Chess forum by Grandmasters

AI

Curious how your AI development is going? 

Replies

Hi Arnie, thanks for asking about our AI development! It's definitely in process. We are actively working on the AI coach and are very excited about it. We'll be sure to share more details with everyone as it progresses. We appreciate your interest!

Reinitialize quizzes

Hello,

Is there a way to reinitialize all quizzes from a course, so thay we can do them again and track our progress?

Replies

Hi Luc,

That's a great question. You are correct, we currently do not have a feature to reinitialize all quizzes in a course at once. As you've probably seen, the only workaround for now is to reset the progress quiz by quiz.

We are planning to add new functionalities and improve this system in the future, and we will absolutely take your suggestion into consideration.

Thanks for your feedback!

french attack exchange line

Dear Cm family, 

after

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bd3 Nb4  

as proposed in the course :  it leads to a delay in development and i m not sure how to solve it.

then what if white goes on without retreating the bishop ?

6. O-O Nxd3 7. Qxd3.

i had an otb game yesterday : https://lichess.org/study/3f19fQ0f/kzvIp6uM

where i made a mistake (19..Rfe8?) but  i saved the game by complicating a bit things for my opponent i time trouble and it paid 

but honestly i m not sure how to proceed after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bd3 Nb4 6. O-O Nxd3 7. Qxd3  with black.

Replies

Hey, Marius
 

You should take the bishop and then playing with the followed set up shown below.

This is common set up played in chessmood and you will be problem free and gain lot of tempis develop fast  and love your position

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/pgn/486EY2asWW/analysis

This set up is good play with c6 in future and get rooks active 

This is pointless, but I'd like to dedicate this to Danya.

I just reached 2000 in bullet chess on Lichess.

This is pointless, it won't bring him back, but I would like to dedicate this achievement to Daniel Naroditsky. I was a big fan of his, and I’m heartbroken that he passed.

RIP our wonderful badass speed demon. Here is a little tribute for you.

Replies

tech problem

Are you guys having problems viewing the Maroczy Bind course on vimeo?

Replies

Hi Eli se, I saw your post about having a tech problem with the Maroczy Bind course. To help us investigate, could you please give us a few more details? For example, are you seeing a specific error message, a black screen, or is it just buffering?

Anaeschessic?

A funny true story…  This week I had an operation in hospital (nothing serious).  While I was under general anaesthetic I had a dream that I was playing, and losing, a chess match.  I was playing a Grand Prix attack, but I had left my King exposed to a critical intermediate check, and my position collapsed.  I remember thinking how unfair it was that the anaesthetist - my opponent ! - had challenged me to a game while I was unconscious. 😄  I was forced to resign, and I woke up in the recovery room feeling quite frustrated. 😠 

I draw two conclusions from this: 

1)  Chessmood openings are so memorable - and so well explained - that they can even be played when unconscious 😆

2)  I need to study Blunderproof.

Replies

Great post. i like it a lot

The best games of October, 2025, and the prizes

Hello ChessMood family, hello champions and future champions! 
Welcome to the "Best games of October, 2025" competition.
Under this post, we invite you to post the best games that you will play this month 
(up to 5 games per person accepted).

The Prize fund is 350K MoodCoins which is equal to 350$.  

The 1st prize  - 150K
The 2nd prize - 100K
The 3rd prize-  50K
The 4th prize- 30k
The 5th prize- 20k

Good luck with your games and keep the Right Mood! 
#ChessMood
#Right Mood - Right Move 

P. S.
Here are the winners of September, 2025:

Thomas Maes
Marius Cornee
Armandas_130 
Edger Schoonhoven
Romain Parizel

Replies

Bingo win, a small pawn sac trap, and they took it! So I did a mate!
https://www.chess.com/game/live/143800296830?move=0
 

https://www.chess.com/game/live/143804111832  Check it out,and give your feedback please.

https://www.chess.com/game/live/143733254828 Another game of mine,pls check it out.

https://www.chess.com/game/live/143649578512?move=0

https://lichess.org/hvE2VPmJ/white

I punished his incorrect opening. After Qxe7, I continued with a nice combinations leading to a queen being trapped in the middle of the board.

