The best games of June 2021 and the prizes

Hello ChessMood family, hello champions and future champions! 
Welcome to the "Best games of June 2021" competition.
Under this post, we invite you to post your best games that you will play this month. 

The Prize fund is 350K Moodcoins which is equal to 350$.  

The 1st prize  - 150K
The 2nd prize - 100K
The 3rd prize-  50K
The 4th Prize- 30k
The 5th Prize- 20k

Good luck with your games and keep the Right Mood! 
#ChessMood
#Right Mood - Right Move 

P.S
Here are the winners of May:

Vladimir Bugayev
Green Keo
Devansh Shah
Robert J
Abhi Yadav

Replies

Let's start this month

Botvinnik english ideas realized according to course

https://www.chess.com/live#g=16395451517

https://lichess.org/VLUhhWq0Vrn9 

crushing caro

https://lichess.org/zMIxID405BWP

https://lichess.org/f791ZYZlsVWQ 

grand-prix attacks

https://lichess.org/WrXKyxYrDFHM

https://lichess.org/bLGGem29FVmH

https://lichess.org/b1i6aASRAJ3O

https://lichess.org/xJ25FdqSOmfZ 

vs c3 sicilian

https://lichess.org/lAVhdO2yrGVl 
 
vs french with Bd3

https://lichess.org/1jwMPLfKKa7C

e4-e5 Bc4 with d4, interesting positional crush

https://lichess.org/fNjX8OSAMB8E 

miniature with London system

https://lichess.org/Y4MuPV7iikgP 

a little wing gambit magic vs sicilian

https://lichess.org/L1WiiQDdLN53 
 

Two queen sacrifices in AntiSicilian... none accepted though ;))

https://lichess.org/A09BIBZ6/white#1

FM thebalernobull vs Green_Keo: Analysis board • lichess.org

My first time playing a titled player, my opponent was 300+ higher rated than me, and I managed to draw the game. If not for time pressure, I may have won the game.

Antisicilian against 2500 IM

https://lichess.org/mOLu78E4/white#1

Lovely Game!

https://www.chess.com/game/live/16560352569

Full Domination!

https://lichess.org/jAbViulw/black#56

Positional French against someone rated 200 points higher than me.  Once my knight got to c5 it never moved again

https://www.chess.com/live/game/17196754965

https://lichess.org/pBpO9261jthZ 

french Bd3 positional win. I know i missed tactics

my best mate for today

https://www.chess.com/game/live/17295792325

all initiative based

Carlsen Variation rocks also

https://www.chess.com/game/live/17389365087

Fire the PANZERSHREK!!

https://lichess.org/pKXu1UDi139B

Liquidation favoured me which my opponent missed 

pawn endgame simple win

https://lichess.org/nzDnsmx7rl7Q

coolest mate for me today

https://www.chess.com/game/live/17596328277

A great win/good weapon against the Najdorf!

https://lichess.org/Ypv1x6LXP2oY 

 Scotch Game

https://lichess.org/jScdhC6g/white#0

 Sicilian Defense

https://lichess.org/J6yD1apn/black#0

Crushed Caro-Kann completely, no mistakes 7 centipawn,

https://lichess.org/p3OSRPEM/white#61

https://www.chess.com/game/live/17953261383  gruenfeld fun!

Here is my final game from the National Open. One of my favorite games I have played in a long time. Was a roller coaster of emotions! I am sure there are mistakes, but I kept the right mood and kept fighting till the end

https://lichess.org/Oz0bmAWXXyUp 

Power of catalan

https://www.chess.com/game/live/18043345255

https://www.chess.com/game/live/18111107111

Beautiful bishop sacrifice and force a checkmate

Beat an FM in this game.  I messed up the opening bc I couldn’t remember what to do when they don’t take on c6 right away, but I managed to fight back

https://www.chess.com/live/game/18147130729

https://www.chess.com/game/live/18186166535 

gp 

https://lichess.org/BxnuBlDw/black

Learning basics of attacking

https://www.chess.com/game/live/18276072577

My Prep’ against 1.b3 si I’m not sure if that qualifies as a best game…

Event "Chesstempo game"]
[Site "Chesstempo.com"]
[Date "2021.6.24"]
[Round "?"]
[TimeControl "300"]
[White "kdser"]
[Black "fandorine"]
[WhiteElo "1955.54"]
[BlackElo "1802.05"]
[Result "0-1"]

1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bb5 e4 5.Ne2 Bd6 6.d3 a6 7.Bxc6 dxc6 8.O-O Bxh2+ 9.Kxh2 Ng4+ 10.Kg3 Qg5 11.Qd2 Nxe3+ 12.Kh2 Qxg2# 0-1

https://lichess.org/q5EyUELx/white 

Fave Game

https://www.chess.com/game/live/18372126507

How quickly things can get away from black when faced with a ChessMood opening! Black gets mated on move 14!

