Chess forum by Grandmasters

Doubt regarding opening variation

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. f4 Nc6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bc4 Bg7 6. O-O Nf6 7. d3 O-O 8. Qe1 Nd4 9. Nxd4 cxd4 10. Nb5 d5 11. exd5 Ng4 12. h3 a6 13. Na3 Ne3 14. Bxe3 dxe3 15. c3 b5 16. Bb3 b4 17. Nc4 bxc3 18. bxc3 e2 19. Qxe2 Bxc3 20. Rac1 Bd4+ 21. Kh1 Bb7 22. Ne5 Bxd5 23. Bxd5 Qxd5 24. Nc6 Bf6 25. Qxe7 Bg7 26. Qe4 Qxa2 27. f5 Rfe8 28. Qf3 a5 29. Ne7+ Kh8 30. f6 Bf8 31. d4 Qe6 32. d5 Qd7 33. Rfe1 a4 34. Ra1 Ra6 35. Qe2 Rxf6 36. Nxg6+ hxg6 37. Qxe8 Rf1+ 38. Kh2 Qd6+ 39. g3 Rf2+ 40. Kh1 Qxd5+ 41. Qe4 Qxe4+ 42. Rxe4 a3 43. Rf4 Rxf4 44. gxf4

I played this game in over the board tournament with a 25+10 time control with an 1800 fide rated opponent. 

On move number 11 Black played Ng4 and when I played h3 to drive it back he played a6, counter attacking my knight. Kindly explain it to me what is to be done in that position.

Note : We both were in time pressure after 35 moves so don't go too deep into the analysis, the game ended in a draw.

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Finish the course or ...

I have a problem i don't know if i should finish the tactic ninja course before playing or moving on to other courses or i can watch other course at the same time.. 

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For sure you should continue playing!  That way you can try to apply some of what you are learning in the courses.

Anti-Sicilian

Good Afternoon

I'm encountering the following line quite often and i'm bit confused how to play against it and what plan to use.

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. f4 Nc6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bc4 e6

 The ideas for 6…e6 and 3…e6 don't seem to be as strong here. Apologies if it is covered in courses, maybe I missed it.

Cheers

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Hi Duane! 
4…Nf6 in this concrete move order is a small incaccuracy. We play Bb5 first, not Bc4, in the advanced repertoire to get the most of the position.

Please check it out even if you play the Whitemood opening since this is the best answer to your question or if your rivals play this move against you:
https://chessmood.com/course/sicilian-defence-part-1/episode/778
💪Happy Chess hunting!😅

Tactic definition

Today i've decided that discovered attacks can be considered as a particular subcategory of clearances. In case i will build my own learning platform or i decide to buy chessmood.com, i will base my teaching on this assumption

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😀😅Very good Massimo, but if you decide to buy chessmood.com (others have tried too) we'll just have to say to you “No thank you” 😀

How to use the courses most effectively?

Hi. I'm new to chessmood.

I am wondering, how do I work most effectively with the courses?

I am rated around 1500 on chess.com.

I am currently trying to complete these courses: Tactic ninja, Attack like Viking, 100 classical attacking games (I love to attack but I am never able to finish my opponents even when they play the most ridiculous moves and I have a very strong attack going), endgame roadmap (because I always lose endgames)

Currently, I am trying to do a section of each a day. (Some days I won't have time to do 1 section of all of them)

Is this the best way? Am I doing the most useful courses for me? What is the best way to work with the courses?

I already did BlunderProof and SLP in December with a free month from black friday, but I am not sure I used those courses as effectively as possible.

Chessmood is great!

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Hi Joe!😀

Welcome to the family!!!!  We hope that you will like and learn a lot! 

