Thanks a lot for your suggestion and for being concerned :-)

Making the Most Out of the Candidates

Hello, 

Does anyone have any good suggestions for using games from the Candidates to improve? I want to try to learn as much as possible from top-level games, and I don't know what is the best way to do so from this tournament. I doubt its just by looking at the game with the engine…

Thanks!

Replies

Hi,

i would suggest to replay without knowing next moves and think about what you would move yourself.

You can do this live or even in analysis.

So you can learn what superGMs do in the concrete positions.. if you dont understand the moves which are diffrent from your suggestions try to understand why they played it, ask coaches or try to understand engine lines. 

Good luck!

chessable and chessly are doing something you can check it out.

Hey there,

What is your chess rating?

French exchange what to do?

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/166603090336/analysis?move=36 

I feel frustrated when I play a game and then I analyze what happened, but even after analyzing I am unsure how I could have played differently or why the moves I made were bad… It can be difficult sometimes for me to takeaway lessons from my games because I guess the concepts are above my current skill level. 

Anyways, after 19.b6 I was unable to come up with a good plan of what to do in this position. When my opponent started pushing his queenside pawns I wasn't sure how to react, then when I was storming his king with my pawns I was unsure how to attack him because he could shut down the lines with h3 after I played g3 then fxg3 hxg3 h3. 

It looks like Qf4 was pretty bad I was trying to bring my queen for the attack but then I left my king alone. 

Any ideas? 

Replies

Dear Tyler,

We don't usually analyze students middlegames, as an exception will tell you that Nb8 was a wrong idea, and we often with b5 with Na5 - if Qa4 - b6.  We went through it many times during the events - so my big advise watching as many games in our lines as possible through the events, and the higlighteed modelgames as well :-)

Hope thos helps.
 

Problem with using what I learned from courses

Hi everyone. I have a problem using material from the courses in real games/practice. For example, while attacking, I forget some of the concepts I learned in Attack like a Viking. I still make some bad exchanges. I find myself forgetting some ideas in Calcman. I still make lots of blunders despite watching Blunder proof. The only courses(Not including opening/ endgames) I don't have any problems with are SLP, WWP, and endgame roadmap. I'm 2200 chess.com rapid. I would be grateful for any tips/ advice. Thanks in advance.

Replies

Dear Vedant,

Our growth approach is learn - practice - FIX! - Repeat :-)))

It's ok to make mistakes. But analyzing your games, and on certain levels, especially with the coach, will make the process right.
It's impossible to just learn a concept and start applying it perfectly in the next game. You need a repetitive experience to do it better and better :-)

Hey bro, 

Are you using the bold/unbold method in your training? I swear it helps me apply the concepts more in my games if I regularly review the bold/unbold concepts I wrote down. Try this and see if it helps. Also, make sure you are using active learning in your training. For example, try really hard when you do the puzzles, watch the videos with full focus, pause the video and really try to understand what is being taught. It should feel hard and cause you to struggle in order for your brain to build stronger neuropathways which will translate into better retention and application during your games. 

Here's the link to the bold/unbold article https://chessmood.com/blog/bold-unbold-technique

Hope that helps. 

Question about Bold-Unbold technique

I recently started using the Bold-unbold technique to take note of the new concepts that I have learnt in my games. However, not all the concepts can be applied in every game.

My question is, if I have a concept written down such as “Prevent opponent's 2nd/7th rank infiltrations with the rook”, and during the game, I keep that in mind, but in the whole game, there were never any opportunities to prevent the opponent's infiltration and apply that concept, should I keep it bolded because I did not manage to use it in my games, or unbold it because I managed to keep the concept in mind and remembered it?

Replies

I would keep it bolded until you are consistently applying it in your games, so wait until you get multiple opportunities to apply it in your games and when you notice you consistently can, then unbold it.

Hey Teddy,

Yes, keep the things unbolded unless you really get the chance to practice them, you are sure you understood the idea, and can freely implement that in your games :-)

Question about Queen vs Rook

I recently watched the Must-Know Endgame Theory U2000 Queen vs Rook section. I can understand the triangle manoeuvre, and can win easily when I reach those types of positions. However, I often struggle with pushing the king and rook back to reach the position where the triangle manoeuvre is possible.

I have been setting up positions of Queen vs Rook and playing against the Maximum bot on Chess.com, and the problem is that I can't exactly push the pieces back, and also, sometimes the bot will move the rook away from the king, but there are no forks available

I did some further research online, and I saw many people saying that it is not necessary to learn the full technique on winning Queen vs Rook because often the opponent will not know the defensive ideas. I wonder if that is true?

So now I am wondering whether it is even necessary to learn Queen vs Rook, and how to push the king and rook back, and also what to do if opponent moves the rook away without allowing a fork?

Replies

Dear Teddi,

Even I can't beat a strong engine in those positions :-)
If I am not wrong, once Magnus managed to hold it against Nepo in a quick game.