Passive play against Sicilians.

https://lichess.org/X7dG3I9tLEh6

Seeing Najdorf now a days just because I am working on attacking. Ignore opening but middlegame was full of fire . I did not missed Bc4 but I thought may be it wont give me issue in middlegame but i was wrong but still fire on board.

https://lichess.org/wM73LKQyZ49k

https://lichess.org/uRrObsogk8GJ Positional win against KID.

https://lichess.org/ATUMH5pS/black I was black.

Still, I am Black. https://lichess.org/7bPKbXctcxAx 

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/16282520383 I am white here.

Just trying to be creative in unknown positions. 

https://lichess.org/UrZeyEqpjI6I

https://lichess1.org/game/export/gif/black/8VSwXxho.gif my win with GM

https://lichess1.org/game/export/gif/black/8VSwXxho.gif

French

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/16550715661?tab=report

Modern Benoni

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/18141046915?tab=report

Alekhine’s Defense

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/18292229201?tab=report

Scotch Game

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/18354665677?tab=report

Sicilian

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/18460833573?tab=report

my game in grand prix

https://lichess.org/yplhspem/white

my game in the scotch

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/18604785105?tab=analysis

in both games i am white

Crazy game with white

Keeping the initiative with white and controlling the open file

Hopefully im not to late I forgot to post. whats the cutoff date anyway ? 

Heres a game that like Morphy Opera House game every move was forced!

https://chessmicrobase.com/microbases/14925/games/1153289

devansh290403 vs. Lina_0927 

Crushing the petroff

Chess: devansh290403 vs shangzexu - 18673866303 - Chess.com

Crushing the pirc!

Positional win with Catalan against KID.

https://lichess.org/L7xQCPrWMxhA

https://lichess.org/5zF4ZmvsxROG

This was my game played as white in lichess. I crushed Sicilian totally without any mistake. 

Scotch queen trap

https://lichess.org/n2h2BYeA/white

c4 break wins this Benko game

Mate in 7 anyone?

Hello, Champions and ChessMood family! 
Thanks for all your games.  
And it's very cool to see your growth. 

The 5th prize goes to Andy Crust, for the cool attack in Caro-Kann
 https://lichess.org/p3OSRPEM/white

The 4th prize goes to Paulius Juknis. 
He played many cool games. Especially good ones were attacks in Caro-Kann and this:
https://lichess.org/Y4MuPV7i  

The 3rd prize goes to Michael Larsen for the nice attack and Nef5 move! 
https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/18460833573
 
The 2nd prize goes to Vladimir Bugayev for the crazy attack. 
 https://lichess.org/A09BIBZ6/white#65 

The 1st prize goes to Valdemar Rasmussen, for a very nice game with positional queen sacrifice in Maroczy Bind. 
The game you can find on the 1st page. 

Thanks, everyone! 
Looking forward to seeing you in July. 


#RightMood_RightMove
#COGRO (constant growth)

PGN Files for the middlegame

Hey I have a question about pgn files. Would you suggest to make pgn files about courses like happy pieces as well or should I just make pgn files about the opening courses? 

Thanks for your help !

Replies

Personally I'd just note down positions of interest or even where they are in the videos so you can review them several times. Maybe at most 10-20.

Easier working with less information than more.

Hi Noah,

I do create pgn-files with the complete games that are covered in the courses. Most games were available in the databases I use (Live Database by ChessBase for Premium Members and the the free chessgames.com).

Than I add as a comment the starting position in case not the whole game is covered in the video.

You could than decide when to apply "A super effective training technique with your chess book" that Coach Avetik shows here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Tw1iNDfas&list=LL&index=16&t=2s

You could play through the game before watching the video or some weeks later as a repitition.