Hi!

These are my best games today, kind of embarassing because I had a bad day today.

Here:

https://lichess.org/CFytsXxw#83

https://lichess.org/sg6mMbA4#46

https://lichess.org/IO0ywGZj#30

French with a sac on h6

https://lichess.org/KuW6rxFe/white

This is a game from an OTB tournament in which I gained 150 rating points (USCF).  I was rated 1360, and in the first two rounds I won against 1800+ and 1500+ players, and then got this draw against a 1900 player, playing a ChessMood French attack line.  Not a perfect game, but a very exciting and satisfying result overall (even though I lost in the following round to a 1700 player)!

[Event "Dog Hair, Don't Care #21"]
[Site "Howell home"]
[Date "2025.09.20"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Jason Howell"]
[Black "Randy Dixon"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "1908"]
[BlackElo "1360"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Ng8 5. Nce2 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. f4 Nge7 8. Ng3
cxd4 9. cxd4 Bd7 10. Nf3 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qb6 12. Bc3 Ng6 13. Qd2 Bb4 14. Bd3 Bxc3
15. bxc3 Nce7 16. Rb1 Qc7 17. O-O O-O 18. h4 Nf5 19. Nxf5 exf5 20. h5 Ne7 21.
Rb2 b6 22. g3 Be6 23. Rc2 f6 24. Re1 Qd7 25. Qe2 Rae8 26. Bb5 Nc6 27. Kg2 Bf7
28. Rh1 Re6 29. Qd3 fxe5 30. Nxe5 Nxe5 31. dxe5 Qb7 32. Qd4 Rh6 33. Be2 Re8 34.
Bf3 Be6 35. c4 Rd8 36. Rd1 Qf7 37. cxd5 Qe8 38. Qc4 Bf7 39. Qe2 Bxh5 40. Bxh5
Rxh5 41. d6 Rh6 42. Rc7 Re6 43. Qc4 Kf8 44. Rxa7 Qh5 45. Qxe6 Qe2+ {Here a draw
was agreed upon in light of the perpetual check -- for example:} 46. Kg1 Qxd1+
47. Kf2 Qd2+ 48. Kf3 Qd3+ 49. Kg2 Qe2+ 50. Kh3 Qg4+ 1/2-1/2

1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 g6 3. e3 Bg7 4. h3 c6 5. a3 Nd7 6. Nc3 e5 7. dxe5 Nxe5 8. Be2
Ne7 9. Nf3 Nxf3+ 10. Bxf3 O-O 11. Qd3 Bf5 12. e4 dxe4 13. Bxe4 Re8 14. Bxf5
Nxf5+ 15. Ne2 Qxd3 16. cxd3 Nd4 17. Be3 Nc2+ 0-1

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2025.10.03"]
[Round "-"]
[White "ashok1859"]
[Black "Kenil701"]
[Result "0-1"]
[CurrentPosition "5rk1/pB2ppbp/3r2p1/8/PP3n2/8/5PPP/R4R1K b - b3 0 21"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "B13"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Caro-Kann-Defense-Panov-Attack-4...Nf6-5.cxd5-Nxd5"]
[UTCDate "2025.10.03"]
[UTCTime "07:59:42"]
[WhiteElo "1684"]
[BlackElo "1618"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[Termination "Kenil701 won by resignation"]
[StartTime "07:59:42"]
[EndDate "2025.10.03"]
[EndTime "08:04:51"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/143844505836/analysis"]
[WhiteUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[WhiteCountry "69"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[BlackCountry "69"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. Nxd5 Qxd5 8.
Nf3 Bg4 9. Be2 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Qb5 11. d5 Rd8 12. Qb3 Nd4 13. Qxb5+ Nxb5 14. O-O
g6 15. a4 Nd4 16. Be4 Bg7 17. d6 Rxd6 18. Bf4 Ne2+ 19. Kh1 Nxf4 20. Bxb7 O-O 21.
b4 0-1

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/143911261878/analysis
 

Benko Gambit!!

