Enigmatic Chess Tactic: The Lifeline

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Thank you ChessMood for publishing this instructive article.

I enjoyed thoroughly the article. thanks to chessmood  

Is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 line missing from our repertoire

I lost to this line all the time. Please help. Thanks!

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Hi Kevin,

Shouldn't you just go 3...c5 and transpose to maroczy with g3 after next cxd4 or to benko after 4.d5 b5?

Yes, as @Paulius_Juknis pointed out, check out the Maroczy Bind course, the section 2 https://chessmood.com/course/maroczy-bind/episode/736

Also it can transpose to some benko lines, but I believe the Maroczy and similar lines are the most probable ones.

@Paulius_Juknis

The move-order 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 c5 is trickier than you might expect at first sight. See the following discussion from a year ago for details:

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/opening-for-black

Actually now might be a good time to drop sensei a friendly reminder to revisit this topic.

Yes, we'll play 3...c5! 
It's on our recording list. 

Thanks all,

I decided to transpose to KID classical or Financhetto after 1. d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6.

Which Player's games should I analyze in order to improve calculation

I want to improve my calculating skill which player's games should I look. Or are there any books where I can get games filled with chaos?

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Puzzle solving is best way to improve your calculation. If you are under 2000 fide then i suggest you to try woodpecker method. You can also work on Train your Brain with 1200 Chess Puzzles. Rest i can share if I know your real strength.

Please help with my morning routine

Hi,

My name is Anton, i'm 34 from Toronto, Canada. I work full-time, from home, from about 8-30 to about 4-30. I drop by wife off at work around 6-30 am. Then I walk my dog, make coffee, etc.

Pretty much every day from Mon - Fri I have about an hour and fifteen minutes, from 7-15 to 8-30 to dedicate to chess.

Right now I have the following routine:

a) Warm up - I do one or two runs of Puzzle Storm on Lichess

b) I play 1 bullet game, 2+1

c) I play 1 blitz game, 5+3

d) I play 1 rapid game, 10+5

Then, perhaps around lunch time, or after work, I try to find time to work on openings (Chessable) and lessons (aimchess, or books I own). Because I have a busy work and also sometimes get busy in the evenings, I don't always find time to study chess. So mornings are pretty consistent, and evenings - 50/50. Some days I can study for an hour or two, some days - I'm too busy.

Question for more experienced players - would you change something with my morning routine?

Should I play a 30+0 game instead? This way I can play 5 longer games each week, but perhaps the quality of thinking will be better? Should I play 3 or 5 or 6 blitz games instead? Stick to same time control? Perhaps play all bullet games one day, then all blitz games next day, etc?

Or should I do lessons and studies in mornings, and play some games if I get a chance in the evening or weekends?

Should I mix it up - one day play, other day study in the morning?

Also, I probably don't spend enough time analyzing my games. I do analyze them, but probably not in enough detail.

Thanks!

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I'm currently getting in 2 or 3 15 minute games a day and a number of 3 0 blitz ones in odd minutes. The blitz ones are useful (other than fun) for automatic reactions and openings (see recent blog article). The 15 0 ones simulate long play nicely without long thinks, detailed calculation but are mostly a good outline of play.

Analyse the blitz ones superficially, the 15 0 ones in more detail.

Scotch Game Query

In the standard Bc5 line . Hence Nb3 Bb6 : Nc3 Nf6 : Qe2 ---- my opponent played the surprising Qe7 instead of d6 or 0--0. I'm conditioned for Be3 with d6 and Bg5 with 0--0. I'm presuming an early Bg5 is right here not f3? Appreciate confirmation --- or otherwise !  

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Hi Keven

I would go Be3. Nxe4 is not good anyway because of Bxb6. So let's play our normal game:)

Normally the plan when they do this is to Castle queenside. Its covered in the course, we develop normally but often play g3,but, f4 etc. See the section on the popov plan if I recall 

I think the Bg5 move with the threat of Nd5 is the best for white. Qe7 looks strange and I have never faced it as well.

