Chess forum by Grandmasters

Ad3 vs The French. Recomendation of Agaard in his book.

Hi, i want a recomendation with white.  In our course, the coach explain that white is better in this line 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Ad3 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.c3 cxd4 6.cxd4 Cc6 7.Cf3 Ad6 8.0-0 Cge7 (this is the Recomendation of Agaard in his book "Playing The French", isbte same position in other order of moves)9.Cc3 0-0 10.h3 (in chessmood videos, our coach said the plan is Te1 , Ag5 and Db3, but no mor lines), Agaard continued his variation 10...h6 11.Te1 Ae6 12.a3 Tc8 13.Ae3 Dd7 14.Dd2 Af5 (14...?Axh3).  Agaard said thal black is at least equal.  Can the coach help?.  Thks a lot.

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Hi Chico. 
A very advanced question. 
During our streams, we see, that practically no one goes so far. 
I like their recommendation. Black might be okay. And in the course as well, I said that with correct play Black should be okay. But the position remains very fighting. 
After 10...h6 I would go 11.Re1 b26 12. Be3 Qd7 13.a3! Bf5 14.Bf1! (keeping the bishop), and preparing b4,Rc1,Na4,Nc5... 
The position is very fighting, despite the engine's "equal position" evaluation. 

Question in Scotch game

Hey

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Hello Tomasz,

Since we don't have this line recorded and in our courses, it would be a little difficult to make brief recommendations. I would just say white has compensation for bad pawns structure. But generally, our main scotch is in perfect shape and I am using this line time-to-time to surprise my opponents.

Hello Tomas, this is definitely an interesting surprise line.

In the recent European team championship it was employed by young French player Maxime Lagarde against strong 2700 player Espienko. He won and France won a match against Russia.

There is a beautiful commentary of this game in French on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKZUi8q_6vw

Most of the good chess resources are in English, but the French Blitzstream channel, when Vladislav Tkachiev is commentating are a level above.

if you are not a French speaker, hopefully you can watch with english subtitles. I am not sure this is available though. 

where is the link for the tactic ninja quiz

Avetik mentioned you can find quiz links in the course page, but I can't find them. Thanks

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Isn't that just the last part of each section?

The Chess Mood Repertoire

I've played all the White lines for many months now and the Benko. But not the Sicilian, as I've invested too much in the French to just jettison it. I'm interested which  specific CM openings you have found the most success with? On Li-Chess my grade oscillates between 2100 and 2200. 

For me :--- The Scotch Game -- very big plus score for me. Grand Prix Attack-- win some great attacks but seems easy to neutralise by stronger opponents. Tricky French I have a big plus score. Caro Exchange I rarely get a big king-side attack and also seems easy for well booked opponents . Maybe that is because in my recent experience most Caro ( and Petrov ) players seem to be Russian or East Europeans. I rarely get Pirc/Modern but sometimes get a run of Philidor Defence games and usually do well in these lines. With Black I have a huge plus score with the Benko.

What about you ?

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I love seeing all the success you guys are having!

I have been using ChessMood openings exclusively for almost 3 years (3 years!) now.

I have a complete PGN file on all of our openings, with many lines extended from updates on my own play and experience.

I use Aim Chess for analytics, and I am always 97%-100% on the openings from the reports it runs. I almost always come out of the opening with at least a small advantage, and sometimes a clear advantage (.3-1.5), and that is with both colors! I play at about the 2100-2200 range on LiChess.

This also translates to over the board. In the last 2 tournaments (17 games) I have come out of the opening at least equal, and most time with an advantage, against every opponent. The average rating of my opponents have been just under 2100 FIDE, and includes 3 FIDE masters and 1 IM.

ChessMood openings are for real. These are not second rate openings designed to surprise people in online blitz (although they do this too! HAHA!). If you do a the work to learn the ideas, you will also notice yourself in situations you are much more comfortable in then your opponents will be. (It is very fun to watch an IM squirm, trying to figure out how he got outplayed in the opening by a lower rated player!)