https://lichess.org/YAdMRgzr/

Here are a few scotch games:

https://www.chess.com/game/live/153948999025

https://lichess.org/EGrA1EFbq7SU

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/143897933700/analysis?move=21

Theres a reason that Anti-sicilian is the best openinggggggg
 

FRENCH FOR BLACK 

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/143947871184/

https://lichess.org/RIl8mzD9/white

Very good games Congrats to the winners

Being greedy gets punished:

https://lichess.org/V3D3o7Qkf2KG

Here is another Caro-Kann example. Here:

https://www.chess.com/game/144092417122

Here is a Scotch Game.

https://www.chess.com/game/144122153912

I destroyed my opponent when he played off beat openings.

https://www.chess.com/game/144122646842

https://www.chess.com/game/144122830468

https://www.chess.com/game/144168652816
 

Again and again gran pricks (prix) vs pricks (pirc)

https://lichess.org/vG9Jk4sU

Just a perfect game (Sicilian with 2. …. e6 but not using the ChessMood Repertoire).

https://lichess.org/MUsEcH77/white#0.

https://www.chess.com/game/live/144257197560?move=0

A Caro-Comeback !  This was a classical time control OTB game, as part of a Swiss.

As usual! Destroying The Staford Gambit!

https://lichess.org/4GXy4U3e/white#0.

I played this game in the 5th round of last week tournament in Arco (Italy). I was paired against a (for me) strong opponent from Germany who was close to 2300 Elo a few years ago. I already played the Pirc defense twice in that tournament and my opponent came prepared. I think we got an interesting middle game with chances on both side and I was happy how I played the ending.

https://lichess.org/broadcast/47-festival-scacchistico-internazionale-open-citta-di-arco--a/round-5/qkQ0qhqq/k9wKg3sr

https://lichess.org/UMVtKepU/white

An accurate game in the French attack

https://lichess.org/Ihyc1KyW/black#38

https://www.chess.com/game/live/144423417112?move=0

Sicilian Grand Prix Attack

I am White;)

An OTB tournament game. Black against the Maroczy Bind:

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/game/?p=PKi612JjR2UlmeVRLJj2zGIvBxO4N+QXR3ogjlkG0upLhLY3HlLaeO/uG9hRYD8z

english

https://lichess.org/2RfGk5Na/black

Winning the exchange, and by that, the game, with a sneaky tactical sequence

https://lichess.org/gP25Mhdd/black#0

I played OTB. I played as white.
Opening was Caro-Kann Defense. I outplayed my opponent and found a brilliant move.

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/pgn/2eUnKXmaHC/analysis

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/142976739132/analysis?move=40
 

Anti-Sicilian part 5

The Siberian trap springs in an opening where I didn't expect it!

https://lichess.org/CWjRS0mVW6Xi

https://lichess.org/0h0g7h4n
 

Hiding the rating while playing makes a huge difference(learnt it in a success story here), +20 today, though i dont seem to care now, 97 accuracy is what im happy about.

Winning an interesting same coloured bishop ending against higher rated opponent. One misstep by him - 36…h6?? was enough to break his kingside structure. 48…g5 was a tricky try by him to save the game, as if I carelessly take the pawn, than it could be a draw or even a loss for me! 

https://lichess.org/hc0rZLq5/white#0

https://www.chess.com/game/144537801038

Showing how to get a quick initiative against bad openings (against IM)

https://lichess.org/broadcast/2025-delancey-ukcc-challengers-under-12/round-7/mNZwGOBf/OOzu6IOs

Monster pieces

https://lichess.org/QAWLZKn3/black

a complicated maroczy bind win against an gm

These are my two best games of the month so far. They have both been played over the board at my chess club.

