Chess forum by Grandmasters

New article: How Being Rich Almost Killed My Chess Career

GM Gabuzyan almost lost his chess career due to a comfortable, problem-free life. In his latest article, he shares how a sudden wake-up call sparked the motivation to go from an average player to Armenia's youngest Grandmaster. 

His journey of overcoming laziness, pushing past comfort, and achieving greatness is a must-read for anyone facing their own challenges. 

Dive into his inspiring story now 👇

https://chessmood.com/blog/how-being-rich-almost-killed-my-chess-career

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The threat of the army worked first time so why not arrange this for the second time?! Best wishes for your next challenge. I hope to see less of you so that we can keep hearing more from you.

Excellent! Good point. And it is logical that I would like you to share the training habits. They will surely help me and many colleagues. I already died 70 years ago and now I am looking for motivation to continue progressing in chess. I hope your example enlightens me. Success in your new challenge. 

Excellent! Good Point. And it is logical that I would 

Hi GM Gabuzyian . Your story is interesting and any details on your training is welcome . For your new goal , I m confident that you have the will power to succeed . Like for anything we want to achieve , you need to aim for long term benefit . I advice to stay away from the quick miracle diet as the body need time to adjust . Good luck ! 

Please mind your health and lose that weight dear Hovhannes. Chessmood would be a duller and less inspiring place without you. 

wow very intrestnig i very much realate to you

what a fantastic honest open post! 

Really impressive writing!!!!  all the best for your (and our!) next goals.   

Thank you for your heart-felt and motivating story, GM Gabuzyan. Your honesty will help me and so many other people. 

Writing about your weight-loss challenges, if you choose to do so, will undoubtedly help many people with their own weight challenges. 

Really enjoyed reading about your personal journey to GM, and what motivated you to succeed. The photo of you and GM Avetik as kids is great. You have been very honest about the challenges ahead as they relate to your weight loss journey, and I am sure that both passion (and fear) will be very motivating in this journey also. Wishing you great success, one step at a time. All the very best! 

Thanks, all of the psychology topics from chessmood has changed the trajectory of my life

You are an inspiration, my friend! It's a good reminder that big a big advantage plus a small drive equals little progress while even a small advantage plus a big drive equals crushing it. You were in SLP mode and you came out on top! I have no doubt you will do the same with your new challenge.

p.s. I would love to hear both…The training tips and your new goal. 

Hi Hovhannes,

The ChessMood approach is really the best thing I have experienced for improving chess. Professionalism in a kind of cosy environment. High quality content and I will have difficulties to learn from a chess book again! I am convinced that you find the right mood and motivation especially knowing what is at stake! I wish you all strength to come out on top!!!! Any training tips and health journey progess updates are appreciated as I will learn from both!!

Great read - thanks Hovhannes and wow great story !

Good luck in your new challenge. In case it is an inspiration, I have over the last two years prioritised health over all else.

I read that if you need to fill a jar with rocks, you must put the biggest ones in first and then the smaller ones will fit in too. Once I realised that my health is the biggest thing of all, because it powers everything (including what I can be for others), I prioritise it. Yesterday I rescheduled a meeting because something happened in the family that meant I would lose my daily workout, and so I needed to find time for it. And why not. 
 

Now with this new strategy of exercise/diet/sleep as my immovables, I find I can do more than ever. I hope you can find the same strategy to make yourself even greater as a person by succeeding in your new challenge !

Excellent article! It's sad sometimes we can't find the fire as easily as when resources are stretched and time is limited T.T

And yes, of course I'm curious to learn the training techniques your coach taught you!

It is so good to see that you are comfortable sharing your experiences with the Chessmood Family,hope you live a happy chess life

A great article Hovhannes.  It is not easy to overcome laziness and distractions, I know!  I am at a very different stage of life than you were and hoping to reach a rating of 2000 by the age of 60.   Can I do it??????   14 months to go and currently about 1500 on chess.com 

LOL I feel ya man: attracting beauty queens for groupies when I was 20 and rated 2000 did kill my chess career.

Nice subcommunication: let women know you're wealthy by framing it as a problem while also letting them know you're a GM alpha dog!