As for individual openings and results:

In the scotch I am an assassin, my win rate is almost 70%. It is by far my favorite one to play!

It is also a bad idea to play the French against me. I even had an expert (rated 2024) fall into the Kevin Hall trap (Nxd4?) over the board recently!

The rest of the White openings are also good, even if I dont convert them all. My overall win rate with White is about 53%

From the black side I am a terror with the Acc Dragon. The only line the maintains any pull against me is the Moroczy lines, but I am learning to crack these open as well. Had a game against an FM in the last tournament that I was able to get an advantage from him out of his Moroczy, but I unfortunately let it slip away from me late in the game. (those guys are hard to finish off hehe)

Having the similar pawn structures in most of our black openings makes it much easier to remember the right ideas and be comfortable in most games. 

Playing ChessMood openings and reviewing them everyday for the last 3 years has made it very hard to surprise me in the opening (although I did have some one play the Grob against me in the last tournament!) and becuase I know I am unlikely to get surprised, I am confident when I sit down against any one, at any level, and know I will not lose from the opening. I will get a game!

I love seeing others have similar experience and successes with ChessMood openings, and hope to continue seeing these successes in the years to come!

Your brother in ChessMood,

GMJay

Scotch Surprise

Very little surprises me in the Scotch Game . But an opponent higher graded than me played a move I had not seen before.   e4 e5 :  Nf3 Nc6 : d4 e/d : Nxd4   Ne5 (?!) Odd-- I intuitively thought about Be2 after Nc3 aiming for a quick f4 . But it can get tricky and the old brain was reeling !!   Comments appreciated . 

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I have never seen this move before either but as you say, Nc3 and f4, followed maybe by Bd2 if Bb4 is played will get us a good position where we castle long and attack on the king side, very playable for White. That said I am going to ask our gms if they have seen this move before too...

I have faced it a few times as well.

Its covered in the modernised scotch opening book. I can't recall how we are supposed to continue to be honest though 

Hi

Coach has this one of his stream games, see below

[Event "Live Chess"][Site "Chess.com"][Date "2019.06.07"]

[White "ChessMood"][Black "PIMB101"][Result "1-0"][WhiteElo "2237"][BlackElo "1953"]

[PlyCount "77"][EventDate "2019.??.??"][TimeControl "180"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Ne5 5. f4 Ng6 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. Be3 d6 8. Qd2 Nf6 9. O-O-O O-O 10. h4 Bb4 11. Bd3 Ng4 12. Bg1 Ne7 13. a3 Ba5 14. h5 h6 15. Nde2 Kh8 16. Bc4 f5 17. e5 Bb6 18. exd6 cxd6 19. Qxd6 Qxd6 20. Rxd6 Nf2 21. Bxf2 Bxf2 22. Nd5 Nxd5 23. Bxd5 Rb8 24. Rd1 b6 25. c4 Bb7 26. Kc2 Bxd5 27. R1xd5 Rbe8 28. Re5 Rxe5 29. fxe5 Re8 30. e6 Bc5 31. Rc6 Kh7 32. Nf4 Be3 33. Ng6 Bg5 34. b4 f4 35. Kd3 Rd8+ 36. Ke4 Rd2 37. Rc8 Bd8 38. Kxf4 Kg8 39. e7 {ChessMood won by resignation} 1-0

Hi Keven,

To be honest I never heard of Ne5 and that is a pretty surprising move. That piece will most probably get after a lot of tempos.

I thought to play Be2 followed by some short castles and f4 ideas. Or may be more ambitious with 0-0-0 and try to use that knight for the tempos.

In any case, I personally think Ne5 is not a move we need to be worried about.

b3 ?

This has become quite popular of late. I usually play e5 maybe Bc5 etc but what do you guys play ? 