Chess Analysis Board and PGN Editor - Chess.com Nathan-White (~1300) Gabe(me)-Black (~1500)

Chess Analysis Board and PGN Editor - Chess.com Gabe(me)-white (~1500) Matthew-Black (~1600)

My first decent game since returning from a 1.5 month hiatus.  Getting back on the Dutch horse has proven tricky.

https://lichess.org/DpiFGB1r/black#1

Some experimenting in the opening:

https://lichess.org/uyFyirxFLMnN

a dazzling attack in 4…Nf6 scotch

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/144602320758/analysis

a model game Nxd4 scotch

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/144745126376/analysis

Punishing FM's “creative” play in a very hectic game

https://lichess.org/1eHSpfQu/white#0

I'm playing in World Senior right now with classical control. Today in 3rd round won a good game against IM with CM Antisicilian. I know i know GM Gabyzyan is going to say that i missed checkmate in 4 ;))

In the spirit of Avo's Grand Prix courses, allowing Nxc2, etc

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/144653045204/review

My counter to the Stonewall Attack (I know I missed a double attack):

https://www.chess.com/game/live/144673656386

https://lichess.org/lXpjGLHw/black

A nice Knight sacrifice

https://lichess.org/5niVMbxRyMy0

The game wasn't bad either, but the mate at the end is one of my coolest ever

https://lichess.org/JDAvLMDS/white#71

I have been struggling versus Sicilian, so I spent some time and rewatched all of Avo and Gabu's model games with the Grand Prix Attack.  It appears to have been inspirational, as I took this 1960 Sicilian apart like a clock.  99% accuracy.

https://lichess.org/JXcnxz69/white#1

interesting alapin fight (practicing new opening) https://www.chess.com/game/144720079548

knockout in our chessmood french mating matador style https://www.chess.com/game/live/144763357072

A model game against Philidor !

https://lichess.org/o9LseDz4gSm2

An interesting win against Caro-Kann with 5…Qc7.

https://www.chess.com/game/live/144757880972?move=1

Checkmate!

https://lichess.org/iILwIGqz/white#39

https://lichess.org/R4tY5Ofx

Meshkovs' gambit:

https://lichess.org/PsPoKypQqiQ2

Another checkmate:

https://lichess.org/fKLzxPPfFtqZ

https://lichess.org/Y9u1OuxG/black
3 brilliant moves in Scandi.
 

This was my OTB club internal 2025 championship round 13. 

this was my nice finish in round 3 of my tournament in Annemasse (France). Unfortunately my opponent didn't allow me to play Nf2++   

https://lichess.org/Oabtx0bHWcoI me playing as white

Interesting game in the Queen's Indian

https://lichess.org/Qj9GCXlG/white#0

https://www.chess.com/game/live/144850696254?move=0
 

Prepared a nice tactic with Qe2+

https://www.chess.com/game/live/144482345276?move=70
 

Caro-Kann Kingside Masterpiece 

Ciao Chessmood family :

(1) Sicilian game where black allows the double pawns after white takes the knight on c6. Reason why I like the game is the fact that it's won on the kingside where normally I get good play against the ruined pawns on the queenside. This time black had all it's pieces there resulting in an easy break through

https://lichess.org/oMFZXir1/white#36

(2) Experimented with the backward bishop move in black's  fianchetto Caro-Kann resulting in a  great attack. The only pitty is that I spotted the attacking plan one move too late - see move on move 19 (Qf3 was better than my Bg2) but the following attack played out really nicely

https://lichess.org/Iu0l2lDE/white#41

Very complicated game. Well played by both players!

https://lichess.org/jfVzJ3I4cDl8

Scotch OTB - opponent broke opening principles…

https://lichess.org/v7flyecY

A beautiful win with Grand Prix Attack

Just slowly building the attack, and then a nice sacrificial finish :)

https://lichess.org/YQuePQeC/white#50 

Hi! French Attack!

https://lichess.org/gqKAHfTJ/black 

Won another IM in Antisilian in 7th round

https://lichess.org/broadcast/fide-world-senior-championship-2025--open-50/round-7/g5vYHi8j/oylKi5Xj

8th round Maroczy bind with black against IM

https://lichess.org/broadcast/fide-world-senior-championship-2025--open-50/round-8/Nz1W1BU4/mAzsSCX7

Just a fun little blitz game, love how opponents fall apart in this opening: https://www.chess.com/game/144889036544

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/141851591728/analysis?move=55

97% Benko Gambit

Opponent Got Crushed in the Petrov!!