Below is a copy from a post asking the same question last week, since I was going to write the same, I am just posting it below adding some more comments for you:

This depends a bit on individual needs, did you already have the 1 on 1 call with Avetik or Gabu? This is a crucial moment as a PRO member, do not miss this!
Because during the call depending on your level and needs they will recommend you how to best proceed. 
If you haven't yet, no worries. 😅

The first thing is to check the Study plan according to your level and create a good routine based on the Plan.

https://chessmood.com/chess-study-plans

As a general rule you can study courses in parallel of course, for exemple you should watch a daily lesson every day, one section of Tactic ninja every day too, one classic game per day, you can watch some endgame basics too, etc. Then if you study one opening, focus on this one and do not start another one, I do not think that it helps to study several openings at the same time. 😀 😄
You need to create your own routine, the more defined the better and tweak it a bit according to your memory, time, etc… 
😁I hope this helped you a bit, but if you haven't yet, do the 1 on 1 call with a GM as soon as you can… 💪

I need help?

When I play a blitz game it often happens that somedays I play the game so rash as to completely getting out of control and feel that my time is less. But somedays a miracle happens I play a very calm and composed game and also often feel I have like 10mins in my clock. I mostly play 5+3 according to the recommendation. 

Can anyone pls give a solution as to how I can play a calm and composed game like mentioned above.

Thanks in advance!

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Pranav, hi! 

I think we are all human and not robots, we cannot play at the same level everyday. You should play when you can focus and you really want to play. 

You can also play longer time controls to have more time, rapid games 15 +10 will make you play more slowly and understand better the positions.
Please read the blog, there are several articles related to this, but this one is my favorite one: https://chessmood.com/blog/surrender-experiment

 😀

Mating Matador Correction

Hi guys. My training partners and I are currently working through Mating Matador and loving the material chosen. We did find an error in Section 13 Back Rank Mate Example 3 as pictured here. Avetik mentions that 2 …Qf6 doesn't work as White has 3. g5  hg5 4. Qb4+ taking the b3 pawn. But 3…Qf4 appears to win instantly in the same manner as the main 2…Qg5 line. Not sure if this was caught before, but such errors are inevitable and they keep us on our toes! 

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Yes, Qf6 is also working, well found! Taking note of it😀! 

No sound when moving pieces in quizzes?

There are no piece moving sounds at all on ChessMood?
thanks

Dan

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No, at the moment we do not have this feature and I think that even Chessable being from Chesscom have this feature either. 

We may study to implement this but no promises here. 

Thanks for the suggestion, though.😅

Robatsch / Modern Defence (e4 g6)

Hi there,

I've been going back over my notes for the WhiteMood Openings (and looking again at the contents list for the course) and I can't see any mention of the response where black plays g6.

I realise that the number of people playing it (using the 365Chess database) is only around 2.97% but that's higher than the percentage for the Alekhine (2.27%) which is covered. 

So, for those of you who have encountered it - how did you respond?

Yes, I know it's rare.  And yes, I know there are other areas that would be better use of my time.  I'm just curious! 😀

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Nevermind - just found it!  It's within the Pirc section.  

Yeah, to basically anything unknown to me, I play the Grand Prix attack! Fun!

Memorising the chessboard

some people claim that memorising the board and being able to tell the color of the squares is crucial for developing calculation skills, is it really the case?,and why?

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It can always help to memorize, but you learn it also with experience, I never memorized but I know it naturally… It depends on how much did you play and how much attention you pay to details I guees…

Still I do think that it can help to know it and do visualization exercises too, in fact the games are happening in head, the more and clear 😁you can see there, the better… 

Thank you, ChessMood

I'd like to give a big thanks to the entire ChessMood family for creating this platform for a great chess learning experience. 

I come here to take lessons often, especially as I've faced many failures at my career, and coming to ChessMood has always been comforting. 

I hope I can fly to Armenia to meet everyone one day ! 