Evaluate this pawn endgame

I thought I am winning as white. But share your evaluation and also the reason.

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231 chess players saw it. No one knows pawn endgames?

I was just wondering about high quality discussion.

You expect to share my opinion why this position is equal but dont share your opinion why its winning.

Dont get my wrong, i am very interested about this type of conversation but the starting post is not about high quality posting.

I think I would be very happy if I were white in this position. Maybe I am wrong but that is my instinct. I feel the idea of creating a passed pawn on the h-file is always a problem for black. I will only try to be careful with the pawn pushes. But I only see white winning or drawing this position. 

Ιf both kings come to the centre,it can be easier for white to make a passed pawn on the queenside with the help of the king. On the other hand, black should be slower in the making of a passed pawn, as they just doubled their pawns on the f file.

Daily Puzzles

Hello ????!!!

I really enjoy ☺️ solving the daily puzzles! They are very difficult but fun ???? I want more like ???? the daily puzzles!!! So, where does ChessMood get the daily puzzles from? I would love to solve more similar puzzles ???? ???? 

Thank you!

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Sorry for all the random question marks, they were meant to be emojis which for some reason came out as question marks :(

Caro Kann - what line is best after Qb6?

Hi Coach!  In the course, the recommendation is Qxb6 but I am not sure about that if black does not play e5.  But in the section "model games - the endgame" Na3 is preferred.  But even there, it seems to me that black does not need to drop the N back passively but can play Nc4.  What line should we use?

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Scotch: "Our Attack Comes Sooner " Avetik ---- Ho Hum ?!

My record at Rapid with the Chess mood White repertoire is rather good. For example Grand Prix attack 7 wins 1 loss. It was particularly good with the Scotch game but with some scary open 'knife fight ' type games. However, I've just lost a couple of games where my h&g pawn  push from the f3 spring got blocked and my opponent crashed through on the queens side after his own pawn push.

For example :-- e4 e5 : Nf3 Nc6 : d4 exd  ; Nxd4 Nxd4 ( happens so often ) : Qxd4 c5 ? : Qe3 a6 : Nc3 b5 : Bd2 Bb7 : 0--0--0 Ne7 ?  I saw but refrained from Qxc5 as it would open the c file and he had Rc8 and the black bishop was going to jump out as well . I tried to push on the K-side with f4 as f3 g4 etc seemed slow now. He played Nc6 and and he fianchettoed his bishop  to g7 and the Q came to b6 etc . His knight anchored on d4 and he was having all the fun !! 

So with the Queen on e3 blocking the d2 bishop and the f1 bishop not doing much and so many moves to pawn roll on the K-side it seems Black is doing well ? I need some ideas, as my confidence in this Qe3 and quick queen side development has been hit..................... 

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Fwiw I play Qd3 in this line often followed by be3/f4 for this reason.

Simul v Anand

Guys, you're not gonna believe this! ChessMood openings rock!!!! I just played a simul  against Vishy Anand on chess24, 30 + 30, scotch opening, definitely lots of bad mistakes from me and I missed loads of stuff (12.Ra3 was poor), but the opening just gave such a huge attack!  I think Anand was having difficulty with his connection and the Chess24 interface, and he said afterwards that he was struggling to concentrate.   This was the game: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.h4 f6 9.c4 Ba6 10.Rh3 fxe5 11.Bg5 Nf6 12.Ra3 Bb7 13.Rb3 0-0-0 14.Nc3 Qe6 15.Rd1 Bc5 16.Na4 Qe7 17.Qd2 Bb6 18.c5 Bxc5 19.Nxc5 Qxc5 20.Be3 Qd5 21.Qb4 c5 22.Qa4 Qc6 23.Bb5 Qe6 24.Bxc5 a6 25.Bd6 axb5 26.Qxb5 Qxb3 27.Qxb3 cxd6 28.Rxd6 Bc6 29.Qb6 Ne8 30.Rd3 Nc7 31.Rb3 1-0

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Wow this is sensational! This just showcases how rock solid the analysis given in chessmood is. Even if you lose your way the understanding of what you should do is taught very well. Congratulations Nigel! This is every chess fans dream!