Good luck,

Nils

Hey Noah,

The reason we create PGN s for the openings is that we need to remember the theory and have to check it out very often. About the middlegames, I have never done it personally , since there are billion middlegame options. I would just recommend to carefully study them and try to learn the ideas :-)

Can a player with rating 1600,16yrs old become a gm in 4 years

Hi sir,sorry to disturb you,but i am not able to sleep,my interest on chess has grown into passion and now i want to become a super gm,that is a professinal strong super gm,i am 16 right now,with a fide rating of 1606,i know this sounds awkward to you,but can i become gm in 4years,4years because i will be 20 in 4years,and it might take more years to become a super gm,i dont know anyone else except for u to ask this question,people who are not even a gm are telling that u cannot and some tell u can,but u r a gm,CAN I BECOME A GM IN 4 YEARS,IF SO,HOW CAN I AND HOW SHOULD I PRACTICE CHESS ,pls reply sir,i will be waiting for your reply..

Replies

Well first of all anyone can become GM in chess if they have burning desire to become GM.  Before you think about becoming a Grandmaster you should read this blogs which can open your eyes about how to become GM and what are the obstacles you are gonna face and what are the qualities you need to develop in you to become a future GM. I am sharing some selected blogs which can open your eyes and will be helpful for your journey.

How to Become a Chess Grandmaster - Is it Easy?

 In this article coach Avetik will open your eyes about obstacles and issues in the path of becoming a Grandmaster and how people lose track and how hard work combined with smart work required to become GM . Another important thing is financial help. Without money we cant hire coaches and it will slow down the process of becoming a GM and a lot more info is there.

https://chessmood.com/blog/how-to-become-a-chess-grandmaster-is-it-easy

Secret 1: Burning Desire

https://chessmood.com/blog/burning-desire

Why It’s a Must to Study Classical Chess Games

https://chessmood.com/blog/why-It-is-a-must-to-study-classical-chess-games

The Power of Self-Belief in Chess

I think it is really important in life to believe in yourself that yes I can and I will do it. But you should also live in reality.  realistic goals are possible to achieve but if we think  in unrealistic sense then it is terrible. For example thinking of becoming world champ. But still believing in yourself that yes I can and I will become Grandmaster combined with your super hard work can make you Grandmaster one  day.

https://chessmood.com/blog/the-power-of-self-belief-in-chess

Winners Never Quit!

This is really important for you. No matter how much loses you face . Never give up. Life is so painful and not full of happiness all time but you have to be a Warrior who knows only about how to become a winner.

https://chessmood.com/blog/winners-never-quit

To Succeed at Chess, Start with WHY

This is very important to know your Why. Without knowing Why you will not be committed to become a GM. Share your Why and only a very strong Why will motivate you to work hard  even in those conditions in which normal person's mind break and they lose hope. 

https://chessmood.com/blog/to-succeed-at-chess-start-with-why

My Why:  To reach milestone of 2000 FIDE

My Why is based on my past pain of losing friends who left me because they thought I am dumb in chess and I can't improve. They were FIDE 1900s guys . They were in my team. In the beginning I thought they are kind but even after so much loses of 1990s in team event no one allowed me to play a single game of chess there. It's my pain and my why so I can prove myself so well in front of everyone. My why is to help players and give them right path. My why is to prove myself that yes I failed in past it's because of lack of guidance a lot more why are there. 

So find your very strong Why and see difference in your work level.

Learn the Right Lessons From Your Mistakes

We can't play perfect chess all time. It's nearly impossible. But with right training you can improve your accuracy to make right moves on board. So never ignore your wins and loses and analyze them to find the areas in which you are strong or weak and learn from them.  More info is in article.

https://chessmood.com/blog/learn-the-right-lessons-from-your-mistakes

Don’t be a Fish

This is very important. You should find a chess mentor who guide you well. Do not fell into Fish traps. I wasted my one year under  a 2200 FIDE coach and he did not provided me right information. That's my another Why to help people. Because I do not want them to learn in wrong way. I know time is so precious but some dumb coaches can suck your money and time. You are lucky that you are in Chessmood.

https://chessmood.com/blog/do-not-be-a-fish

Chess isn’t for the Weak:

This is reality of life as well as chess too. If you are weak all can take advantage of you . So never sell yourself short. Be brave and work so hard and never let others to bother you. No matter it's your parents, family, friends or anyone. If anyone stops you to reach your goals then just ignore them. In my case I failed from past 7 years but now after so much struggle finally my family is supporting me and they believe that yes I will reach 2000 once events will start. There was also times in which my whole family was against me.  Sometimes they even tried to put boards away from me but I never gave up . I was standing alone in front of them that no I want to do chess and finally all of them agreed that only one year of event we will give you and prove yourself. So now in 2023 I have to reach 2000 . Right now I am just 1465. 

https://chessmood.com/blog/chess-is-not-for-the-weak 

Read the above article and be a winner. Fuck of those from your life who say you Can't . Those who say that you can't are those kind of people who never think of success. Failure is okay if you have desire to become successful but you should learn from your failures. But those kind of people never learn from their mistakes and what happens in the end that they also try to stop  others like hey man I did not became GM so you also can't. Remember: "Impossible means I am Possible"  but in realistic sense. So becoming A Grandmaster  is possible for you and also for me too even though I am 24. 