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I've made a note on two different set-ups against 1.b3 (from the streamings).

d5-Bg4 (Qb3 attacking b7 is not possible for white) -e6-Nd7-c6- possibly f5. This is the Avetik way.

And Gabuzyan: c5-Nc6-e5-d6-g6 -Bg7 -Nge7 like against English.

Hello ChessMood family,

Let me tell you the good news that we are working on course 1.b3 as black and it will be published in a near future.

Franco-Benoni

What do we play after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 c5?

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As for my experience, I meet this among 1500-1800 players I play 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Qc7 7. Qd2 Qc7 and transpose to a Taimanov-Paulsen open sicilian setup, going for long castle and preparing a kingside attack. Of course, chessmood will publish the best way but after combinatorics I came up with this solution. Correct me if I am wrong somewhere. 

@Yair_E

Also 1.e4 d6 2.d4 c5?

Hello!

I agree 1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5 3.d5 is very strong. You don't have your c-pawn on c4 so this allows you to put a piece on this square (for instance with the typical Benoni maneuver - Nf3-Nd2-Nc4)

3.d5 is the most logical move, and it should be covered. I usually follow up with Nc3 instead of c2-c4.

3.Nf3 is against the spirit of the ChessMood repertoire in that it transitions to a main line Sicilian.

I found the following posts asking the same question, please check them for further reference>

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/french-sicilian-or-something-else

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/best-response-to-2-c5-after-1e6

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/hwo-to-play-against-1e4-e6-2d4-c5

Very useful post in the previous link by Kevin D

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/e4-e6-d4-c5

Since I can see that we got so many requests regarding the same question I will ask Avetik to record something in this line and since @Kevin_D is also asking about 1.e4 d6 2.d4 c5 :) I will ask  about this too. In the meanwhile, d5 and benoni style Nf3, Nd2, Nc4 is a good plan...

Hello Yair,

The easiest way will be 3.d5. That would go to Benoni setups, bit without c4 move which often favors to white. We can use that time for faster development, as well in the future we can use that square for Nf3-d2-c4 transfer. I would say it's a very rare line and not good at all for black.

Accelerated Dragon 6.Nde2

Hello all,

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7

I faced 6.Nde2!? ... Nf6 7.g3 O-O 8.Bg2 d6 9.h3 Bd7 (If Be6 then white can play Nf4) 10. O-O a6 11.a4 with a grip on d5.

What's our strategy as black in this line? It's not easy to trade pieces, break in the center or on the queenside. And it looks like white can launch a kingside attack starting with f4 soon.

Thanks, Alex

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after 7.g3 I like b5!? now if white takes Nxb5 it's a great trade for central pawn for black and if 8.Bg2 then Rb8 with b4,a5 ideas is ok for black

Hi Alex, 

Usually black uses the c file in many sicilians.

Sometimes Rc8+Na5 or e5 with Nc4 threats are very strong and playable. When we have a fianchetto structure white can't create a dangerous attack since their own king will be weakened. Also, Na5 move often allows  b5 since the bishop on d7 joins the game.

Why is this website down?

https://chessmood.com/forum/main-channel/100-hours-of-courses-by-grandmasters-are-unlocked

In the article, it gives the link

http://link.chessmood.com/covid19

That link isn't working now...?

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Article is over a year old. You think they are giving away content for a whole year?

Chess Goals 2022

Lets share our chess goals of 2022

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My Goals of 2022

• Improving the quality of my study time: use this year to really understand how I can learn the most and how I can use the knowledge in practice.
• Create a 1e4 repertoire from white, get better at defensive skills and other middlegame themes in which I am weak and get better at complex endings like Q+R v/s Q+R or Queen Endings.
• Jan- Play 3-4 classical tmts.
• Feb to Apr-Deep study of the games and improve my chess
• May to July- Play as many tmts as much possible.
• August- A break from chess.
• Sep to Oct- Deep study of the games and improve my chess
• Nov- Play 3-4 tmts
• Dec- Analysis of my games and a little break.