La fantastica!!! 

I am adding your game to this post for easy viewing:

Pirc PGN is wrong

In the video course for Pirc when I went to download PGN it was the wrong one (Scandinavian).  Can you guys correct it please?

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@Anthony_Norris

I just downloaded the pgn file from "Crushing the Pirc" and it is the "pirc pgn" not the Scandinavian. Are you sure of what you said? Because no one corrected anything from our part and I am downloading the file 916-75.pgn which is the one for the Pirc... Please, kindly check it again...

2021 Superbet Chess Classic (Useful pgn)

https://grandchesstour.org/2021-grand-chess-tour/2021-superbet-chess-classic

I was following this event and watched live commentary. From which I selected model games and also made tests based on it. Tomorrow I will upload a pgn which is based on tests+ full games .  So those who wants to test their skills can download it tomorrow and check your calculation as well as instincts and endgames and tactical abilities. Thanks and good luck in your chess.

You should open tests first then go to the game. So it will be easy for you to answer the tests well. I used chess.com's commented games as reference and also chess.com commented those games which were famous and also amazing during event. So all games are not gonna be commented but still the tests will test your overall skills. 

Good luck!

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Thank you very much @Abhi_yadav! I will be looking forward to it! I have not been following this tournament, it will be a nice way to catch up with it!

Finally I made it. It's my 4 hours or work. It includes more than 100 positions which can test you calculation, tactical, endgame, decision making skills. Good luck . Soon more contents like this will come so you guys will be up to date with events.

This is the pgn made by @Abhi_yadav

Thanks to his efforts!!!

I am glad to have such a training partner!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jx3PKwIJVZl3XSOV3YoNDTj7vHcbEBWW/view?usp=sharing

Try opening this

Access is open for all

Great idea. Thank you Abhi.

2021 Women Grand Prix - Gibraltar!

Inspired by Abhi's Idea, I am also making a pgn of most critical moments (tests) of this tournament

Will be posted by 18 June!!

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Cool, Thanks

I am sending part 1 which contains 50 tests!

More will come soon

Till then, happy Chessing!!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GcxNsbwOZlt3q7zvfz7deYcowDbMNkjl/view?usp=sharing

Grand prix 2...d6, 6...e6 7.d4!? - What about 11...Bd7?

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Hi @Pan_Zvukar! This is a good question. Can you please post your game, it can only help to see where you went wrong and we all can learn from it...

Here black is mostly trying to have some advancement on the queenside. White's main idea is smth like Qe1 and Rad1. Bd7 is bit slow up to me and playing the moves we usually do seems good up to me. Qe1 can soon go to the kingside. As well rook on d1 makes pressure on the d6 pawn.

Scandinavian 3.Nf3 g6

What would be the recommendation for White from ChessMood? Nigel Davies, in his Grunfeld book recommends to 1.Nf3, 1...g6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5.

Thanks in Advance!

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1... c5 would bypass that if you wanted to stay within the repertoire.

I checked it out. nothing special for black up to me. Nc3 followed by d4 and regular development for these structures seems to be good for me. 

Rossolimo 5.c3 - d4 line question

Hello, played a recent game in this line and got bad position after Be3. Nbd2 is analised in the course but how to proceed as black if white plays first Be3, then Nbd2. Txs

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I tried forcing the issue once with 10...Rb8 11. Qc1 Qb6 12. b3 Qa5 followed by exchanges on c5, b3 and a1. Both sides have to tiptoe a bit to come out of that resulting position in one piece, as black could accidentally cede the entire queenside with 1 inaccuracy, while white could accidentally allow the c8 bishop to become a menacing force with 1 inaccuracy. 

Alternatively, 10...c4 has been tried in online settings. Black will most likely drop a pawn if white really tries to disfigure the black pawns near the center, but in exchange, they will take near full light square control over the board, and promising prospects at delivering a "fast and furious" around g2. 

