The Multitasking King

Hello ChessMood family!
A position from the course "Pawn Endgames." White to move. Can White manage to make a draw? 

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I believe it is a draw. 1.Kc8 Kc6 2.Kb8 Kb5 3.Kb7 Kxa5 4.Kc6 and the White king is the the square to catch the h-pawn.

Music for playing chess?

Hey everyone! I was curious if people have specific “playing chess” playlists on Spotify? Like similar to like a work out playlist for the gym do you have stuff you specifically like to listen to while you’re playing? I have a few different moods I can be in but sometimes I don’t want anything with any lyrics and I’ll listen to the Amelie soundtrack. Other times more hip hop or like classic rock. But I’m thinking about making a chess playing playlist and thought I’d see if others do this! Just curious

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Well, I like to hear few songs during I play and they are enough for me. I can hear them almost all day.

1. Love you for thousands years by Christina Perri. 

2.   Never Say Goodbye by Bon Jovi. (can make me cry ,I hear it when  I miss USA)

3. Who do you think you are by Christina Perri.

4. I think I am in Love Again ( I love this song so much )

I love these  songs and I love some more but I can hear them whole day. Huh, I am boring guy. 

Well, I think yesterday I got older :D an active and energetic girl became a classic. I listened to very active songs, rap, techno, etc., but yesterday I found out that I really love the cello, and since yesterday till now I listen to Hauser and am in love with it.

I like to listen to Eric Clapton, specially BB King/Eric Clapton's Riding with the king

Bruce Springsteen is my favourite. 
I also like Amy MacDonald. 

Sometimes I need something like this - https://youtu.be/gbVpNqiR0YA 

Playing against the Smith-Morra gambit

I'm rated in the 1500s lichess classical and the response I get to 1.e4 c5 second-most (after 2.Nf3) is 2.d4.  I don't see anything in the video courses addressing this.  If I missed it please provide the link, otherwise, what's the chessmood response? 

There are plenty of people who (like IM Esserman) think this is a playable response to the Sicilian.  I like playing it, too. :)

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There is another good option for white, second move playing Nc3. Did you check it out?

You are asking about 1.e4 c5 2.d4, what should Black do? I didn't find it either, but I think the course "Sicilian sidelines" is not finished yet, I guess it will be there soon.

While you are waiting for Avetik you could take a look here -----> https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/against-smith-morra-gambit

Sicilian players should respect but also welcome the Morra, you just need the right mindset and some decent prep to navigate the typical pitfalls and then you're all set to face the future with confidence. :-)

Jim, we just play 3...Nf6 transferring to Alapin, which was covered in the course. 

My anti sicilian 2...Nc6 question

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.f4 d5 7.Nf3 Bxc3 8.bxc3 dxe4 9. dxe4 Qxd1 10.Kxd1 I have bad pawn structure in this game. Is there any other lines or suggestions than the move 7.Nf3?

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It's a great endgame, cause opponent's bishop is very limited! 
You can play Be3 attacking the c5. 
If plays c4, his bishop becomes even bad. 

You can also play with f4,Nge2. 

Studying classical games

Hello everybody!

Hope everyone is doing well. I was wondering if you have any tips/strategies to approach the study of classical games. The 3 courses are amazing (Commented Classical Games, Classical Attacking Games, Instructional Classical Endgames) and I'm enjoying them greatly but sometimes I feel I don't quite know what to do with them afterwards, I watch the videos and I do pause when requested and try to think of the answer for myself, but I'm wondering if you guys have a strategy to sort of process the content of a game.

Do you try to play the game afterwards move by move or something like that? Do you try to memorize positions? Do you try to analyze the game *before* watching the video? I found that to be helpful when I'm reading a book, but I tried that with the courses and I think watching the video directly is more useful since there are questions to answer and the key positions are so clearly identified. Anyway, any tips/ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and have a good one!

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Watching commented games helps to develop your positional understanding, you don't need to remember them and do something with them. Just watch them with big concentration and the ideas will be stuck in your mind automatically 

Thanks Hugo! 
The main purpose of watching many such games is to install in our minds many-many ideas. 
We'll not remember all of them, but our unconscious mind will. 

If you always pause the video and thing, as is offered in the courses - you're already doing great. 
Later you'll need to pass this quiz: https://chessmood.com/quiz/commented-classical-games 

If you can make it- you had lots of value from the course! 

There will be quizzes for the other two courses as well.