BTW chess is solved.  

ha ha  I was literally very speed in chess and always makes blunder now I am recovering it

WAIT A MINUTE! 120kg? How did bro get there?Sorry but bro is fatter than my mom haha

Eye opening article we have limited time! thank you!! Yes please share your training methods that your coach shared.

Question in Maroczy

In the following position, I don't understand why is 0-0 overwhelmingly played in top level over Be3? To my eyes they look the same (developing move). Thank you in advance!

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Hi Inguh,

The thing is, for White, the short side castle is a Mandatory, while in some ocassions they might choose another square for the Bishop.
So the priority castle happens soon, and then they decide where the Bishop goes.

Query related to mood coins

❓

How can I use mood coins to buy course?

Pls anyone tell if they know how to but cource from moodcoin.

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Hi Dev,

Take a look at my post here:

https://chessmood.com/forum/main-channel/how-do-i-use-moodcoins

When you have enough Moodcoins to buy one(about 40K I guess… dont be afraid cause when you get 1 moodcoin it is shown as 1K) then click on a course(their prices are according to no. of hrs) and there is and option Buy Course then in payment method you can select Moodcoins. (If you want a course with longer hrs then you probably have to save them😅)

ECF unlocking offer

Hi, how do we unlock the courses as part of the 20/7 to 30/7 offer?

Thanks

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Betting the farm on ChessMood

Hello everyone,

I'm conducting an experiment in which I am trying to become a strong chess player (2000+) while starting in my mid-40s with a busy job and life. I have been documenting my progress on my blog, but my studies have been scattered for the past month and a half since I started the experiment.

The two major problems I have encountered are:

• There are a million resources available, both free and premium. The issue is curation. It is like a buffet of random chess skills. I find myself jumping from one resource to the next without following a concrete plan that helps me develop my chess abilities.

• Many people don't know how to teach chess. I teach technology and Italian, and I find the way chess is often taught puzzling. Many resources lack storytelling and are essentially a series of moves. OK, but why? Perhaps it is because I am a beginner, but I find many resources lacking in good teaching methods.

Then I came across ChessMood. It is a mystery to me why it is not more famous in the chess world!

I took the currently free Opening Fundamentals course by Avo and, wow, that's what I'm talking about. Finally, someone who can truly teach chess by explaining key concepts. It is not just move this or move that, but the reasoning behind it, presented in a progressive manner suitable for beginners. The instructor is also funny and entertaining. By far, the best chess content I have come across so far.

The site also outlines a complete path to chess mastery if you are willing to study and practice.

So I decided to bet everything on ChessMood. I will sign up for the paid subscription and use it as my primary tool for chess improvement. If you are curious, I wrote about my exact plan here: https://chessatanyage.com/my-chess-improvement-study-plan/

The two questions I have are:

• In my plan, being busy, I'm playing 2 Rapid games (15+10) per day (along with some correspondence games). Is this enough “practice”?

• For those of you who have tried the Pro version: Is it worth the difference in price for you? Or do you find yourself mostly using the resources available in the Essential subscription?

Thank you in advance,

Tony

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Hi Tony and welcome.

If it makes you feel any better - I started my chess journey (not that long ago) in my 50s!  You can read my post here: https://retiringrichie.com/starting-chess-in-retirement/

And you are completely right, it's very easy to suffer from information overload.  ChessMood is a great resource and the people here are very friendly.

I'll be interested to watch your progress (liked and subbed on your YouTube April 2025 Update video).  Good luck!!

If you want a game anytime I'm ShouldveStuckToPoker on Chess.com.

Thank you for sharing, this mean that anyone can start learning chess at any age. With the right resource like ChessMood, it is easy to understand and enjoy the game.

Is it better to analyze games without using the engine?

 Many say that I shouldn't use the engine while others say that it's okay…

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You should check out this article: Deep Thoughts on Chess Improvement by Gukesh’s coach GM Vishnu Prasanna                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

The key point: 

"How staying away from the engine made Gukesh stronger

Gukesh put his complete trust in Vishnu’s coaching methods. One of the things Vishnu suggested was not to use an engine.

'It was just an experiment. Except for Gukesh, nobody before or after Covid has accepted that. People when they come to me know that I recommend that, but they don't want to do that anyway.'

It helped Gukesh tremendously.

‘He developed a lot of self-awareness – what exactly is his thought process, what position he likes, what position he does not like. That’s one of his strengths.’