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/142223530754/analysis

Scotch till endgame https://lichess.org/2ZtegoGhealJ
Scotch https://lichess.org/DaA0GSaBZz2G

Caro-Kann https://lichess.org/hPDGkPyrXWZ1
Caro-Kann https://www.chess.com/game/live/144812662646?move=0

Maroczy short till blunder https://lichess.org/ErgDTizFDW1y
Sicilian AD tacticts-remove defender https://lichess.org/a33Mid6UsTBp
Sicilian AD simplification https://lichess.org/B0DzMRxT6HK9

Alapin->French https://lichess.org/J7Td6gsEFXUs

GPrix https://lichess.org/QNQuvRXASScF

Model setup/Pirc Simplification https://lichess.org/pBGbwkPyzSvG

Dear CMF, this time i  tried to not send too much games and to group them in order to help the work of Gabu reviewing them.

here my 5 nicest games for this month:

One benko gambit

bishops diagonals to space advantage to big attack:https://lichess.org/x3PBGV9Q/black

• A scotch where black even being 2000+ took the knight on d4 and got a bad ps . 97% accuracy :)https://lichess.org/3KuYnnOl
• the gran prix against the pirc: always a surprise weapon as black cannot lead the game in known territory : the h1 rook was never taken and was even able to take part in the game https://lichess.org/yU4LpLSd
• A quick win aganist a 2450 player : https://lichess.org/xN9fZjxve83Y
• A GOOD WIN against a 2350 player: https://lichess.org/ljFPVS9mj7vV

Simplifying to winning endgame after crushing attack. Actually, I could have won much faster, but couldn't calculate it in time trouble, hence going for the sure but also lamer solution.

https://lichess.org/GaAa2z3b/black#0

The last one for this month:

https://lichess.org/MWF6DOfR0Axq

Last one this month, my reckless opening(although it has a high success rate), mate him or i lose, i maneaged to win, i know i made some mistakes but this is my first and now still undefeated style in my options.
https://lichess.org/Z22KaEwD/black
 

And one more GPrix with two brilliant sacrifices
https://www.chess.com/game/live/156184000183?move=0

This is my counter to my opponent's stonewall setup. I used this from a chessable course I used to read.

https://www.chess.com/game/live/144945159980

Clean win in French with 98 % accuracy.
https://lichess.org/8aEdL0UB

Hello

Finally getting that Caro to work Took downa CM Enjoy! Thanks coach Gabu!

https://lichess.org/IYQzX3uU/white#34

Hello Champions!
How are you?

Thank you for sending in your best games this month!
You showed creative ideas, strong strategies, and scored some truly impressive wins. We discovered plenty of instructive moments worth learning from. Keep up the great work! Now, let’s move on to the prizes!

1st Prize: Vladimir Bugayev

A fantastic game versus an International Master!
By sacrificing a pawn to distract your opponent on the Queenside, you opened up the files and sparked powerful counterplay against their King. You skillfully coordinated all your pieces, created key weaknesses in the opponent’s camp, and eventually forced their entire position to collapse. A truly impressive performance, especially against such a strong opponent! Fantastic job!
https://lichess.org/broadcast/fide-world-senior-championship-2025--open-50/round-8/Nz1W1BU4/mAzsSCX7

2nd Prize: Armandas

You crushed with the GP attack! 
The dynamic f5 pawn advance created vital space and pushed away the opponent’s key defenders, paving the way for your attack. You activated all your strongest pieces and shattered the King’s defense with brilliant sacrifices.
Super game!
https://lichess.org/YQuePQeC/white#49

3rd Prize: Dmytro Shulzhenko

A very nice gambit style! 
With a pawn sacrifice, you got ahead in development and quickly brought your pieces into the game, while the opponent’s King was stuck in the center. Dream game for every gambit-man! Well done.
https://lichess.org/Y9u1OuxG/black#6

4th Prize: Angelo Sifaleras

Good game with the right attacking principles. 
While you developed, castled, and took control of the center, your opponent was slow and passive. You chose the perfect moment to sacrifice the pawn and open up the H file for the attack. While being much behind in the attack with the opposite side castles, your opponent stood no chance to defend. Very consistent and instructive play!
https://lichess.org/o9LseDz4

5th Prize: Thomas Maes

You crushed the unhealthy opening choice! 
With the powerful e5 pawn, you secured a fantastic outpost for the Knight on d6. Your pieces completely restricted the opponent’s entire Queenside. Despite the Queen trade, you launched a strong attack on the opponent’s King and delivered a stunning checkmate. Very impressive!
https://lichess.org/fKLzxPPf#39

Congratulations to all of you!