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Thanks a lot Kyle for your kind words!!! You are most than welcome to come! Armenia is a great country! 😁

Hi

😀

Hi this is my first time in forum 

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Hi Sahasra,

😁😄

Welcome to the family! Check some posts, and post any question you may have, chess - Chessmood related… We'll try to help… 😀

French Exchange

Happy New Years

After move 1. e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. Bd3 dxe4  4. Bxe4 Nf6 5. Bf3 Black plays …c6. It seems the Bishop ( Bf3) is very limited in moves. What should I do with this Bishop and how should I continue?
As always be in happy chessmood

steve

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Sorry for the delay Steve, I meant to reply to your question sooner but without realizing a week went by!
😇

Our bishop may be limited but even more limited is Black's light square Bishop and also Black's knight natural developing square has been taken. Black is getting into a very passive position and we should play actively. This move is not in the course because it is just bad, but you could develop in the following fashion. Let's start by Ne2 to be able to castle, then if Be7 (black moves are not so important because he is too passive) Bf4, c4, O-O, Nc3, Re1, maybe Qd2 or Qc2 and Rad1… It depends, but your priority is fast development and attack on the Queen side since we have 4 pawns against 3 as a general plan. 
I hope this helps! 😆  And again sorry for the delay!!! 

Queen's Gambit and Sicilian

Hi,
I play the Queen's Gambit as White. I was looking at the WhiteMood Openings and the “Step by Step opening repertoire for White” section, but can't find any videos on Queen's Gambit. I am not interested in changing my opening to e4, but want to improve on the Queen's gambit. Which videos can help me build a repetoire for the Queen's gambit?

Thanks in advance!

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Hello,

So chessmood recomends only e4 openings. You won't find any videos on this site about the Queen's Gambit from the white perspective. If you want to know the reason why they chose to teach only 1. e4 GM Avetic explains it in this video. (https://chessmood.com/course/whitemood-openings/episode/3876)

If you don't want to change your opening, you can find courses about Queen's Gambit in other sites, like Chessable for example. There are also some great videos on youtube with analysed games of this opening or with explained theory if you can't afford buying a course. I recommend Hanging pawns for opening theory below 2100 level but you have to decide by yourself wich variation you will play, he explains a great deal of them without suggesting a repertoire.

Hope this helps

New article: How to get better at chess: The 3-step formula and the secret sauce

How to get better at chess? 

It’s the most important question. And if you answer it right getting a plan from experts, you’ll have the right direction during your chess journey. 

In today's article, GM Avetik shares his proven 3-step formula and the secret sauce, which you can use to speed your growth and have more fun on your journey. 

And most importantly, you can use it not only in chess but in any area of your life. 
 

Click here to read the article 👇
https://chessmood.com/blog/how-to-get-better-at-chess

Share your thoughts below.

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Heineken's ketchup? How refreshing! Think you might mean Heinz and be in need of a beer after writing it all. Good article though.

Nice article as always 🙃 Time for us to read all of the articles listed (for the first time or again) and make a strong study plan for 2023 😁

thank you 😀👍

Before chess.com banned me from playing titled players and staff members :(( I had a friend, FM Countofmontecristo and we chat a lot about chess. He is a belgian senior and I remember many things he said. Related with this article I would mention two: a) Everything is playable b) I remember all the theory I learnt at the 80s but from the actual theory I remember nothing. So as Spassky quoted I go OTB with an empty head :)

Study (Tactic Ninja) Practice (Puzzles) Fix yeah, recently I have been practicing this with the puzzle rush as well. I used to just play and not look back at the puzzles I solved incorrectly. (trying to break the records) But after spending time checking the mistakes, I improved the score. :D

Thank you so much, Avetik.

Actually, the article took me way more than 11 minutes ;-)  Something like 40 minutes,

during which I took notes and forgot everything around me.

I'll keep you updated how it works. I have (soon had, hopefully) a great tendency to eat too much

without digesting.  

Wonderful to fund ChessMood from GM Noël's email.
Happy to get a free trial due to World Chess Day.
Love the part about showing how to use the 3-step formula and the secret sauce and "eat & digest".
Let's grow up!

thx

Superb courses.

I haven't seen this wonderful course before.

nice path to become a strong player.

This is wonderful platform to learn chess perfectly.

I wish to become a GM soon by following this courses and formulas.

Thank you chessmood for this wonderful courses.

A big thanks to GM Avetik.