'You get a better sense of practical play when you turn off the engine. The number of bad positions Gukesh has saved, how he provokes his opponent and all that – there's a deeper layer to it. It's not really obvious when you use engines.'

As a player, Vishnu had come across a chess coach who was against using the engine.

‘Mr. Ivan Sokolov used to fight the engines ruthlessly. I was an engine addict as a player. So I would be checking with the engine and he(Sokolov) was using his head ruthlessly and trying to fight with us 😅 A lot of practical play is part of Ivan Sokolov’s training. He understands what works practically.’

Why questions are more important than answers

So how does the engine limit one's growth? Vishnu had a deep point to share.

'I used to joke with my friend there's only one problem in chess and that is what’s my next move. If you know that, then stop thinking and make the move. If you don't know, that's something you have to think about – Why can't I make a move here if I've studied so much chess for so many years?'

'In chess, it's very difficult to make a move that’s not worsening your position for a long time. Why is that? You have to think about such things. You get a lot more questions to think about when you turn off the engines.'

'Questions are more important than the answers. The engine gives you the answers, but it doesn't give you the questions.'

‘So in that sense, a lot of human chess and human behavior, you understand without an engine when you think. So in that way, I think that was also an important reason why I recommended that.’

'You probably shouldn't use engines till you're 2200. I would say that engine use is definitely detrimental if you don't know why something is a mistake.'"

Let me start by saying that I do both. I start by annoying the game with the plans I was considering, what I saw on the board ( or what I didn’t see), potential tactics, where my calculations were correct or incorrect, where I strayed from my opening repertoire, etc. 

After that I turn on the engine and look for big swings in advantage. I look at the computer line and consider if that was something I should have seen or should see in the future. If so, I add that line to the evaluation. If I can’t see why there is a swing I only include the computers line if I want to keep evaluating it. Honestly at my level swings from 1 to -1 happen all the time. Most of the time it’s a lengthy calculation I can’t do yet.

The engine is not enough. It can tell you where your mistakes are but can give you no insight into why you made the mistake. You have to figure that out to improve. So my answer is use both. It’s not an either/or situation. I don’t have a coach to go over my games and my analysis. Maybe if I did I would feel differently.

Hey there.
Here is an article by GM Avetik on how to use the engine to analyse the games, will be helpful:
https://chessmood.com/blog/analyze-blitz-chess-games

7Q OR SILENT STRATEGY

I am confused that in a given position should I use the 7Q method to make a plan or follow the silent strategy and look and space advantage etc 

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That is a very good question my friend. 
Answer is - It Depends…
See, 7Q says to ‘improve our position’ and Silent Strategy gives the HOW.
In a Dynamic, fast and tactic-based game; where it seems that your opponent is working very systematically but you don't see to get the idea how to continue.. You ask the 7Qs.
But in a positional, slow game - you apply the 7Q mixed with Strategy. 
The aim is to make this both get into our subconscious and seamlessly blend them into our game without conscious effort. Through experience you'll be able to grasp it and know the distinction. 
Please hit a like so that I get fetch some MoodCoins :D

Attack The Pirc Defense (Question?)

In the Attacking The Pirc course we are given two options 1. Grand Prix set up, 2.  Bf4! Set up, if I choose the Grand Prix setup do I need to do the courses counter the Czech Pirc and Modern Pirc?  Are they related?
 

Would you suggest playing Grand Prix setup against players rated 2200 ?

— Thank you

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Hey there,

If you are choosing the GP setup, you will not be facing the other setups, but knowing them can be useful.
I triedthe  GP setup even against GMs and feel pretty satisifed with that to be honest.

Good luck.

New article: Grandmaster Guide to learn and improve chess tactics

99.9% of players choose wrong approaches and fail, when it comes to learning and improving tactics. 

So what do the 0.1% do differently? 
 

In today’s article, GM Avetik Grigoryan reveals the exact process and break downs a very effective approach to improving your tactics. You’ll learn:
 

✅The 7-step process to learn and improve your tactics from scratch.

✅The 4 mistakes you should avoid

✅Why a lesser-known tactic training software is better for improving tactics than the most popular tactic trainers.

✅How to know if you’re actually getting better at tactics?
 

It’s a very thorough and detailed guide with many stories and deep insights. 