Mistakes Are Not Failures

This is true and learning from mistakes is essential to become pro. Without mistakes you cant learn. 

https://chessmood.com/blog/mistakes-are-not-failures

In the end I just wanna say Yes, if you have burning desire to become A Grandmaster then You Can Become a Grandmaster one day . But you should work so hard to reach there and you should be super Positive about it and you should also handle life situations well.  Also try to find dedicated partners who are your well supporters. 

Best of Luck Man!  Never Give Up!!!

Best Wishes from Abhi!!!

I hope after reading my big post combined with Chessmood articles can motivate you that yes you will become successful one day if you work in proper way.

if you want to work with my team then text me on lichess and I will share how my team works.

https://lichess.org/@/cat-prep-time

To give an honest answer, unlikely, very unlikely, but don't let that stop you trying.

This is just based on the number of players who have gone from 1600 to 2500 in 4 years and from the age of 16, I would suspect close to 0. Even the rare 12 year olds that make GM, often started at 6 or younger, and have an advantage due to their stage of mental development.

4 years, 7 days a week is a little under 1500 days. If you spent every one of those on chess, and optimised the amount of time, and studied the right things (very difficult without a good trainer), you would make progress, but my feeling is if you even made 2300 by that point, it would be a huge achievement by most player's standards.

To go from 1600 to 1900 isn't too much of a leap, the problem is going from 1900 to 2200, and beyond that you only get there by playing increasingly fewer strong players. To get the GM you're going to have to get 3 GM norms which means playing in international tournaments and beating that level opposition, as well as getting your grade that high to get the title.

Plus are you really going to spend all that time on chess and nothing else - no university, no back up career, no meeting other people, friendships (outside of chess)? Can you do that financially and are mentally strong enough,and let's just say you do get there, will you be happy due to all that sacrifice?

Hi Ritvik,

Even if possible it's gonna be truly difficult, but as well if you make it, it will be an outstanding success. It's doable, but you need to put super effort and keep supper discipline every single day. You may need some extra year or 2 in case. During the call, you have got a study plan. How to use your time, your schedule. Keep up ding what we decided. Once you have the progress of 200-300 elo points let us know as well. 

Once  again your goal and timing will need lot of effort and discipline and all depends on you, I always thought there is nothing impossible :-)

Open Files: How to Exploit them

Replies

Thanks for Nice article. Material present in such  way that is  is easy to understand and enjoy a lot. 

An important question

Now a days we are living in modern world in which there are many commentaries, podcast of gms, youtube channels and a lot online companies like Chessmood. Do you guys think we should blindly trust what super gms recommend ?

Without even analyzing your level do you think it's good to listen what Fabi and Magnus said about books? 

I see so many people listens to podcast , commentaries and unknown gms and just blindly follow the path they shared. 

I think this is not good way to improve in chess. You should understand your level and then pick books or courses which suits your level. 

When I had one on one with Coach Avetik. He shared me so many valuable advice  which I am sharing in bottom.

1. For tactics he said use chesstempo but as I love books so I said I will go for books and he said okay.

2. For endgame he said that it's good to do simple books but not Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual and his reasoning was that you wont fully take advantage from the book. It's not like you cant understand concept but in case of solving you will miss so many hidden resources because it's designed for 2000+ elo players. I have a nice friend who is currently 2200 FIDE and he even told me same. He tried to solve this book with his teammate who is 2300 FIDE but both struggled even in pawn endgame. So now you can understand the level of the book. I also tried it once but I did failed to see so many hidden points.  So conclusion is that why choose a book if you cant fully see all the hidden resources .So I left that book and I am doing from simple ones and learning faster too.

3. For middlegames he suggested me to go through cm courses on middlegames and he suggested me not to pick Tal, Kasparov, Fischer in the beginning of my study because they will be more complex and I may miss critical things. So I followed his advice and now after one year now I think I am able to go to Fischer's games atleast. 

There are so many things he shared too in one on one. I followed all the things and I see difference in my game and level of understanding too.

So , guys share your opinions . Is it good to blindly listen what popular IM, GM said or listen to those who are successful and connected with you also. 