Nice tactic

Hi! Wanted to share a chess position played long time ago by our current president of Lithuania.

Not so hard, it's white to move, is it possible to survive?

Here's the facebook post, as source

https://www.facebook.com/gitanas.nauseda/posts/328430007501284

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Your president plays chess? Cool!

Not to get too political, I don't think our Prime Minister does, but there again tying his shoelaces on his own might be too difficult.

How to Follow Modern Events

I was thinking about what is the more effective way to follow modern games. I was reading an article of Ding in which he said after breakfast he likes to follow latest games on chessabase to see if there is any new idea or interesting positions. I like that but I wanna know what is the most effective way to follow latest games . 

From latest ongoing games we find many things like:

1, Trending lines and new ideas in various openings.

2. Many cool middlegames concepts 

3. After sometimes instructive endgames.

So, it takes a lot time to follow games as I am an intermediate player not a master.  Games are also more than 50 everyday.  I also heard once that Tal was following more than 100 games in a day. I forgot where I read but I read it. 

My current request is to make an article about it or give nice detailed idea about " How to follow Modern on going Tournaments"

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Depending on whether you want to follow them live or you are more interested in places where you can get the best post game analysis.

How to get the most out of games whether they are the latest or in a book/course is a wider topic with overlaps and could do with an article.

It's easy to play through or concentrate so much on making the moves / reading the commentary that you don't get so much from it. Trying to play guess the move (a standard suggestion) usually takes too much time.

One thing I did read was from a player that just looks to the positions that are commented or having analysis as the interesting bits.

A trick I do is find a position in the game I do understand and work backwards with an engine to understand a more complicated position earlier.

Najdorf

Dear friends, as an alternative to the course "Accelerated dragon", we decided to offer you "Najdorf Variation", which will explain to you one of the best experts of Najdorf in the world!

https://chessmood.com/course/2-sicilian-defense-najdorf-variation

Are you not gonna update this course coach? 

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Oh, what is this? I cannot find this course in the courses' section nor can I remember seeing it there (I joint last October). How was this course/fragment communicated?

This course was removed from the repertoire because the Najdorf it is such a big opening that it will make it very difficult to keep it up with. We decided that the Accelerated Dragon is the best weapon for our purpose and for not confusing our promembers, we just focused on the Accelerated Dragon. We still believe that we are doing the right thing and there are no plans in the immediate future to continue with this course. This is why it was removed from the courses page.

But as far as i know najdorf was essential 

we were playing 2.Nc3 d6 so after 3.Nf3 we cannot bring acc dragon

Hello GM Gabuzyan Sir, I think it was better to omit Najdorf, but can you tell what you would recommend against 6.Bg5? I am confident with other lines except for Bg5 but struggle with Bg5 because of draws

Doubt in game no.15 { Rubinstein-Duras} commented classical games

Instead of the move Qf1 is it possible to play Nb2 also with same idea ?

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I studied this game for a while and black's real mistake was 15...Ne7? after that he is under real pressure where white is almost winning already.  15...Nb8 is much better and even 15...Nd4 is better than Ne7 although white is a bit better here too.

By the time we get to the move 27. Qf1, white is already winning and there are already many moves that win because after exchanges on b3 the d6 pawn also drops off in a lot of lines.  White has a large static advantage which means he can play slowly, improve his position in several ways and not lose his winning chances.  Black can't do much about it.  So Nb2, Bf2, Bg1, Bd2 are all winning along with several other moves.

This doesn't detract from the beauty and simplicity of Rubinstein's Qf1 though.  It is still a pretty and elegant way to play it.