So grab your favorite drink, sit back and enjoy reading!?

https://chessmood.com/blog/improve-chess-tactics

And share your thoughts under this forum thread!

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CT-ART 6 is now CT-ART 10. Is not really a courses but a bunch of tactic courses from the platform learn.chess.King This platform has about 90 courses and summing. I own several courses like GM Panchenko, Total Endings that has 2700 exercises and some 50 Theoretical themes. I use the 300 pawn Endings to practice calculation. When I bought CT-ART 6 the Peshka horrible interface had been changed by a multiplatform enviroment and learn.chess.king has its own web with the +90 courses displayed and my CT-ART 6 was not a software but access to several tactical courses mostly for post-beginners, club and intermediate tacticians . So I concentrated instead in solving Studies and my tactical awarness on chess.com jumped from +2000 to +2800 in a short time. A GM qualified compositions solving as Advanced Tactics and I couldnt agree more. But still once in a weak I train puzzles at chess.com because I am an OTB player and puzzle patterns from games difere from patterns of Study solving.

I just realize I can only do well in fast games(1+0 and 3+0) and fast puzzles mode(3 min puzzle rush/battle and puzzle racer) and hoping to improve in my slow games by solving tactics for a long time ? Thanks for the nice article!

ChessCoach Andras suggests the following to get into good calculation habits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5V8-CBQMBg He suggests doing mates in 3 on lichess (you can select puzzle by type) to get into the right habits of looking at checks, captures and threats roughly in the order of most forceful first. I think it also serves as a good warm-up before a match.

Nice article. It inspired me to give CT-ART another try (CT-ART 4 on Android). I didn't like the UI last time, but now it seems OK. Might be my new phone with a bigger screen, or maybe I just got used to it.

Avetic, there is a very interesting and beneficial book I recommend reading, "Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning". It is about key insights the science of optimal learning has discovered, some surprising. The authors are cognitive scientists at The University of Washington, St. Louis, a top tier university in the U.S.

Hello Avetic, what's your opinion on chesstempo.com free tactics training? To tell you the truth, I'd rather save a bit of money… Thank you!

i'm a little city area strong player but when i cam into the internet i understood i was a beginner went classes increased my rating and boom! a big stone wall saying pass chess.com 880 if you dare i was just 830! i couldn't i actually moved backwards but i got this from my chess sir. reached 850 level great i keep hitting the wall it cracks but puts me backward everytime and heals itself! i came to the tactic ninja course watched the free part and bye bye wall! I finished the free part great mood just clicked the play button played and well lost! wall returns this time i just can't take it! read the article i thing i might just reach 900 well todays playing time finished have to check next day i say this is most helpful!🥰🤩😀👍

Hi GM Avetik , CT-ART6 is not available in my area any other alternative except of CT-ART6

New article: Why We Get Angry & How to Sweeten the Soul

Ever been so angry you almost punched someone?

GM Avetik did.
But what followed changed everything…

A story of soccer, wasabi, Rasgullas, and winning the hardest game of all…
https://chessmood.com/blog/why-we-get-angry

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ok, we had an actual knight annihilation this time mwahahaha

piedraven vs. fercosme | Analysis - Chess.com

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The 20th move hurt my soul a little bit haha

What should I do until all the sidelines appear?

I saw the Countering Sideslines d4 course and I really liked the variations offered and I recommend them and I had very good results, but when will all the sidelines appear, such as Torre Attack, Colle System, Catalan 3.g3 Setups,... And what do you recommend I do until all the sidelines appear?

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Dear Super Pawn,

We are going to have an expanded version of 1.d4 sidelines. 
We usually get the fianchetto systems with g6 - and conditionally play with d6-e5 ideas or d5 moves.
You can select a setup that is comfortable for you, and update your repertoire once we have the updated version.
 

I had a very nice knight annihilation lined up. My opponent blundered and it ended up not being necessary

https://www.chess.com/game/live/140774968394

Yes that's me, yes my blitz rating is in the toilet. Got me a nice case of blunderitis lately

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Scotch Game (Doubt)

In the Scotch Game, once the opponent traded everything and our Queen reached the center, if c5, GM Avetik Master recommended Qe3. 
Why not Queen d3 since in e3 the queen blocks the bishop, but at d3 the white-squared bishop doesn't want to develop anyway so the queen ain't blocking anything.. Please Enlighten Me.