I learnt a cool thing in past from a book called " Copycat Marketing" In the book author said that if you want to become successful then just copy what the successful person did. With this you can easily stay away from the mistakes which he did in his journey you get success faster. I apply this idea in my work also and I feel difference. My teammate who is 2200 is so connected guy so whenever I listen to his advice I see difference in my play. 

Do you guys have teammate? 

Do you guys listens to podcasts and blindly trust them?

Replies

I think those who are connected with us and are successful can share best advice to us than those IMs or GMs who never met you and knows nothing about u. I am not saying do not listen to gm's suggestions. Do listen them and share it with those people who are successful and around you so they can share right path to you.

I agree with what you say here, but not everyone will follow that advice. Sometimes (particularly the young) will want to do what they want to do. They more you try to change their mind the more determined it makes them, as frustrating to you as it might be. In the end if you offer advice (even the best in the World) you have leave it at that. Agreeing to disagree is all you can do. Let them learn by their own experience, and from mistakes along the way.

I've been in a position to help people many times throughout life and maybe make a big difference from the problems I've solved, but some people don't want advice (in fact many don't even want unsolicited advice when they talk about problems, just sympathy or to wallow with others of a like situation, but that's another story.)

Engine addicts

I met so many players who are engine addicts in openings and middlegames prep also . Sometimes they try to refute main lines and even though their refutations sucks but still they just say oh I refuted this bla bla bla. So, I thought to share you this amazing article and it will open your eyes. after you read this story.

https://en.chessbase.com/post/gukesh-wins-110th-hillerod-and-cannes-open-consecutively

Replies

impressive quote from the article:

While Gukesh's performance and live rating of 2565 is impressive, what is even more jaw-dropping is the fact that the youngster says he has never used an engine for his preparation!

Building a strong chess foundation

Continuing a discussion about endgame studying from another channel...

I appreciate some younger players have a lot of time on their hands to put into their chess study, but what's the best way of getting to be a stronger player. Of course I can only give advice up to about the 2000 level because I've not travelled beyond, though I have a lot of understanding of learning mechanisms. Would be interesting to hear from the 2300+ players.

A common analogy of learning a skill is building a house. Let's say you have almost unlimited time and resources.. Most builders would clear the land, put in foundations, and build the structure from the ground up, only then adding in features like windows, doors and interiors. Would it be a wise move to plant part of the foundation, but then work on a single wall, get it to near finished before working on another? Or move from one wall to another, never finishing getting the basic structure up?

What I'm getting at is how your chess skill builds itself physically inside your head. Young players (probably) have a big advantage here as not so much is mapped out (more free space), and can spend lots of time really developing the area devoted to chess (like building a purpose built housing estate that functions as a whole and is well connected), where as adults who have less time and are already well developed can not make so much new development and it is spread out (they have to build the houses around what is already set there as well as compete with others putting up their houses). The memories and skills located close to one another will stimulate and work with each other, where as ones spread throughout will not as much. That's my theory at least.

On a practical level though, let's say you could know 100 (for arguments sake) chess things that are automatic and available to you when you play (going back to the analogy let's say that's the house estate site where you are locating houses that can accommodate 100). You'll use these things with almost perfect intuition and insight. Other stuff won't be so automatic, you'll need to think, and the chance of missing stuff/blundering is much greater. Now which 100 would you select? Would it be some interesting but probably not so practical endgame study, you might see something similar 1 in 500 games or less, or the real fundamentals that come up more frequently?

In other words I believe that spending lots of time on things that come up time and time again, or those that are foundations for the more complex will lead to greater improvements and most likely increase the ultimate ceiling rating than less important things (even spotting blunders very quickly or just taking full account of what changed due to the opponent's move almost every time without fail is worth so many points).

It was said once (and I did a crude survey that roughly agreed) that most players don't improve significantly after playing (seriously) for about 8 years. Maybe this is part of the reason.

Replies

Very nice food for thought @David_Flynn. I would like to ask the opinion of some promembers. Particularly people more or around 40 years old that have improved their game and also I would like to know how much time do you spend on EFFICIENT chess training.

K40 factor

I am 16 years old right now,but i am worried about my k40,when does it get over,on my 18th birthday or the starting of the year,like cut off year

Replies

Try not to think too much about rating or things that might influence your rating! Concentrate on getting and then following a good training plan, and you will see your rating increase as a result of this, in particular being 16 years old!

I think that you should ask your chess federation directly. Some countries apply different criterias... Check it out, most federations are quite email friendly...

