Wow!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChessTeachersandLearners/permalink/4529308503810238/

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The Scotch - 4...Nd4?

Hello, champions!

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NEW ARTICLE: How to Show NO MERCY to Your Opponents

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 Interesting viewpoint. Reminds me of a Carlsen quote that used to be (is it still there?) on the walls of Wijk aan Zee playing hall:

"Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it's okay to lose. I don't. You have to be merciless."

I love this article, now I can feel when I am thinking those loser thoughts! Then I try to redirect myself to be ruthless, remembering this article. Thank you so much Coach Gabuzyan for this article!

I play against pieces. (Svetozar Gligorić) 

Is chess evil? 

I think chess is just a game, but people who play this game have different mind-sets.

For people who play chess to earn their living, chess is just a competition, and not an ART.

Probably for majority of them,  at professional level, chess is 1st degree murder!

It’s chess pieces, not a man I play against! Svetozar Gligoric

Svetozar Gligoric was one of the top players in the world and one of the World’s most prominent, owing to his particularly engaging personality.

At the chessboard, Gligoric was an uncompromising fighter and at the same time a symbol of gentlemanhood and correctness. 

Last year, at the first quarter Presidential Board meeting, FIDE decided to establish a fair play award named after Svetozar Gligoric.

Read the full news here:

https://fide.com/news/205

Nice article I will use the winning mindset in my games all the time from now on.

Awesome Article!

Gave  Be  Boost Up To Be Evil!

edits-- In Good Sense

Discord ChessMood Group Training

How many of you guys are active on discord chessmood group? It will be amazing if you will join discord group of chessmood and stay active there so we will grow our chess skills together. Thanks.  I appreciate those who will join us and study with us!

https://discord.gg/BWmdew

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Just joined. I did not realise there was a discord channel.

The Mood in ChessMood?

I'm guessing this is referring to appropriate attitude, beliefs and frame of mind when playing?

Mood taken literally would refer to a state of mind/feeling being happy, angry, focused, awake, or 'in a mood' (upset, angry, sullen).

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Chess Puzzle

Do you know this one? 

White to play.

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Is the last move f4 mate? wow! 

1.f4+ Kd5 2.f5 Bxf5 3.Nf4+ Ke5 4.Rd1 c6 5.Rd5+ cxd5 6.Nd3+ exd3 7.f4 mate

Actually in this Position I was Not Considering the f5 Move for 2 to 3 minutes. After Calculating all the lines I have not got the Answer So I Thought I am missing Something Again I checked all moves then I have seen f5 Move after that it is an easy Task.

1.Why I was not Considering the f5 move at the first time?

2.In which Area I want to Improve?

Chess and Music

I'm interested in is there anyone who is listening to music during the online games? 

I do. And I think it distracts my concentration but it seems too much boring without music :D

What about you?

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Hajime в сердцах <3

Miyagi is always with me :D

I know people who streams online play music and make fun. I am not against it. But anyone wish for serious training online games using proper board and mindset to work on his skills then I think music may distract their mind. For me, I am just a boring personality. I think i heard the last song months ago. For me only chess books and videos and Fischer's movies is attractive. Rest I do nothing. 

But there is also an another approach, some players admit that when they run music and think then they play very well. So I think it's a matter of one's mindset. For me it's distraction but for someone it can be boom. I prefer choose what you like.

About your boring thing, I have only one thing to say. I do not mean to offend you but I just feel like if you love chess then how can it become boring if you play online? I noticed one thing online that people feel so bored from chess playing and studying. I hope you will not gonna feel bored.

For me studying chess makes me more energetic and now a days I am working with 3 training partners and I am the one who is lower rated than them heeheh. I am 1465 and they are like 1650, 1900(level 2100+), 1800. 1800 is USCF  and rest is FIDE.

Another big point is you are WIM and I hope you wanna become a GM or WGM  soon. So you have goals and I hope you are committed to achieve them. So , whenever you will feel bored during play but you dont wanna music then imagine the moment when you will be rewarded with WGM title and that moment will be superb for you. By imagining that you will work like a machine trust me. 

For me I am working a lot without distraction because I am 1465 and my past pain made me more committed to achieve my first milestone which is 2000 then next one will be 2200.

To Play with ?

Who would you like to play with the most? From the past or from now does not matter.

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Apart from my beloved Bobby Fisher, I think Bent Larsen, and Leonid Stein were very talented chess players, and I could learn a lot from them.

Playing against today's strong grandmasters = playing against an engine, for 20-30 moves. engines + memorization has destroyed the beauty of chess to some extend. 

That's why I prefer old school chess. That was real and original.

It's hard to say for me, but it's easy to say your favorite's name :D 

Chess DRAMA!

Anyone know anything more about the story below, I found it quite troubling. 