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Hey Udayakumar!

I assume you mean the position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nxd4 5.Qxd4 c5

Qd3 definitely isn't a bad move (it's actually quite good and you could play that as well).

Although, Qe3 won't be blocking our dark-squared bishop as you said, because we are going to fianchetto it with Nc3 b3 Bb2. 

There are also more practical advantages with Qe3. Avo explains everything in the course: 

chessmood.com/course/whitemood-openings/episode/3713

Happy Chessing!

Sarah

If you play Qd3 after this move sequence: e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 d4 exd4 Nxd4 Nxd4 Qxd4 c5 then you prevent the rook from being fully active on the open file because you put your queen in front of your own rook.

TrainMood is coming ...

Hello everyone!

We're working on TrainMood - an upcoming puzzle platform that will go beyond typical tactics training to include strategy puzzles (positional play, pawn structures, weak pawns etc.). Students will be able to create custom sessions mixing different topics.

Our chess team is working on creating new databases for this feature.

While tactical puzzles are everywhere, strategy puzzle databases are rare. We're struggling to find good sources. Do you know of any:

• Strategy/positional puzzle collections?
• AI specialists who could generate strategic positions?
• Sources for strategic training materials?

Any suggestions would be amazing!

Thanks
ChessMood Team

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There is Strategic Chess Exercises, by Emmanuel Bricard (published by New In Chess), but it's on Chessable and I don't know whether you would also be able to use it. There's also a Youtube review of Bricard's book by Daniel King at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pE7GaINbgs&t=1s

Chessfox has a compilation of 40 positional tactics puzzles.

https://chessfox.com/list-of-positional-chess-tactics/

Alekhine defense, Chess Mood gambit

In the pgn file for the Alekhine defense there is the Chees mood gambit. 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. f4. 

Unfortunately I cannot find the videos where this gambit is covered. Can you please send me the relevant links. 

Best Regards, Kurt

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It’s in the white mood course under Alekhine.   I’ve played it a few times, pretty fun.

Hi Kurt,

https://chessmood.com/course/whitemood-openings/episode/3812

Resource to help me - get more out of analyzing my games

I am a very low intermediate (1100 Chess.com) sr player trying to get more learning value out of my analysis of my games.  I at least “go over them” now and see big engine discrpancies - and try to understand but – I don't feel I am really getting good learning value.   SUGGESTION on a good resource for this?  

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Good article by GM Noël Studer: https://nextlevelchess.com/game-analysis1/

What do you recommend playing after d4 with black?

I have a rating in 1950 classic fide and 2422 blitz chess.com. I like to play Benko Gambit very much (I like aggressive and dynamic play) but I would like to learn another opening that is solid and that I can play without any risk in classic fide tournaments.
I would have to choose between Modern Benoni Defense , King's Indian Defense and Nimzo-Indian defense.Which one do you think would be the best for me considering I play Benko Gambit and I like it very much,but I would also like one that is solid enough and I can play it anytime.If you have other interesting openings that are not here and you recommend them I would love to know.Could you also tell me what resources to use books/courses/videos.
For Avetik or Gabuzyan.

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Dear Super Pawn,

I do understand your thoughts and concerned. I personally apply Benko in both blitz and classical game and find it interesting, however if you are willing to add more openings to you reply after 1.d4 you can find some courses in the opening/s you want to learn.

Currently, our website offers only Benko for the 2000+ level and Blackmood repertoire for the U2000 level.
We might have some more options in the future, but I can't provide any info as it's not decided yet.

Scotch game question

when you play the scotch as White when you play with Qe2 and be3 after f3 g4 what should you do after Ne5? I think it’s a very strong response and haven’t been able to find anything on my own.

One of the positions I came across white to move

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Dear Paul,

In the given position, h3 is the best move - so you are defending the pawn on g4 - and now planning to continue the game with the f4 idea.
White is doing better in that position.

Training/Sparring Partner

Hi, I'm Spencer, living in the UK. My FIDE/ECF rating is around 1850 and I'm looking for a training/sparring partner with a similar/higher rating while studying here. I can play on lichess etc.

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Hi Spencer,

You'll have more luck if you post in the dedicated thread:

https://chessmood.com/forum/main-channel/studysparring-partner-1362