London System Repertoire

Sir can u do a repertoire against the London system,so that we have more clarity 

Replies

It's under https://chessmood.com/course/crushing-d4-sidelines

The chessmood recommendation is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 - you find details in the 8th video for Black "8. Crushing d4 Sidelines"

Sicilian Nc3

Hello, sorry to bother,

What you recomend against the line 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 Bb5 e6? I see that you said, 4 Bxc6 but after bxc6 5 d3 d5 6 f4 Nf6 and is not so clear, because black will try to play Ba6 and c4 in order destabilize the white pawn structure in the center.

In a game, i try 7 e5 Nd7 8 Nf3 Be7 9 0-0 0-0 10 Qe1, but i am not vey convinced. 

Can you give me some hint?

Best regards, 

José Padeiro

Replies

I think Nc6 probably could do with a bit more coverage since it's the main variation, and d6 with all its branches isn't seen as often at the 2000 level as Nc6 and d6/e6/g6 without Nd4 or if Nd4 Nxb5 is seen much more often than Nxf3. Maybe a load of model games is the solution.

Let's see if this is the variation that you are refering to. I see that after Nf6 you play e5. We normally play Nf3 first in these positions. Then I believe that b3 is a key move that you missed in your line. We have to be careful with c4 but b3 is our saving move many times. Please check this out and if you have another move order, let's talk about it... :-)

5.d3 d5 6.f4 Nf6 7.Nf3 Be7 8.e5 Nd7 So far so good 9.0-0 Ba6 Trying to play c4. If they successfully succeed, we will be in trouble. We have to play b3. 10.b3 the key move. Now from this position: 0-0 or c4 .

If 10 ...0-0 11.Qd2! It looks very funny but it is a very strong and deep move. Really important move, we want to follow with Ba3 and Na4! 11...c4 12.dxc4 dxc4 13.Rd1! Showing how multifunctional was the Qd2 move, which in many lines will go to f2.

If 10...c4 11.dxc4 dxc4 12.Re1! cxb3 13.cxb3 Putting pressure on c6 later. axb3 is also ok.

I hope this helps a bit and that I understood your question correctly. In these lines I always rememer b3 and attack later on c5 but I try to create a distraction on the kingside waiting for the right moment to attack.

A Mistake In 'In Gabuzyan's Mind'

Hello everyone! In the position in the picture. Coach said the White knight is trapped but it is not trapped and it can go back to e4. This is from the variation 17.g4 in the game Kovalenko - Gabuzyan 0-1.

Regards,

Sidharth Sreekumar.

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So, I think instead of Qb6 it would be better to play f5 and then Qb6 so the knight is trapped.

In the same game I have another doubt. In the position below Coach said after 40...Nxc6 41.d7 Be7 42.Bxe4. White may have some drawing chances. In the game 40...Bd5 41.dxe7 Bxe7 42. Na5 Bb4 and the knight was trapped. I found out that in the 40...Nxc6 variation too Black can trap the knight after 41.d7 Be6 42.d8=Q+ Nxd8 43.Nxd8 Bd5! followed by Be7. Am I missing anything?

I just love the title of this post! In you read it fast you miss the first "In" LOL

Pfeiffer G v Smyslov V - Classical Endgames

Is it me or did Smyslov blunder in this endgame?

It appears to me that after 43. Ka1 the best move was 43...Nxc2+ with a completely winning endgame.

But instead, he played 43...Kf6 and white can just take the N on d4.  After 44.  Nxd4 I can't see anything for black and white looks like he has excellent chances to win this endgame a piece up.  44. Re1 played in the game doesn't present a challenge.

Is it possible that the notation in the game is wrong and that white actually played 43. Ka2.  This would make more sense because then Smylov would have had Nc3+ winning the Rook after Nxd4.
I think this is more likely than Smyslov simply blundering a piece.
What do you think?

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I checked this in the database and it appears that Smyslov played Kf6, allowing Nxd4 but we do not know the time left on the game, maybe Pfeiffer was struggling with the time or both of them... But yes it appears as a blunder, after all even World Champions blunder from time to time...

From Avetik regarding this>

Ah... N2a3 was played in the game, not N4a3 So the Nc2 should have been on c4 Sorry about that guys, will fix it soon.

Overlap between lessons here and youtube Daily Lesson with a Grandmaster?

Looks like there is a lot of overlap between these two learning resources. 

It would be a big help of time saving to list what's covered in youtube "Daily lesson with a GM", but not covered here. Thanks!