Avetik 

Benko Gambit....

Hi Avetik,

Drawing PGN files of Benko Gambit, it seems to me that the move : 4.Bg5 is not dealt with. It appears in books by V. Aveskulov, and S. Kasparov and gave hard work (to say the least) to a GM of the caliber of P. Tregubov who can be considered a Benko expert. The move is classified as "Rare" but  Bg5 or Bg4 is "a reflex move" for amateurs in any position good or bad  therefore the ChessMood Family will be confronted to it one day ?!

So, my question is : what is your own recommendation against this move : 4...Ne4 Trompovsky-like, 4...d6 or 4...g6 letting W take the Nf6 if he wants or anything else ?

Many thanks, 

Jean-Marie

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Hey Jean-Marie! 

Well, Bg5 is really a very rare move, and not really a good one. 
We were going to add all such moves in the advanced sections, but now we're re-recording all the course. 
We'll add this move there too.  

Avetik 

Maroczy Bind Course

Hi Everyone!

In Maroczy Bind Course Section 1 16th Video At the point of 4min 25 second after Qd1 Black cannot play Ba4 because Ra2! is coming and Black will lose a piece.

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Wow! Just Checked it out, seems it works I couldn't find anything with black

@Avinash_R

In Maroczy Bind Course Section 1 16th Video At the point of 4min 25 second after Qd1 Black cannot play Ba4 because Ra2! is coming and Black will lose a piece.

Instead of Bxa4, Nc5 looks very strong for Black.

Oh, nice! 

How to Become a Grandmaster or Achieve any Goal - Secret 1

Hey Champions!
We have an interesting article on our Blog about this topic.
https://chessmood.com/blog/burning-desire
If you have any questions, comments or you just liked it, feel free to share your thoughts here :) 

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A well written article that points out many important things about "how to improve your game" or "how to become a GM" or "IM" or whatever one's goal in chess might be.  This applies not only to chess but also to several aspects of life, in general.  I am not a GM.  I am not an IM.  I mention these two facts because of perhaps the most important takeaway from the article:

1.  Understand and try to accept that there are things we do not even realize we do not know.  To "know what one does not know" is perhaps the "Eureka" moment when trying to achieve a goal.  To truly achieve your chess goals there are some things that each person must first acknowledge then understand and ultimately accept as a fact before they are even capable of creating a goal that is actually achievable.  

   For example, if you want to become a physician, then you have to understand and accept the fact that to reach your goal and actually becoming a physician, you must go through many years of academic preparation, then attend four years of medical school, then graduate and, beyond that, you must pass exams in whatever state you plan to practice in just to start working as a physician.  Further, you must understand that this process is not free.  To achieve the goal I use in this example one needs to also (I mean before ever even beginning college ideally) know if you will be able to pay for the costs of all that is required (tuition, books, etc which is often hundreds of thousands of dollars) to achieve the goal of becoming a physician.  Either you can or cannot.  There is no in-between.  So, one must have (or create) a plan both short term and long term that maps out as best as possible the way you, as a unique individual, can do to ensure you will have every opportunity to achieve your goal.  

Point:  In the words of Socrates, and I'll paraphrase, the first step toward wisdom (which is different than "knowledge") is to admit you know nothing."  It is very easy to say "I want to be a GM." There is a reason, though, few GM's exist among all known chess players on the planet.  To achieve you goal, you must first take time, a lot of time, and do some introspection, that is, reflect upon why you want to become a GM or other goal you have.  Why? Can't be for money because few GM's make a lot of money from chess.  If not money, then why do you want to become a GM? Do you deep down really dream about the accolades and respect often given to those that have achieved the GM title? Ask yourself why do you feel that you want or need praise, accolades, or a title to get respect or fame in chess or any field.  Each individual must do a lot of "soul searching" and understand things about themselves they might never have even realized.  

Becoming a GM in chess requires far more study than you probably ever dreamed of.  We all learn in different ways. Some learn quicker than others. To become a chess GM you need to understand how you learn best and you must be able to accept losing games, be able to accept constructive criticism, understand that along the path to becoming a chess GM include how much of your life are you truly willing do dedicate to the study, discipline, self-doubt and yes, you're going to face it, and the years of applying what you study to tournament play?  