Chess DRAMA - ARMENIA FORFEITED in PRO Chess League Finals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqzl3q9Bsh0

Thoughts?

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I did not know about this. Nice one Kevin!I guess that if the cheating has been proved there is nothing to add, but it will be nice to see the armenian point of view, since we have so many aremenian family relatives!

I think this is a shame!

I think chess.com s evidence is not very convincing!!

I d ont like the behaviour of So. If he wins from stronger players this is normal if he lost they cheat. He told similiar story s about other Armemian players....i agree with the opinion of Nakamura that So d ont plays very well in this tournament 

Yeah, me too. I am not big fan of the Mighty american team but Petrosian's behavior looking down is strange all the time, when I play I do not even blink, and with money on stake I would put some tape in my eyes to avoid closing them and "see" all the moves that otherwise I could miss... Although he has no time to input the moves in a phone or another device. For cheating, there are cheating bots and you actually look at the screen since the moves appear in the board... I don't know, let's see how it evolves!

Yes, this is true Papa Tactics,

That said the controversy of changing federations has always been there, and will always be, at the end it is always the player that has to make the most of it and pick up any chance they have to grow as a players and personally. There is no better place to do that now than Saint Louis if you are one of these elite players maybe... What do you think?

Also I found this really interesting video from Chess.com about cheating that was published in April...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knvySXCNfd8

Tigran is known as a very strong blitz and rapid player, I think he won a lot of strong players and tournaments. Of course, we also know him as a person, he is a very nice guy and a strong grandmaster. I definitely don't believe that he was cheating. Here is his reaction to it. I don't know where he wrote it, I just saw this picture. (I mean it was on chess.com, but I don't know where exactly). In my opinion, chess.com should be punished for this.

Ruy Lopez for White - Best Books and Videos

Hi  GM Avetik, and Chessmood friends,

I am adding the Ruy Lopez opening to my  White repertoire.

I need your help to find out the best resources on it.

My Questions:

A) What is the best resource (Book, or Video course) to learn the Ruy Lopez for White? 

There are many books and videos out there. I am seeking for the best, and the most reliable.

B) Do you have any idea/suggestion about the following video series?

Which one is the best and the most reliable:

1- Complete Ruy Lopez Repertoire, by GM Marian Petrov

2- Navigating the Ruy Lopez Vol.1-3, by Fabiano Caruana

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@Kourosh_A

There are lots of sources on the Ruy Lopez and as to which is best depends a lot on your level. For beginners The Marian Petrov video is okay but for more advanced players The Caruana and Bologan DVD's are much more informative with the Caruana series being the most current and theoretically relevant. Another excellent source is Understanding the Ruy Lopez: Chigorin by GM Ivan Salgado in which he delves deeply into the various strategies related to this line and would be best suited for intermediate and advanced players.

NEW ARTICLE: Maintaining a Strategic Initiative

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It's very helpful to me as a 1600 fide player. I have to admit, those are great games and the diagrams are really useful!

General life :)

Now is a very tough period for all Armenians, as you know because of the war. I wish it will end very soon. This is the moment that we need to hear something good and stay positive, so I decided to talk a little with my second family :)

Let's tell about ourselves outside of chess, what are your main professions? what do you like to do besides chess? other sports, hobbies etc.

I'll start: I am 24 years old proud Armenian girl :) currently I live in Russia. My main profession is chess, I wanted to work as a flight attendant, but my family didn't allow, besides chess I like to play ping-pong, I like to watch UFC and Nakamura streaming :D after quarantine I started doing fitness at home, sometimes I like to read books, and of course my loved ones eat (my favorite food's seafood) and sleep (from 5-6am to 12-1pm, awful schedule) :D  I love many extreme things, I like to look from high and also would like to jump, I'm scared, but I will definitely try if I get the chance. One of my little dreams is to ride a helicopter and motorcycle, I hope one day Avetik will fulfill one of my wishes (no hint at all) :D  in the end I love travelling more than anything. One of my biggest wishes is to travel all over the world.

Now it's your turn.

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Hi Susanna!

That was really nice to know more about you . now i share :

I am Arman , 31 Years old , i am From Iran but i have moved to Istanbul and i live there with my lovely wife . beside chess i like to watch movies related to chess , streams , learning videos and so on .

and a little story for other viewers : me and Susanna once met over the board during a tournament match , i think it was in Mashhad , Iran . i was white and started with e4 , Susanna replied ...c5 and the sicilian war began ! it was a crazy complex game , i was winning in the opening , then i made some mistakes and i ran into a lost position ! but luck was on my side and Susanna could not find the right moves and the game became draw ! during the game Susanna looked extremely focused and i really was scared in some points ! but after the game when we start to analyze the game i found that she is such a nice person . wish you the best Susanna 