Nb2 is not the same idea as Rubinstein has with Qf1.  The point of Rubinstein's plan was that the N will live on d2 defending b3 securely after the Q exchange with always a threat of Nc4-Nd6 at a suitable moment.  With Nb2 the N would be on d3 and to defend the b3 pawn from c1 doesn't look optimal.  So obviously better is to play b4 (still completely winning) so the N defends it one square further on but I think that although it is still winning there are better ways and the N is better on the d2-c4 squares either defending b3 or threatening to win the d6 pawn.

Scotch ..4Qf6 5.Nf3 vs Nb5

Scotch where B plays 4.Qf6

The course reccomends 5.Nf3.

My question  is why not 5.Nb5?

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Well, that's a different variation, completely playable and well known for the Qf6 player. Nf3 is newer and we believe that it is a very good move too.

Benko Move Order

So... I finally decided to bite the bullet and try to make ChessMood openings my repertoire against 1d4/c4 etc, but I'm having some issues with the Benko. Firstly, I gather from some books (e.g. Neil McDonald's 'The Benko Gambit Revealed') that the best move order is supposed to be 5 ...g6 after 5 axb6, and only after 6 Nc3 Bxa6. The idea is that retaining the option of ...Nxa6 dissuades White from posting his Bishop on b2, but the CM course goes 5 ...Bxa6 straight away. I'm sure most players at club level will just play 6 Nc3 anyway and transpose, but supposedly it's an inaccuracy.

Also, after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 d6 7 g3 g6 8 Bg2 Bg7 9 Nf3 0-0 10 0-0 Nbd7 11 Qc2 Qa5 the course says that 12 b3 is impossible because of 12 ...Nxd5, but in fact after 12 b3 Nxd5 13 Nxd5 Bxa1 14 Bd2, Black is in big trouble; I don't see a better reply than 14 ... Qd8 and after 15 Rxa1, white just has two pieces against a Rook.

I'm creating a file in my Opening Trainer app as I watch the videos, but I'm not sure what to put in here.

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EDIT: The first move order issue seems to be addressed in the Advanced section titled 'The Modern Benko Gambit'. Should've known Coach Avetik would mention it at some stage!

I agree that after 11. b3 11. ... Nxd5 would not be good for black (however, it seems that I do not have this in my notes. So maybe I missed it when watching the videos. Or it is not a line from the video).

I watched Daily Lesson with a GM #307 and I got the same theme tactic :)

Link to lesson (Removing upcoming defender): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylH-FkKUPh4

The tactic I got: https://lichess.org/training/HZn6W

A big note of appreciation and thank you for Chessmood for uploading these instructional daily lesson with GM (not just for this one tactic but for improving my play! :D)

I solved this tactic, but feel free to leave your answers in the comments!

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Our team is very happy to hear that. Keep on learning, keep on winning!

Discussion of Daily Puzzle Nov 15

The answer is Nh5, with a nice rook check to follow. The idea seems to be to reach a R+2p vs  N+p endgame. 

But what if we start with the rook check then play Nh5? Black has several options such as letting White queen and winning the rook, but it seems to me White still has an advantage after queening and capturing the g pawn - reaching a Q+N+2p vs. Q+N endgame.

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Starting with a rook check is a mistake! W does not win any more as Black now can play 1...Kc5=.
Also, 1...Ke7 2.Nh5 would not win for White either, as due to the black King move Black can now play 2...Qb8!=

Mistakes in the Chessmood videos (that help us)

Hello guys - I thought it will be interesting if everytime we feel that we spot a mistake in the videos we post it here. 

This is not with bad intentions! I understand that it is normal that after recording so many hours there can be minor errors in tactical shoots or calculation or simply something that the person recording the video may have missed.

I think this may be useful for 3 reasons:

1- maybe not too strong players may see that there is a 'potential error' and believe that it is not a real error it is only that they are not too strong. OR, it can be that we find something that we think is an error and in reality it is not. So, it opens some debate and room for helping each other.

2- will put us into 'active mood'. This is help us to not watch videos only passively, but being attentive to try to discover some errors, hence keeping us engaged. 