Only set a goal after you carefully think about everything that you must do to achieve it.  With chess, I highly doubt fame and fortune are the driving motives that keep one on track to achieving the GM title. It is, ultimately, a burning desire that arises from a deep love of the game itself that creates a passion within you that is hard to describe with mere words, that probably exists in every or most chess GM's.  If you do not absolutely love and with a deep passion...love chess for the beauty of the game itself then it is less likely you will achieve the GM title.  

You are more than a title.  If one truly has a passion for chess, you will play and enjoy the game and probably think less about a title and a number (ratings which folks obsess about rather than the beauty of the game itself), than enjoying chess and improving simply because it is part of what defines you as "you." 

I just completed a third Master's degree in philosophy. I am not bragging and I mention it to demonstrate a point.  First, I set a goal.  Second, I understood before ever beginning this path that it would not get me a job or, at least, not something that pays well. It had nothing to do with financial gain.  I did it because I have a deep and lifelong passion beyond simply saying "I love" the subject but I achieved the goal and graduated just a week ago and it does not bring accolades, fame, or fortune.  Yet, I loved every moment of the process because I had a burning desire to keep learning more and more for nothing other than the sake of learning and gaining knowledge.  

That deep passion and desire to learn more is something you cannot be taught usually but either have it or do not have it...which is fine. For me, achieving this academic goal was deeply personal and fulfilling upon achieving it.  I will continue for my entire life to learn more about what I love the most.  It will not make me rich nor respected.  It usually is perceived as "weird." I do not care. This is what a burning desire means in one context. Was it easy? No. It was a process that was long, often filled with tedious nonsensical institutional rules that you must accept and deal with to achieve the goal.  Now that I actually achieved it, I do not regret the process for a moment.  For me, I had a burning desire to achieve this goal and after years of study and hard work, I did it. The reason:  It led to a personal sense of fulfillment born from a deep love and passion about the subject that defines how I perceive the world and like becoming a GM in chess, a deep desire and passion of the game itself is perhaps the first prerequisite to going from it being a mere dream to a reality.  

Along the way to achieving your chess goals, you will learn more about yourself and gain more wisdom in general than you even realize at this point in time.  My chess goal is to become the best (using all of my natural talent and skills) I can at the game in order to UNDERSTAND chess as this brings more joy and long term appreciation for the game on a personal level than any title that exists.

My goal might include earning a title or achieving a certain ELO.  If I reach a 2200 ELO, that is great.  If not, then I know deep down I have done all I can with the skills I have to understand and enjoy my passion for chess which I will play and study regardless of anything else.  

I think I  can achieve an ELO of 2000 or 2100 within the next decade. My goal is not to become a GM because to begin at my age such a difficult goal is setting oneself up for much disappointment.  It is not about a title.  Study for the love of the game. This desire will bring you much contentment and probably a few title along the way. It might bring you the GM title. If you begin each day with a deep love and passion for chess, then improvement will come in ways unique to you and the game will bring you a sense of fulfillment beyond any rating or title can ever do.   It will bring you a sense of meaning and purpose that is part of having a burning desire for chess or something else. 

I hope this made sense.  It is from my perspective only and expresses only my personal opinions.  To all:  Best of luck in all your chess endeavors.

Not so simple though. Perhaps 'weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat'. But a small amount of fire can make a large amount of fire!

This is true to some degree (can't say about grandmaster as I'm not there yet and I have to be realistic at my age and amount of time I can spend on chess with other commitments). It is very much the theme of Rocky III (the song Eye of the Tiger was written by Survivor for it) that a hungry young upstart can topple a champion who no longer has his heart in it. It's also the message in Napoleon Hill's 'Think and Grow Rich' that to achieve (in this case super wealth) it requires burning of bridges to force you to commit to it (Malcolm Gladwell for example disagrees and points to certain opportunities that were only available in a limited window of time to those who made it very big. Also we look at it with survivor bias and not investigate all those that didn't make it we don't hear of).

However, the contrary point is that if you put everything in to achieving that goal, you can miss out on a lot of other things that make a person complete and well rounded (education, career, family, other hobbies, friends...) - and is it really what you want given the journey to get there? One of my favourite quotes is (from the film The Life of David Gale, but paraphrased []) 'Be careful what you wish for. Not because you won't get it, but when you do [you might realise you didn't want it after all]'. Not all GMs are happy!