Susik jan, no worries about motorbike :) Will be done) 

I am 40 years old, from the United States. I was the best chess player in my high school, and spent a lot of time studying chess from books when I was a teenager. After I started college, I quit playing chess in order to focus on my university studies. I earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science, two master’s degrees in Bible and theology, and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies. Since then, I have been teaching, writing, and doing academic editing and consulting. Currently I am developing Spanish Bible curriculum for an online seminary, Seminario Teológico Evangelico Gozo Eterno, while also doing projects for BiblePlaces.com and Bibles International. A few years ago, I discovered that playing fast chess games online is a great way to relax and take quick breaks from my reading and writing. Playing chess has also helped my mental quickness (e.g., reading speed) and focus. I am impressed by the quality of the content on ChessMood; although I no longer have aspirations of becoming a professional chess player, I enjoy learning more about the game and improving my play. As a student of the Bible and of church history, I have read quite a bit about Armenia and would love to see Armenia’s churches and museums someday.

[History] Indian Defense, Fianchettoing, Chaturanga

From Nathan Rose's fascinating "Chess Opening Names" book. It's a very fun book.

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Very interesting Hunan, keep them coming!!

First time tournament play

Hi All! I signed up for my first in person and rated tournament. I'm in the unrated under 1400 group. Any tips on what to be prepared for? best practices for writing down moves? The games are classical. I've never done this before or personally know someone who has that I can lean on. Any guidance is great!

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Also in the section im in. Unrated under 1400. How or is that relatable to lichess or chess.com ratings. 

Hi, Sean! Welcome to the party! ;) Classical over the board chess is a great experience: at first it may seem a little overwhelming because there will be new pressure sources (the opponent, the public, the clock, the doubts, the ratings...), but it is an enjoyable process that will help you get better at chess.

My first tip is don't care about ratings. Wheter you're opponent is 1399 or unrated, it should not matter to you. If you are focused in your game, results will come. When we start a game, we can win, draw or lose. Try to play the position, the pieces, not the opponent's rating. If you can feel the process of looking for the move fun, even if you don't find the best move, you will have a future in chess (and in the beginning of our journeys, none of us found good moves very often... even our Masters were once a beginner, just like you and me).

That said, and although usually everyone starts losing before winning, of course no one likes to lose :) So if I were in your shoes, I would spend my game time:

In the Opening:

- Play our course line's. If you get to one point when you don't remember the moves, just keep it simple: fight for the center,  develop all your pieces (remember not to expose your queen to attacks) and protect your king (castle).

In the rest of the Game:

- In a game between players with not much experience, game will have lot of turn arounds. It happens because unexperienced players don't take good care of their pieces. Remember to keep your pieces happy, like our coach teachs us. That means not only to find good squares for them (place them where they have mobility: mobility means power! when in doubt, usually moving forward is better than going backwards: chess is also about position and space is an advantage because your opponent get less squares and less squares gives you more chances that his pieces get unhappy), but also do not let them unprotected.

In many games you will find unprotected pieces. Sometimes because the player lost his focus, sometimes because there was a tactical shot. So before you move, always check if your piece will not get under heavy attack (don't play your piece to a square you don't control, unless it is a meant sacrifice; don't move a defender so you don't let one of your pieces unprotected)

And when your opponent moves, always ask yourself two questions: "what did this piece stop doing?" (did he left a target - piece or square - unprotected?) and "what is this piece now threatning?" (check if you are being attacked). If you can do this in every move, you will maximize your chances.

Chess is played in turns: you move, he moves, you move, he moves... so if you can create more than one problem in one move, your opponent will be in danger because he will have to find a move that solves more than one problem.

Look for targets (unprotected or not very well protected pieces, VIP - very important places / squares where you can give checkmate for example -, and the king) and try to attack more than one target in your move (double attack).

If your opponent has more than one target in the same line, think about pins and skewers.

If you have more than one piece in the same line, try to make your battery work with a direct or a discovered attack.

If your target is protected, try to eliminate the defender.

If you manage to win material, exchange pieces, not pawns (it will be easier to you to promote a pawn and win with the help of a new queen). If you are losing material, exchange pawns, not pieces (it will be easier for you to defend your king if your opponent don't get a new queen).

Also important, but not related to moves (remember we are Chess Mood!):

If you feel tired during the game, take a small walk, drink some water or eat some sugar and look for the "right chess mood". Then go back to the game, find the best moves and win it ;) So, don't forget your pen, but also your bottle of water and some sweets/nuts(dry fruits?)

About notation, i would recomend you to never reply to your opponent before you write down his move. Take your time and ask yourself the two questions above: "what did this piece stop doing?" and "what is this piece now threatning?". It will help you find your next move. Also, start looking for the move that restricts your opponent's choice most: checks (forces him to protect the king), captures (forces him not to concede material advantage) and threats (when he is defending it is harder to attack you. If he fails to defend, he may lose; if your attack fail, you may still draw). The point is it is more safer and more fun to attack than to defend, so go after that checkmate!