Thank you once again to everyone for sharing your games.
All the best for next month’s contest!

New article: The Andon Spirit - The Courage to Stop

The world said, “Move fast.” Toyota didn’t.
They did something wiser.

What’s the one thing you’ve been ignoring that could take your growth further?

Read our newest article 👇🏼
https://chessmood.com/blog/andon-spirit

Replies

the article says “if some people, lost in their own storms, had paused instead of pushing further and had pulled the Andon earlier?”

Avetik knows things we don't, is he saying here that danya death was at least partially caused by his bully kramnik?

i don't want to speculate.

I wrote this couple of days after GM Naroditsky’s tragic passing: 

Title: Justice, Not Vigilantism

Chess Must Stay Composed After GM Naroditsky’s Death

The chess world is reeling from the passing of Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky — a player, teacher, and voice who inspired countless others. His loss has left a hole in our community, and amid the grief, anger has flared. Many now call for former world champion Vladimir Kramnik to be banned or stripped of his title for his prolonged public accusations of cheating against Naroditsky.

The pain behind those calls is understandable. But turning grief into public retribution risks repeating the very mistakes that brought us here. The pursuit of integrity in chess must never come at the expense of fairness or humanity.

Kramnik’s campaign against alleged online cheating — stretching for more than a year — turned into a personal crusade. FIDE has rightly referred the matter to its Ethics and Disciplinary Commission. The investigation must be transparent, evidence-based, and free from public pressure. Due process, not mob justice, is what separates a sport from a spectacle.

Institutions, too, must face scrutiny. Both FIDE and Chess.com failed to intervene decisively as online hostility escalated. Their silence allowed a damaging culture of public accusation to take root. Accountability here must go beyond one man — it must reach the systems that allowed such a toxic climate to persist.

Now, more than ever, the chess community must hold two truths at once: that cheating threatens the integrity of our game, and that unproven accusations threaten the dignity of its players. The way forward is not through anger but through structure — independent investigations, clear communication, and a renewed commitment to player welfare.

We must honor Daniel Naroditsky not with blame or division, but by ensuring that no one else in our game is ever tried, judged, and condemned outside the rulebook.

Justice, not vigilantism, will preserve the spirit of chess.

I need to build the machine before i go slow to develop, but ill build slow

Modern Pirc Quiz#7

Hello, Team.
I think there is a small bug in Modern Pirc quiz.
https://chessmood.com/quiz/attacking-modern-pirc-quiz#7
Relevant video.
https://chessmood.com/course/modern-pirc/episode/1463

It only accepts 4.d3 Ne7 5.Bb3 and going to the position in the video which is discussed as the guideline. However after 1:20 it seems like 4.h4 is the recommended move.

This is only a small comment so please delete once it is concluded, correction or not.

Alex A.

Replies

Dear Alex,

Thanks for noticing, you are absolutely right!
I redirected this to our technical team to see if they can fix it.

1.e4 c6 2.d4 Nf6

What should I go for?

Replies

Franco-Benoni/Franco Sicilian

I came across this opening in a Blitz game recently and it really tripped me up. 

1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5!?

I enjoy playing our Schlecter and have gotten good results with it but this opening seems to either transpose to a Benoni closed structure like it did in my game (I stopped playing 1.d4 for this very reason) or a kind of open Sicilian for which I don’t know the theory to since we play Anti-Sicilians/Grand Prix.

 I know it’s a rare move but does anyone have any setups or insights into this odd opening. I would hate to see it OTB and not know what to do. 