How to improve Puzzle Rating

Hi all

Much has been said about improving standard online rating but I would like to improve my puzzle rating that has plateaued for a while.

I do lots of puzzles /tactics daily , am doing the Tactics Ninja (2nd time around) and Mating Matador alsoetc.

Any suggestions would be welcome:)

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Simplest way to increase you puzzle rating is to spend longer on each puzzle.  Be paranoid and spend more time trying to refute your solution.

Improving your 5 ninute puzzle rush score is more difficult.

Why are all the events only on Tuesday and Saturday?

I was looking at the events page (I am a new pro member) and was extremally disappointed to find that all of the upcoming chessmood events are at 13:00 and 15:00 GMT on Tuesday and Saturday, basically the only times in the week that I definitely cannot attend! I don't see what the advantage is for me of a pro membership over an essential membership if I can never watch and participate in the events.

I think I might have to ask for my money back (30 days have not passed yet) and get an essential membership instead.   

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Hi Joe BB, 

This is the schedule at the moment and altough you can watch after the recorded webinars and live streams playing our openings, we understand perfectly your case.

Instead of replying in a public forum, please just get in contact with our Customer Happiness Department at [email protected]😀 and let's see what we can do. 😅

Joe, all the streams are recorded so you can always watch them later, when you have the time :)

Rossolimo Bxc6 structures, advanced theory question

Played a rapid otb 10+5 game recently https://lichess.org/broadcast/2024-m-richardo-banaicio-turnyras/round-3/Vab5p3CS/slAhGsAF and GM opponent made a tricky early 0-0 instead of Be3 chessmood theory.

His idea was when I go e5 then he can play a3-b4 ideas without black having that gambit where we sac on c5 with e5.

Question, how should I react on 8th move should I go e5 at once or Nf8 delaying e5?. Imo both moves are playable, but I'm considering even trying this idea as white, cause structurally in practical otb game I think white can be slightly better.

What are your thoughts chessmoodians?

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Hi Paulius, 

This is an interesting question.
I checked the position and after a3 I recommend Qe7 as many strong players continued.
After b4 looks like you can win the pawn.

5 Reasons to Play Sicilian Defense for Black

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The sicilian defence is my main choice against 1.e4 when playing black. Although a vast amount amount of variations unfold in front of me, when my opponents play 2.Nf3, I feel very confident with this opening, since I am an aggresive player and like complex positions. But I like Nahdorf variation tge most (although I can't reach this course yet), and Taimanov variation, creating a mobile pawn centre to march forward. My favourite line in Najdorf is Fischer-Sauzin Attack.

When I become a chessmood member, I discovered the power of the accelerated dragon 4. ... g6 with accelerated fianchetto and 7/8. ... d7-d5 thrust. I find this a super opening for black!

Finally, I learned how to play against 2.Nc3 :), and now I am trying to solve the problem of how to fight the Alapin variation.

Good article!

I have a problem, can you help me?

Hello! I have problem in chess, can someone help me? I can't implement everything I learn in tournaments or games, for example I learned how to play against an opponent's pawn, but in a tournament I can't plan how to play against a pawn. And I have another problem that when the move is with me, I don't know how to think and find the right move My rank is 1830 and my Liches rank in fast section is 2400 Please, if anyone knows what I should do, help me so that when I learn new things, I can perform in the games and solve my problem and find the right move and the right way in the competitions

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Hi,

In terms of how to think and find the right move, you may find the following useful:

• Noel Studer article : https://chessmood.com/blog/evaluate-chess-position
• ChessMood course -  The 7Q method : https://chessmood.com/course/chess-planning-7q-method

Not sure about the first question and implementing what you have learned.  Perhaps try some training games with a partner where you focus on the new information that you have learned.

Wait, I have a question. Do you forget things or you just don't implement them?

Hi , I think it s easier to implement new knowledge in slower game control . Being 2400 on lichess fast is very good but it also means you have probably automatic reflexes so to change some of them , you need time to pause and look further than your first thought . And then maybe you will remember and try to apply the new stuff ! Good luck