So the engine does the super perfect defense, try with a sparring partner, human - will be way more reasonable :-)

Sicilian

sir how to play against 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 as black

Replies

Hey there,

Check this section https://chessmood.com/course/crushing-all-the-sidelines-of-sicilian/episode/2560

Openings - Lichess study

When I did the Simplified openings I made an extensive Lichess study for each color.

I'm strong enough to upgrade towards the Step-by-step openings.
Can I build them into the previous opening study or should I start a new one?

Replies

I would advise starting a new one to avoid the confusion, as well the openings for Black are different in Blackmood and step by step repertoires. 

Stonewall vs d3

Hi ChessMood family

I had a question about plans in the Stonewall if facing d3, and double fianchetto. I have seen this position at least three times so maybe it is becoming popular.

8…Qe7 seems simple enough, looking for 9…e5 to exploit the lack of d4.  This can lead to Black having an IQP, which the Blackmood courses tend to avoid. But it is an equal-looking position. (e.g. 9. Ndb2 e5; 10. cd cd 11. e4 fe 12. de de 13. Nxe4 Nxe4; 14 Qd5+ Kh8; 15. Qxe4 Nc6=)

8…f4 looks an interesting alternative to shake things up.  After 9.e4 fxe3 e.p. 10.fxe3 e5 still looks playable.  If it is taken we have Qe7 and White gets left with a weak pawn on e3.

Do the team have a preferred plan for this tabiya?  Thanks in advance!  

🙏 😊

Replies

Dear Ben,

Avo did make an advanced event on Dutch - here is the link https://chessmood.com/event/dutch-attack-advanced 

Around 1.05.00 times, he talks about White g3 setups, not exactly this one, but you can take a look.

Specifically, here I also like Qe7, as it looks reasonable enough. Can also try the light squares Bishop development idea.

Doubt in Rossolimo

I recently faced a line in a game which I found a little hard to play from black side:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. Re1 Nf6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. d3 O-O 8. h3 Ne8 9. e5 Nc7 10. Be3 b6 11. a4 a5 12. Qd2 

During the game I could not find an easy way for black to develop his pieces and also white played Nc3 and in future some attacks like h4 Ne4 etc.

Replies

Hey Ansh,

I think you can try to play with 10…Ne6 and if 11.Qd2 - f5, with an interesting position.
 

Course reset button

I know it isn't high priority but I still wanted to ask it through the forums :-)

Is it possible to add a reset button within the courses?

A button that unchecks all watched videos and puts all quizes/tests back to 0.

Would save a lot of time when I want to redo a course from the start.

Replies

​Hi Gabriel. That is a great question.

​You are correct, we currently do not have a feature to reset an entire course's progress (both videos and quizzes) at once. As you have probably seen, the only workaround right now is to uncheck videos and reset quizzes manually, item by item.

​We are planning to add new functionalities and improve this system in the future, and we will absolutely take your suggestion for a universal reset button into consideration. Thanks for your feedback!

Can you recommend a chess coach?

Hi, 

I am wondering if someone can recommend a good chess coach for me. I am 38 years old, but just started playing competitive chess - played two tournaments (10 games) and got a FIDE rating of 1816. My online blitz rating on Lichess is 2050-2100. I aim to reach a 2000 FIDE rating in the short- to mid-term and, hopefully, a 2200 FIDE rating in the long term.

I can spend 1-2 hours daily on chess.

In terms of language, English or Russian would work best. GMT time zone.

Thank you!!

Replies

Hey Alexander,

This article can be helpful https://chessmood.com/blog/find-the-right-chess-coach-guide 

Good luck :-) 

Opening Doubt - 1.d4 sidelines

Hi Chessmood Family! 

1) Please let me know when the 1.d4 sidelines courses will be completed. I am eagerly waiting for them. I am facing troubles in: 

a) Colle system (1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. e3 with both c3, Bd3 setups and b3-Bb2 setup

b) Some weird (1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. b3 and 3.b4 and 3.Nbd2 —Unable to transpose to our beloved 1. b3, and the move orders for white are confusing me a lot.

c) Also 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 - Torre Attack and 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3—Barry Attack with 4. Bg5. Isn't White tricking us with the move order of what we play against Trompowsky (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d5) and Jobava London? 

d) And finally, 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3—Veresov has some move order tricks against Jobava London and some 3. f3 followed by e4 setups also.

These above mentioned sidelines are not covered in the 1.d4 sideline courses, nor were they mentioned in Benko's revised course in rare sections against 1.d4.

2) Please can you share some Model games for London system and Jobava London System, as they are the most common openings played at the amateur level.

3) In Jobava London, there is a move order confusion—1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Bg7 5. Nf3 0-0. Now why can't white play 6. h4 since we already castled? Won't the attack be dangerous as mentioned in the Intro chapter? 

Replies

Hey there,

We have mentioned this previously a lot, but you might not have seen. Unfortunatelu we can't provide estimations on the dates, as we are working on the courses in different directions. Some lines you have mentioned are a bit rare, some not. If it's that urgent, my advice is to follow the games of the strong players via the database to understand how to behave in those scenarios.