Nowadays FIDE rules say we must play before we write our own move. Before touching the piece you want to play, ask yourself those same two question. If you manage to do it, you will blunder less.

After the game, show it to a stronger opponent with some notes on your decision process (i made this move because...). Then you will get more interesting feedback and will help you find new ideas and remove bad options from your game.

Most of all, enjoy it. Have fun... and beat those guys! ;)

Carokan 5..g6

Hello people ! There are a lot of guys playing this move order with me:

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 g6 

Please Avetik, can you help us ? Take good care ! 

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Hi Juliano

In the Caro-Kann course this is covered under section 4 6..g6. This is a move later, but you are very likely to transpose after 6. Bf4 (we always aim for this diagonal with our DSB is C-K) 

https://chessmood.com/course/caro-kann-defence

In summary depends on Black intentions after g6 ..

if Bf5 then Bxf5 gxf5 with key move Nd2 (aiming for Ndf3) and Ne2 (aiming for Nc1, Nd3 and Ne5 or Qc1 with Nf4, Nd3, Ne5) ..

if Bg7 again key move Nd2  with h3 (flexible move - allows Bh2 after Nh5, support g4 pawn push against Black castled King). When Black castle 0-0, then Ngf3, Qe2 with Ne5.

There is more details in the Advanced Section, but I not there yet.

Hope this helps

@Susanna_Gaboyan Do you remember I've asked you about g6 too.

Juliano, we'll play the same setup. 
I recommend Nf3 Ne5 idea of the adv. section. 

Today's simul on lichess

no longer relevant

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What has happened?

Lichess PRO Members Team

I created an account on Lichess, Sriram_ChessMood, and asked to join the team and since then being awaiting approval. Did I do it wrong?

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No, this is ok, maybe you had to write your email but I think that they will approve you in no time..

Guys, it's not an automatic process, and there is no someone sitting and waiting :) 
During the day we approve requests :) Patience, please :) 

Two bishops advantage

Hey champions! 
What games come to your mind, when speaking about the "Two bishops advantage"? 

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Levon Aronian vs Vishy Anand Tata Steel 2013 heheh. 23 move superb win and I love it. Final Move was Be3!!!! if I remember right.

Opening was Semi Slav I think.  And there was a deep prep against Ng5 and black played c5!!! and after Nxh7 then I think Nde5? I hope I am remembering right. I won tons of game using this game in past.

I remember the game of Alphazero - Stockfish

The Bongcloud!

ChessMood family I have a question. Do you think what Hikaru Nakamura pulled in the last round of the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz against Jeffrey Xiong was acceptable. Please don't be shy, I would love to hear all your thoughts: 

https://youtu.be/qATl41Ofjuo?t

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As Carlsen said at the end, some of those funny moves don't necessarily lead to lost games. Maybe that makes them "acceptable". I do wonder what Seirawan was thinking... :)

Nikaru is streaming a lot now, so I think he does this for his audience, it's fun :D

Carlsen showed some strange and "stupid" lines, then the commentators asked him, so were you prepared for this line? he replied that, probably I would answer Ke7, then Ke1 Ke8, then we would play chess without castling :D

I think that the sponsors were really happy about it. This game is going to be the most remembered of the tournament, and probably of the year! He was lost and Xiong's punishing mode did not work, he was too nervous and probably Hikaru knows him well. Hikaru is an excellent poker played, he gambled and it worked really good! I say, bring it on, the next one in a classical game Hikaru!

I think many people make a show... 
They try to get more subscribers etc... 

Some people love such things and become fans, share with others, some people like me hate it.  

Avetik 

Opening

Hi Gm Avetik,i wanted to share to you that i often tend to forget our chess mood lines,especially during blitz games,i dont even have time to think and recollect our moves,is it normal? I have been playinh our chessmood openings only for around a month now,but often forget critical lines,i have created my own pgn as u suggested,how long will it take for me to start getting familiarized with our openings?

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Hey

I am not sensi Avetik clearly. What has helped me though, is to play 5+3 blitz for openings (just focused on opening) and after every game in our opening go through the lines to see where and if I didn't recall something. If my opponent did something strange to see if I punished it correctly.

Also a training partner can help, I have done a few sessions and it helpedquite some. Lastly, I would reccomend Chess tempo opening trainer. You import your pgn into it (I have a 2nd verson myself with just key lines in it) and then you can train your opening. It uses spaced repetition technique. So if you get a line or move wrong it will repeat more often.

A great answer by @jamie_Wilby! 
I have students who digested all the information in a few months, working a few hours a day on chess.