3- FInally, although is not the intention. May help to the Chessmood team in case that they want to make some corrections. 

Here is an example: 

BEnko Gambit video 10 (07:57)
 
Actually, Nd1 + is impossible due to Rxd1 ;) So better to finde something else in casae of Rc2!

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Btw! I am not saying that the idea does not work I am just saying that maybe they skipped a moved in the exectution ;)

Hey Pablo! 
Thanks. 

I've in my to-do list a separate list fixing/changing some videos of the courses. 

We just didn't change this one, which was posted  earlier, as we're re-recording all the Benko. 

But overall I love this threat and would appreciate if everyone post here mistakes they see. 
Mistake - I don't mean that Stockfish 10 say another move, stockfish 11 - another :) 
But some obvious blunders :) 

Commented Classical Games - Game 56 (Larsen - Spassky): it is not really a tactical mistake, but a visual glitch in the video:  White's d2 pawn becomes invisible from ~5min to ~10min, which makes it a little bit harder to understand the tactics.

Good Morning to you all.

While creating my own pgn-file (running shredder13 analysis modus in the background) to engine gave an nice tactic that seems to improves the line in 

Benko Gamit, Video 10, 4:56

Instead of 20. ... Qb1 (protecting the pawn on g6) 20. ... Rxf2+ seems to be much stronger. So one might re-consider taking the exchange with 19. ... Qxa1 instead of the repertoire move 19. ... exf4.

Hi Pablo. I just entered this position into my pgn-file and agree that the fork on d1 does not work. But setting a fork is the right idea: 22. ... Rxf4 23. gxf4 Nxf4+ with 24. ... Nxe6 -/+

Hello - I see this post was not so popular. In any case, I have found another little error in the Scandinavian course. Section 5 3... Nf6, video 26. 6... Qf5. 

Here Nb4 is not possible because of Qa4+ and black loses a piece. I imagine most players would spot this but it will be a pity to automatically play 0-0 and lose the chance to win the knight. 

I think I found a mistake in Petroff course lecture 66, after 15...Bxf3, coach says we cannot play 16. Qxh6 cause of 16...Bxd5, but we can cause line follows 17. Bh7+ Kh8 18.Bf5+! (covering escape sq d7) Kg8 19. Qh7+ Kf8 20. Qh8+ Ke7 21. Re1+ Be6 and 22. Rxe6! fxe6 23. Qg7 mate

Seems like a mistake in the Anti Sicilian Part 1 Course. Video No. 14 8...e6. In the below position coach suggested for Black b6. But, why not d5 and d4. When checking with the engine, Black is better. And, it I also think so. So, I think instead of the move 10.Be3, the move recommended, I think Bb5 first would be interesting. Avetik sir and others, What do you think?

Just trying to find all the posts relateds and put them under the same post for reference, that way I will be able to organize exactly what has been fixed and what needs to be fixed.

If you happen to know some miss please reply to the original post of this thread for the moment, then I will arrange it.

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/anti-sicilian-part-3-2816

how to access complete pgn file (Scotch) ?

For the Scotch course why can I only see 1 pgn file that is no way near complete ... it references the videos but I want the whole pgn including all the lines ?

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Use your brain that's why they are not complete

https://chessmood.com/blog/the-most-effective-way-to-create-chess-pgn-files

Also likely helps stop people just copying courses as well.

The pgn files are not af full draftback of the whole course. They contain the important lines. ChessMood's idea is to make the promembers work with the openings. If we provide a full pgn, many people will sit back and watch, and not work. You should update your own pgn after watching the course or by sections.  After that you should keeping updating your pgn, when you play a game, get an idea, see a position not mentioned, watching the streams, etc. Also please refer to the link kindly provided by Jamie where everything is explained in detail...

I am sure you will have a happy learning, and in you case, being such a Hard Worker, it should be much easier ;-)

Dear Ding, 
I would love to provide full PGNs, but Wang Hao asked me not to :D