Then there is the question of the individual. For some people either from where their start, or getting the right support will get there a lot sooner than others, and at the top level will outperform most of the others irrespective of what these others try to do. There is a psychological barrier of course (the 4 minute mile being the most famous), but towards the top innate characteristics come into play which are hard to compensate for by not having them (and often starting later). This is probably not GM level (I certainly believe if most good chess players had the right attitude, got the right training and had the time/resources, IM level is achieveable), but maybe 2600-2700 level starts to become a barrier (that big pgn won't memorise itself). I was unlikely to become say a sprinter, artist or therapist because I've never been fast and muscular, I'm awful at art and don't really enjoy it, and even though I enjoy psychology and helping people I'm a problem solver rather than empathiser. It's not that I couldn't learn or adapt to do these things to some degree if I put all the effort in, but the amount of effort would be huge compared to others, and certainly the later would need me to change who I am to be authentic which would mean I lose out elsewhere where my problem solving skill is useful. Similarly some just aren't cut out to be good chess players (those who just enjoy playing, or don't see the point in chess, or aren't good at thinking logically), let alone grandmasters.

Error in Scandinavian 6... Qf5

https://chessmood.com/course/10-crushing-the-scandinavian/episode/1003

At 46 seconds, Nb4 is played and the comment says it doesn't give anything because of O-O.

I prefer Qa4+ Nc6 d5 picking up the knight :) I guess this was overlooked.

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Maybe the following thread could be pinned at the top of the page ------->

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/mistakes-in-the-chessmood-videos-that-help-us

That way a new thread need not be created every time an error is spotted in a course.

Chess rules

What rule would you like to change in chess?

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Engines are not allowed in chess prep. Just work and find plans with your teams. Now a days due to engines and cloud engines 2000s are finding novelties. It's good that they are finding new ideas but it's killing the beauty of this game. Now we only win if we memorize tons of lines but if we mess up we lose. Yes, I do not mean that chess is all about openings. There are still a lot things to learn in order to become a good chess professional but still due to engines and lines chess is all about memorization. 

I like the time of Capablanca in which we had to start thinking from move 5 or 6. It's fun to see. Yes, their openings had terrible issues but their middlegame  and endgame quality were superb. 

Now a days only magnus can do well in chess without openings but all other elite players only focus on their opening prep and rest they know well. 

I may be wrong but I just hate that due to computers the beauty of thinking in chess is dying. 

I think I know only 40% of them :D

NEW ARTICLE: Will You Laugh or They?

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Nice motivating. I already started studying openings again because I faced so much trouble in move orders. 

Very inspiration article. I promise you sir I will be one of the 1%.

Thanks for the article love it !

Mind-blowing article sir.

thanks for the motivation you gave.we will surely crush our opponent in the near future easily and will hear the excuse' I am not in good shape'.

Thank you so much! My goal this year to reach my FIDE rapid rating 2000 points.  I'm working for it with yours courses, thank's. Best wishes from Vilnius, capital of Lithuania :) Stay calm and strong!

5 thumbs up for just this comment? Hmm...

Thank you for the article. 

The period of COVID reminds me of times when I was in charge of a startup company. While big companies had their workers take holidays in the summer, we would work hard all July and August and soon we would overtake them :)

In my club I and (to some degree) one other person are playing any matches, everyone else doesn't want to play online as it isn't the same for them. Thing is it's the same club that has been forever in the second division, and never made it to the first, even though it's been close a couple of times. If the social element is the main enjoyment (and to be fair for many it's an excuse to get away one or two nights a week), one can't be disappointed when promotion never happens.

Look at Tal

Let's not neglect to mention other "legendary talents" who were working on chess all day long; we all know their names: Tal (often studying 50 to 60 games a day!), Fischer studying all day and playing blitz all night, Kasparov whose intensity on training amazed Polgar, etc. Practically none of the champions we all consider the best, actually sat down on the sofa watching TV, letting the innate talent do the job for him. They were training hard all day. Some had coaches. They played chess all the time. I guess it's not a surprise to see their brains devote neurons, and creating synaptic connections especially dedicated to chess. 

Now, I feel like wow, 60 games study a day means he is studying more than 2 games in an hr? I think my maths is right or he is studying 6 games in an hr? 

My max ability to analize now a days is 10. I can analize 10 games a day.