Once the courses are updated/re-recorded, we will notify our students.

Optimal use of Lichess study for long term improvement.

My usage of the Lichess studies has changed a lot the last few months and I wonder what an optimal way to use them would be.
Am I on a good path or should I change stuff?

Right now I have (picture) but I'm not sure.
My idea:

• Analyse my games and check with the openings. See who went off-book first and put that in the opening study if needed.
• If I went off book first, I add the position right before my move in a specific study for that opening.
• In games where I lost, I look for the game changing move and add that to a specific study aswell (right before I made the move).
• In games that I won, I add the game right before the move where I e.g. took a very long time to find the move.

If I add games right before my move I just add that exact position and nothing else (not the entire game or what happened before the move). I also write in a comment what move I did and why it was bad.

I plan to go the opening errors, when I study openings.

I plan to go over the tactic errors when I study tactics.

I do these in the study first before “normal” study.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is this good or too time consuming?

(The concern I have is that I do have a hard time deciding what exact tactic the error is from time to time.)

I recently discovered that you can have different options in the studies. There is normal analysis (which I always use) but you also have practice with computer, interactive lesson and hide next moves. I have no idea how I can implement that for further improvement. Any advice?

Replies

Dear Gabriel,

If I understood correctly, you do spend time revising your winning and lost games and identifying the critical moments, mistakes, and good moves.

It's a great idea to learn from your games, especially by trying to understand your mistakes and learning from them.

Practice with a computer sounds a bit wrong, as it doesn't play chess the same way as humans do.

Petroff Defense - Knight sacrifice

More and more, in my online games, when black goes for the Petrov's Defense I face the following line:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nxf7 Kxf7 5.d4 (So far so good but then this happens:) c5

I don't really know how to respond to this. Mostly I go with 6.Nc3 but it feels like the knight sacrifice doesn't really work.

What is a good follow-up for this?

Replies

Dear Gabriel,

This is our U2000 option, and yeah, c5 is the best response. I tried to play against it some Bc4-d3-f4 ideas.

However, if you want to play more solid, you can find that in the advanced Petroff course :-)

When to push f5 in Gran Prix

Today i went to a tournament and played the Gran Prix setup against my opponent. In the middlegame I encountered some issues and ended up in a lost position eventualy(although managed to crawl out). After having analysed it, I have found that one of the biggest reasons of me getting a bad position was that i did not play f5 sacrificing a pawn to open oup the dark-squared bishop. However, I do not seem to understand when exactly is the right time to push. What are the factors i should take into account before deciding to play/not to play f5 in such systems? Here is the pgn of the game:

1. e4 d6 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. f4 O-O 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O a6 8. Qe1 b5 9. Bb3 Nc6 10. Qh4 Qb6 11. Kh1 Ra7 12. Nd5 Nxd5 13. Bxd5 e6 14. Bxc6 Qxc6 15. Ng5 h6 16. Nf3 Qe8 17. g4 f5 18. gxf5 exf5 19. Bd2 fxe4 20. dxe4 Re7 21. Bc3 Rxe4 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 23. Rae1 Rfxf4 24. Qxf4 Rxf4 25. Rxe8 Bh3 26. Rf2 Kf7 27. Ree2 Kg7 28. c3 g5 29. Nd2 Rh4 30. Nf1 b4 31. Ng3 h5 32. Re4 Bg4 33. Nf5+ Bxf5 34. Rxh4 Kg6 35. Rxf5 Kxf5 36. Rxh5 bxc3 37. bxc3 d5 38. Kg2 d4 39. cxd4 cxd4 40. Kf3 a5 41. h4 Kg6 42. Rxg5+ Kh6 43. Ke4 a4 44. Kxd4 a3 *

Replies

Dear Andrew,

On the very deep levels, all moves related to f5 are theoretical, and in some positions it might work, in others not - but that's a pure engine thing.
If just try to rely on understandind, the key factor is this - if White, after f5 is ready to attack better, then Black to defend.
That can depend on the number of attackers and defenders, or some concrete resources.

Is there open scilian material?

I have followed both blackmood and whitemood. However, i have learnt the open scilian variation previously, specifically Be2 (from a book by tim taylor) and Be3 before, and have been comfortable with it against different common open scilians, (e.g. Najdoof, Kan, Dragon). I have switched to Grand Prix a few months ago, have not won a classical game in the scilian since. (Not the course's fault, but rather a lack of understanding, im sure).

But Is it ok for me to switch back to the open scilian? i am assuming there are no open scilian material in chessmood?

Replies

Dear Eric,

We don't offer the Open Sicilian opening atm.
So the choice is yours, and I would advise you to play positions or structures that you just feel happy about.

Finding a CM member

😊

Hi all

Anyone know how to search for a particular CM member?

Thanks!!

Replies

Hey dear Ovi,

I asked our technical team if we have such a future or not.
Will update you here :-)

Hi Ovi.

unfortunately, we do not have a search feature or directory that allows you to look up a particular ChessMood member right now.