Replies

Hey, Justin

I asked this same question and this is the reply coach gave me -

In those positions, we are playing with 3.d5 and obtaining the Space advantage.

The plan is to develop the Knight to c3, the other one usually to f3. Organise the castle and play in the center.

Black can have a couple of developement options; however, in all occasions after 3.d5 White maintains a decent advantage.

Hi Justin!
The main difference between this position and the Benoni structure is that you don’t have to play c4 and take the d5 pawn (after Black plays exd5) with your c-pawn. Because of this, instead of spending a tempo on c4, you can play Nc3 and continue developing quickly.

Just make sure to prevent Black’s …b5 counterplay, usually, after …a6, we respond with a4 to stop it. 🙂
Hopefully this helps you understand the structure a bit better!

french problem

In the blackmood openings, after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 6. Bd3 f6, what to do against strong 7. Ng5! move

Replies

Hi,

Ndxe5 - dxe5 - fxg5 - Qh7 - Kd7 with a complicated position for both sides. This almost never happens U2000 level; you can make the engine work further if you want to dive deeper.

LAB

Hello, Chessmood team

When is the LAB going to be out. Thank you

Sincerely, Pawnbishop 

Replies

Hi Pawn Bishop,

Our team is working on this, but we can't provide any estimated dates.

Thank you.

In Memory of Daniel Naroditsky

For Danya ♥️
A legend, a teacher, a friend… 

We never got to record a course with him, so we made one for him.

10 of his best games. 
Free. Forever.

https://chessmood.com/course/daniel-naroditsky

Replies

We will forever remmber danya 

When I look at the first commentated game, it reminds me of the game in
FIDE Open World Blitz Chess Championships 2024
Round 11 Between GMs
Ivanchuk, Vasyl & Naroditsky, Daniel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_evi2X-PY0c

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

Great character!

I greatly appreciate this series and tribute to Danya.  Thank-you for this.

Daily puzzle is not functioning

It seems there’s an issue with today’s daily puzzle. After making my move, the computer hasn't responded or made a subsequent move. I'm hoping this can be addressed soon. Thank you!. 

Replies

Hi Saeid,
Thanks for letting us know about the issue. 
We have already fixed the puzzle. 
https://chessmood.com/daily-puzzle?recent_date=26.10.2025

french problem

In the blackmood openings, after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nc6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nd7, what to do after strong Ng5!! move

Replies

Based on your annotations, you are getting this position where White just loses the Knight after Qxg5
 

Scotch 4...Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb4+

5...Bb4+ is the most frequent move after 5...Bb6 and is recommended by GM Mikhalchishin in his "A practical repertoire against the Scotch" video course. How should we respond?

Replies

5…Bb4+ is weaker than 5…Bb6 and White gets a good position after 6.c3, Be7, f4, d6, Bd3, Nf6, O-O. White has a strong center and some space advantage.

as I remember we don't have that move in the course right?

Hey! 
Good questions. 
There are different ways here. 
I've added on my list, will try to add material in the next month. 

tech problem

Are you guys having problems viewing the Maroczy Bind course on vimeo?

Replies

Hi Eli se,

Thanks for flagging this. Yes, you're not the only one. We've received reports that this is a general issue with our video provider (Vimeo) that is affecting users in certain countries, causing problems with viewing courses.

We are actively investigating it with Vimeo to get a permanent solution.

In the meantime, some users have found that using a VPN works as a temporary fix.

We'll post an update as soon as we know more. Thanks for your patience!

How to Study 8.h4 Scotch

Hello Chess Mood GM, I am 2000 Fide Rating Player, who have followed Chess Mood Scotch Repertoire for 5 years. Currently I have reach a plateau in my 8.h4 Scotch and I wish to seek for an advice. 

I have played the 8.h4 Scotch against player who rated from 2100 to IM. Some of the game I faced lines that are not cover in Chess Mood. Even if it's the line by Chess Mood, I still struggle with middlegame position. 

Most of the cases, I will have too many pawn moves, while black will have very fast development. As a result, my king will often get under danger, or my e5 pawn will fall after black play Re8. 