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It would be nice just to be able to access them from here, but evidently there is a problem linking the website courses list with Youtube

Another nice thing would be able to list them by topic category if you want to study the same area across multiple daily lesson. As the number gets large it gets unwieldy.

After solving some technical questions, we'll bring them to ChessMood and they'll be available only to PRO Members. 

Caro Kann course doubt

In the main section, after 7...Qb6 the course analyses quite deeply 8.h3 with Na3 following - white gets a good position after 10...e5.  But instead of 10...e5 it seems to me that Kd7 is absolutely fine, and a game I just played went this way with no advantage for white.  In the model games section, however, Coach says he prefers 8.Na3 to h3 so I am trying to decide whether I change my Chessable database line.  In that model game, though, Coach says that black cannot go 11...Na5 because of 12.b4, but I see nothing wrong with 12.b4 Nc4.  Also, in this line, instead of 10...Be7 it seems to me that 10...Bh5 is better.   What should be the ChessMood repertoire line be after 8...Qc6?

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Nigel, glad to see that you are active again in the forum, we were missing you lately... As for this variation, can you write exactly the lines that you are refering to? Because it seems to me that you are mixing a bit the moves... Thanks and looking forward to your reply... By the way @Nigel_Fleming did you win against Anand again, or it was just a one time thing?

Just for our newer members that may not have seen it> Nigel's post with his game against Anand with the Scotch: https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/simul-v-anand

Nigel I didn't understand well the question, the lines were mixed... 
After some experience with this variation, I highly recommend 8.Na3. 
There are model games added to the course. 

Alekhine 4...dxe5

Coach, any plans to expand the Alekhine course to cover 4...dxe5?   Hope so!  I have a friend who plays it against me and it is quite a tough line to crack!

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There is no large advantage to be had there for White in the 4...dxe5 line, it's very solid and you will need to practise how to play such typical structures more generally where you have a bit more space and slightly more active pieces. This is not so much of an Opening problem as a Middlegame one, indicating that some instructive Model games should go a long way. 

David Smerdon played a very important game in this line some years ago if I recall correctly which included a nice positional exchange sacrifice. The game was very instructive in showing White's dynamic potential when facing solid but passive opening systems of this type. Moreover the key tactical idea uncorked in that game along with the positional justification behind it, can also be applicable in some lines of the Scandinavian Defense as well, so a careful study of the strategic motifs used could prove invaluable later:      

Hey Nigel! 
Kevin is great as always :) 
We're going to upload how to play against 4...de5 and also 4...c6. 
It's gonna be very interesting suggestion :) 

vs caro g6 with Nh5!?

Hello, I have a question about this position, which recently got played against me. Txs for your insights!

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Hey Paulius! 
Have you checked the advanced sections? 
I highly recommend the idea with Nf3,Ne5!? It's very practical and very easy to play. 
After 7.Nf3 Nh5 I would just play Be3. Nh5 is not placed well. 

Questions not answered..

My questions arent been answered and i was not able to play the rook pawn tournament today.. I want my doubts to be answered.. Pls.. I am aspiring to be a good player.. Pls dont disapppoint me.. 

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There is some delay in getting questions answered, it's frustrating indeed, but there are no doubt good reasons. GM Avetik is busy recording videos and with the daily lessons, GM Gabuzyan has been playing quite a lot recently. It would be nice to have a better way of listing all the questions which require a GM answer that are still outstanding as having questions answered is a real plus. I have one outstanding as well myself.

In the meantime, if you have the setup, it can be worth trying to play through the lines you have questions on in chessbase, scid or similar and use the engine / database to try to find playable lines. It enhances questions (the GMs won't have to start from scratch) if you have some suggestions or ideas. It also means you can better converse when they do suggest something as you have some experience with the line in question already.

It was the postponed webinar (normally these are Friday) today (of which is there is another tomorrow). The actual tournament takes place on Saturday - this week it's N+Ps vs Ps and is worth playing in and instructive participating in the webinar (which follows the Friday after usually).

@Sreenath_Nair

You posted one question about a general question in the Benko that was answered by Gabuzyan 1 week ago, then you requested a video.

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/doubts-regarding-benko-gambit

I replied to you too here in this post.

And 2 hours later you made this post where you ask that we answer your question. 2 hours later... Am I missing something? Can you point me out other posts that you made that need answer? Because I hope that we all can understand the need for some time after publishing a question.

We also want to create a sense of community and let other members answer too and therefore create some debate. This is the purpose of a forum, then of course a GM will give his opinion too (which it does not mean that can be always correct or the only option available)

We are collecting the questions and then we divide who answers them in our meetings or if there is something very urgent will be given proper priority. This is how we work and we are trying to do our best with the resources that we have, and even if you do not believe me, we are working very hard to make this site the best one for chess improvement. You will see it soon. 