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The importance is quality, not the number of games

~~~ Title- Motivation~~~

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Chigorin

Now I do feel that even though  I am 23. I also can be a GM. Thanks Jay for telling me about this.

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Of course you can do that with your hard work!

Current course

What course are you watching currently? I've started our lovely and famous Scotch :) 

How many courses have you finished? 

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I am gonna prepare to rewatch scandi again. Next tournament is Scandi one and I am scared how to play against Nf3 as black. I will watch to grasp ideas for both sides again. It will be nice revision for me. 

I only need to work on english openings in case of courses.

After that I only saw classical commented games and rest I have to watch. But due to my book works I am unable to work on chessmood new videos except openings one.

I am watching the French and Happy Pieces. I have finished all of Atisicilian, Petroff, CarroKan, Scotch Game,  Philidor, Accelerated dragon, commented classical games and crushing d4 sidelines. 

I am currently studying English with black and Commented Classical games. I have finished watching all black courses for the first time

Your Depth Barriers

How do you guys break depth barriers issues? At certain depth our visualization breaks and we can't see positional clearly in our mind. Here problems of depth barrier starts. 

For me: 

In case of positional stuffs with simple lines I can see 15 to 20 ply but if the positions are messier than it's hard to calculate positions after 8 or 9 ply. I mean if variations are full of branches.

So it will be interesting to know how much deeper you guys can clearly see.

Well, I am working on my problems and I am sure slowly but surely I will go to the next level 

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It really depends on how much I push myself. I can visualize quite far ahead if I really wanted to (can play blindfold at reasonably good strength), but often times I'm just lazy and look wider instead of deeper and get into trouble. 

Amazing book on Maroczy Pawn Formation!

Well, as I posted many times in past that I like to learn pawn formations. So, here I am sharing a superb book which will be boom for all chessmood family members. Esepecially those who love Maroczy and Modern Maroczy Pawn formations can learn a lot from this book. I am working on it and it gave me a lot nice themetic ideas. Good thing is using those ideas we will do super well in our courses too. Pawn str. is the base of plans. Check out this book and learn Maroczy pawn formations in depth.

Note: I am just hoping to help those who like to work on pawn formations. I did not mean to say chessmood's content is not sharing those ideas. So, don't take me wrong. Thanks you.

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Good find, thanks. Have ordered it.

There is a critical review here:

https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1575043526/6

Grace Alekhine~~~ WoW

Wow, she was so beautiful and the wife of Legendary Alekhine. 

Who is your fav. Female Chess Grandmaster and why?

Right now my fav. one is Judit and soon I am gonna work on her games.

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I don't know much about her. Fourth wife according to Wikipedia. She stayed with him until his death. I wonder how she coped with his alcohol problems?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Alekhine

How many children they have?

Bishop+ Rook vs Rook

How many of you guys know this endgame by heart? I know it's for advanced players but my intuition is saying to me so bad that I must learn this particular endgame. In past when I was beginner my intuition said same about learn bishop+knight vs lone king. And in the very next tournament I had to win with bishop and knight and my opponent who was 1400 said to me draw? I said no it's win. He said can you win? I said yes. I was unrated that time.

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Would suggest looking at the games of GM Arkell to find examples (I expect there are some that made it into the db). He's an afficinado of this ending, as well as rook endings.

Learnt the ideas of Cochrane defense and now I remember the Philidor's winning formation too. Still need to play it through training to master both attack and defense but I am glad I am able to understand this advanced ending concept too.

Hi guys! 

If someone needs a help with this engdgame there is a chapter dedicated to it in J. Hawkins's book: From amatour to IM.  It is very well explaind and easy to understand...

Good luck! 

I learned this about 3-4 times. Every time I promised myself that I will remember but it didn't happen :D I think this kind of endings should be repeated often 

Do you agree with this statement.

Acc. to Var. Akobian- When Petrosian Attack it's Mate!!!

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hello

can explain me---- " acc. to var?"

for me, he is a strategical player/positional player 

According to kramnik he was a tactical player with a highly developed sense of danger!

He meant that he attacked very rarely, but when he attacked, he was sure that he's going to mate. I think it's kinda true.

English Opening c4 c5, Nc3 g6, d4

My first correspondence game I have played against the English opening and I meet the following line.

1. c4 c5

2. Nc3 g6

3. d4 Bg7

4. d5

Looking at the move explorer , it looks like my best chances involve some play I don't understand. Not sure if I should be going here :) 

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After 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 g6 3. d4 why are you avoiding the obvious and natural 3...cxd4 which seems more in keeping with our repertoire. Sometimes I wonder whether some of you really pay attention to the course material and the key themes and ideas involved. :-)

Thanks for you answer, it does make sense , I could tell I'd ventured away from positions I understood!