10...Qb6 as played by Dubov against Caruana in Wijk Aan Zee 2020. Dubov got a extremely pleasant position after the exchange of Queens. Hope it helps

With Regards.

Hello,

I do like idea with Qb6 which I analyzed recently,  but taking on d4 firstly. Than when white plays b3 at some spot a5-a4 looks good to me.

Grand Prix move order 2..e6 with 3..a6, b5, Bb7, d5

Hi,

Either I can't find it in the course or it's move order stuff, but what to do in this grand-prix line for white:

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.f4 a6 4.Nf3 b5 with Bb7 and d5 coming next.

Some guy been playing this against me, I seem to recall against early a6,b5 the nice plan with g3-Bg2,Nh3 waiting for d5, but in this situation f4 is already made, so suggestions please. Txs

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on which move? Do you mean play 4.g3 (but isnt 4.Nf3 recommended here in course?), Bg2 then Nh3? But in this move order black can switch again and play d5 or smth, now I'm really confused :D

yes, that would go to Nh3 line, if black played 2..a6, but first they move order us with 2..e6 to play 3.f4 and compared to Nh3 line there is no f4 yet

Maybe you can go 5.d3!? If black does d5 then probably ed5 ed5 g3 and Bg2 and now white bishop on g2 has some good diagonal. As there is no pawn e6 blocking the whole diagonal someday we can go c4 opening the full diagonal and if black plays something like 5...Bb7 then 6.g4!? An idea which is shown in modle games section. If 5...b4 then I think Nb1 is fine the Knight goes to d2 and maybe in the future to c4 if possible I hope it helps... Regards.

Paulis, you can f4 slots into the g3 systems as well. Essentially don't play Nh3 unless they do a early b5. Instead you follow up with Nf3 etc.

Yhe only time the Knight wants to go to h3 is when they have played a early b5, this is to allow the g2 Boishop to control e4 and the long diagonal.

See section 7 of the a6 anti sicillain course, where avetik plays a g3,f4,h3 followed by Nf3 type system if I recall as a model game.

I do think a short 30 min video or something on various move order tricks etc would help because a lot of moves transpose and you can end up in the wrong lines quite easily.

This is in the recording pipeline. Avetik is on it.

Anti-sicilian g6 - new novelty ????

In the line 1. e5 c5 2. Nc3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. e5 Nc6 7. Qa4

it was mentioned that the opponent has to play the regressive 7... Ng8, as Nh5 invites 8. g4.

Not to be outdone, in a 15 minute game my 2200 opponent comes up with the novelty 7... Ng4

:facepalm:

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Yes but after 7. ... Ng4 we can take the black knight, and where is black's compensation?

Today is not April 1st right?

You are so lucky @David_Flynn, this never happens to me! ;-)

Practicing The Openings

I often ask myself if I am doing things correctly. And, I want others' opinions. What is the tool you use to practice any opening thorougly? 

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we just play them so much online and on every weekend try to revise atleast one opening. So in the end of one month you can easily revise 4 openings!

Make your OWN pgns, add comments if you need, like we show in the blog. Then practice and analyze (seeing where you deviated), practice and analyze. This is the way to understand an opening, not to replay the same lines several times without understanding it, read the blog post regarding these topics, it can only help...

GP vs 2...d6, 8...e6 line, does Black have 10...d5?

Hello!

I am not sure whether this has already been discussed in the forum, but I have been looking at the position in the 2...d6 GP, 8...e6 line after 9.e5 Ne8 10.Be3. Is it possible for Black to play 10...d5? It is quite forcing as there is a fork on d4 coming, and I am not sure about White's position after 11.Bxc5 dxc4 12.Qc7, where SF13 gives Black big advantage up to depth 30.

Does White have enough compensation for the piece/exchange (in case of Bxf8)?

Thanks!!

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OK, I just found the answer in the Advanced Section. Apologies for the confusion...

Altough you answered yourself, you still deserve the "best answer" mark, lol!