Doubts regarding benko gambit

I have a doubt in the benko gambit.. In the session e4 we attack the e4 pawn with f5 pawn after exchanging queens. But no Gms recommended to support e4 pawn with f3.. What if white doesnt capture f5 wid e4 so that it doesnt isolate d5 pawn.. 

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What is happening in that case in endgames, usually black king is gonna get e5 square which also looks good. Instead of getting weakness on d4 white gets it on e4 so it's also not so good. Of course it depends on position end exceptions can happen.

@Sreenath_Nair

Want to know a clearcut black link for benko gambit if knight goes to

Want to know a clearcut black line for black in benko gambit if knight goes to Nh3 followed by Nf5. After fianchettoing.. His white bishop.. I happen to watch a video of damian lemos Gm.. BATTLING WITH THE BENKO

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Do you mean Nh3 then Nf4? Could you give an idea of the line in the video (without copying to much analysis - e.g. just a line or a sample game) which would help you get an answer.

Also I'd title it 'I'd like to know...' or 'Could you help me find...' or 'Is there...', etc - as it is now (I appreciate your first language isn't English) it sounds like you're offering the solution and it's a teaser.

@Sreenath_Nair

There are thousands of videos in youtube and internet but we cannot watch them all. Even if English is not our native language, as a chess players we communicate with chess variations. Please write exactly the variation that you are referring to and we will check it out. Thanks in advance!

Then we can all talk in the forum.

Creating PGN files is a HUGE time requirement

Dear Chessmood,

I very much enjoy your content. I have been working to create PGN files in chessable so that I can drill them, I have done this with all of the Scotch videos and most of the Sicilian videos but it is extremely time consuming. We each have only so much time we can devote to chess and it seems that spending time manipulating software is not the best use of chess time. It is also very difficult as the software has limits. I am spending hours upon hours wrestling with software and not actually learning chess. It is extremely frustrating.

Please tell me, step by step, how you recommend building chess PGNs. If this is the recommended way to learn what are the exact recommended steps that are not extremely time consuming and will facilitate the best learning. What software do you use and what is your study methodology with this software?

I have read your position that you do not want to hand over a PGN because the student may not watch the videos and they can learn more from building their own PGN. I very much disagree with this position, the videos are VERY educational and having them in conjunction with a PGN that can be clicked through does facilitate learning. However, I feel like I have wasted dozens of hours trying to build PGNs and I am probably not doing it right. Trying to learn openings this way is requiring much more time than perhaps you intended.

Thank you for your help,

Leslie

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You don't have to build the pgn all at once, it can be done bit by bit and updated at your own pace. To start with it is enough simply to list the main candidate moves shown in the videos in the pgn and work your way from there. The time investment is well worth it.

Hope that helps.

PostScript: What software are you currently using to create and view your pgns.

Hi Leslie, I think that Chessable interface is less than ideal for entering and keeping your pgn files. Normally we all work with Chessbase which is the standard between chessplayers, but it is an expensive software. I had been looking at free alternatives lately and I like the following software (opensource and free) which is called pgnchessbook. https://pgnchessbook.org/fileopen/
It has many cool features and I am sure that it is more than enough to insert the moves and maintain your repertoire up to date. And if you like to have your games on chessable, you can always import your pgns there. You can also check your games from chess.com or lichess directly on it.
Also I would recommend you to read again the post:
https://chessmood.com/blog/the-most-effective-way-to-create-chess-pgn-files

What I do is to watch the video first, take some notes of the main opponent moves and then I try to recreate the variations in the pgn. This is what you can find in the pgn provided in the courses, then from there you can build the rest after watching the videos, this is the idea, to fill the variations when you already know how to play, this way you will remember it much better. I hope that this helps, but we are here for you if you need us.

@Leslie_Smith

Following yesterday's conversation.

When you create a database in Chessbase it is automatically named "something".cbv This is your database in chessbase standard format. Then you have to change it to pgn which is the free and normal standard. You do not need to select the cbv, just select all the games that you need to convert to cbv by pressing the shift key and selecting. I hope that this makes sense.

We all own Chessbase, the normal software, not the web version. You do not need any extra database either.

https://shop.chessbase.com/es/products/chessbase_16_program_only

But if you are starting and do not want to spend the money, please do check and try the freeware software that I mentioned, there is no need to pay just to produce your pgns...