Hence I wish to seek some advice from Chess Mood GM on how should I work on this opening? What should I work on to understand the middlegame? How should I prepare lines that are not included in Chess Mood Course? Is there any courses or books I can refer to for this line? Is there a roadmap I should follow to understand this opening completely?

Appreciate the advice from Chess Mood GM, thanks for the effort and time to answer my question🙏 

Replies

Hey there,

H4 is a complex line for both sides. The key is to play, find mistakes, fix them, and repeat the cycle. That’s how real progress happens.

If you want to reach a higher level, some engine work is needed. 

We can’t include every move in the course - it would be 50 hours long.

Since you’re already facing IMs, going deeper with the engine and building your own notes is the right step.

 Over time, this work will pay off.

https://www.chessable.com/mayhem-in-the-scotch/course/259795/

Help

Everyone I see is 2000+ Fide but I can barely cross 1500 I am watching the courses but I often get very distracted can you please help me. #Chessmood family

Replies

Hello! I have some advice I'd like to share.

Well, basically, not everyone can reach high ratings right away and that’s completely fine. I have a 1600 FIDE rating myself, and I already appreciate that because progress in chess takes time. The truth is, improvement isn’t only about watching courses; It’s about how determined you are to improve. Not just by watching, but by truly understanding what you study. That’s my advice for you and everyone else.

If you often get distracted, try breaking your study time into smaller, focused sessions — even 20–30 minutes of full attention is better than hours of half-focus. Also, play slow games where you can think carefully, and after each one, analyze your mistakes and fix them. Remember: those 2000+ players also struggled once — they just kept going when things were slow. Stay patient, stay curious, and don’t compare your journey with others. Improvement will follow naturally if you keep showing up. :)

🧠 1. Understand What’s Really Holding You Back

From what you said:

You watch a lot of courses but get distracted — that means passive learning.

Your rating stagnation (around 1500 FIDE or online equivalent) is totally normal — it’s the “plateau zone.”

So the key is to shift from watching to active training.

♟️ 2. Focus on Active Learning (Stop Just Watching)

Here’s how you can make your ChessMood courses actually work for you:

Pause the video after every move and guess the next one.

Write down key ideas (not moves!) from each video.
Example: instead of “Nc3 is played,” write “In this structure, White wants to fight for e4.”

After finishing a course, play 10 games using only those ideas.

🧩 3. Use the 3x3 Rule (To Avoid Distraction)

Do short, focused training bursts:

3 study sessions × 30 minutes each per day is far better than one long, distracted binge.

In each session, do one topic only:

Morning: tactics (ChessMood Tactic Ninja or Lichess puzzles)

Afternoon: positional training (Course review)

Evening: analyze your own games (especially losses)

Set a timer and turn off notifications for those 30 mins.

📖 4. Game Review Method

After each game, review it like this:

Identify one critical mistake (not every inaccuracy).

Ask: “What was I thinking here?” (Your thought process matters more than the move.)

Try to find the correct move without the engine first.

Finally, check with engine + course ideas.

You’ll learn 10x faster doing this than watching a 3-hour video.

❤️ 5. Motivation & Focus Tricks

Before every study session, say:
🧩 “I’m training to become 1600 → 1700 → 1800. One step today.”
Small goals work.

Keep your phone out of sight.

If you feel restless, do 5 pushups or deep breaths — literally resets your focus.

🔥 6. Weekly Structure (Sample)

⚡ 7. Remember This

Improvement happens when you repeat ideas in your own games, not when you just watch them.

If you turn your study into small, active chunks, your concentration and rating will both rise faster than you expect.

i know that 1500 area is a very hard time, i havent gone out from it yet but my friend's who are 1600 and 1700 say me to not worry about the rating and when learning use your strength .
strength types are:
1.Quick memorization-here you can remember something is you merely see over it
2. Mid power-you can remember some and might need to repeat to remmember and learn others
3. hard work-repeating and digesting it is the only way.
so 1-see courses or sections(be interactive) and digest it with 2 or 3 games, 2 and 3-watch twice sections or courses(be interactive correct you mistakes of 1st time) and digest with 4 or 5 games