Chess forum by Grandmasters

Modern Maroczy Part 49 4:23~

At this moment, it was said that 13.f4 will hang the e4 pawn. However, after Ne4 or Bg7 white again wins a piece with Qd4. 

Fortunately SF found this amusing tactic(move 16) after 13.... e5 14. fe (back away will cause white to lose e pawn for real) Ne4 15. Ne4 Be4 16. ed Bc2!? and white has trouble holding the bishop on d4.

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Alekhine Defense

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Is the Alekhine Defense course more difficult than other courses?

After the game ..

Both images made my day but the 4 pawns attack is also a very interesting variation. Take a look at Bronstein's game with the 4 pawns. 

Draft file

Can someone explain to me how to use the draft file? 

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I might be able to, but I am not sure what a draft file is. Do you have a link for a more direct description? Or can you elaborate what it is? I am wondering if you are calling it something else from what I am use to.

SVESHNIKOV via Sicilian 4-knights move order- Good or Bad?

Hi Chessmood friends,

Some Sveshnikov players use the Sicilian 4-knights move order to avoid Rossolimo:

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3  e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6.Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5  8.Bg5

Early e6,  gives Black better chances vs Closed Sicilian and Grand Prix attack etc.

Question: Is there any theoretical problem with 2.- e6 ? Is it safe for Black?

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It is a pretty safe method of transposing but you might have to study a few other lines unrelated to the Sveshnikov like 4... Nf6 5.Bd3 or 4... Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6. Be3/6.Nxc6.

Guess the Move software

First the intoduction.  I am a strong beliver that (classical) game should be studied in great detail. One should understand the moves, store the paterns in the memory, not just remember the moves. Studying one game for the whole day brings more benefits than studying ten games.

There are some really nice games in the ChessMood courses, especially in the middle games section. What I like, is to first  download the raw pgn file of the game and run through it by myself guessing the moves and thinking how would I play in a certain position.

For this reason I was looking for a software that has such feature. There are some websites like Chess Tempo and Chess Games that offer it, but you have to subscribe/pay.

Then I found a free to download software: fredm (google.com). It allows you to do exactly that I have just described. You can choose the side (White or Black) and then you guess the moves in the game. For each move it records: your move, engine preffred move and the move that was played. It also gives you a score of your guesssing.

Has anybody used such software or perhaps something similar?

What do you think about this method of learning the games?

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I think its the best method of studying games myself.

Chessbase has this feature where the rest of the notation is hidden

You can even do it with just a book and board and cover the moves up with a piece of card.

I love the Guess The Move program from Fred Mellender. It works very well and it visually shows you what move you did, what the engine "best" was, and the text move. You can save positions to a PGN/CB review file, but while I have saved them to it, I haven't opened it, I think it wouldn't be very organized. So when I for example went over Rubinstein-Duras 1911 game, I just took screen shots whenever I found something interesting or unexpected for later study (screenshots attached).

It's much less opinionated than ChessBase, which sometimes says "CLEARLY white is winning" and I have no idea why :)

Guess the move if done properly is just as good as using a live board. I use lichess studies though. All you have to do is upload the PGN and then turn on interactive learning. If you're the creator you have to press the test button or you will see the answers when you are doing the homework.

On that: I believe the best way to learn is to hold the pieces in your hands. So using a board either to look at the pgns or to do your suggestion is always the best way to do it. If you are doing the guess the move, or as I call it from chess life "Solitaire chess". You should put a timer on. Probably best is a 120 min clock, or if you want to practice the new FIDE time controls 90 30. However this is a great idea.

Openings PGN Homework

Hi guys!

So I have been working on something for a while now, and it's not even remotely complete. However, I thought it was a good idea to use the PGN's as a homework assignment as suggested IN the PGN's. I have been doing this in a private lichess study. I have done enough work that I feel I can enlist some people who are hard working to help me complete it. I think I will accept maybe three or four people. The people that assist me with this can clone the study when it is done and even separate them into smaller studies if it makes it easier to digest. The point of this is to have a way for us to study together and get to know each other while assisting in getting us PGN's that can help us better understand the material presented.

I only want serious people who will help me edit this consistently at least weekly, recommended every other day, and preferably daily. I have done a lot of work so far, I completed the Alekhine one today because I noticed the Alekhine one didn't have a PGN. I also will see if I can do another one I find that may not have a PGN. This is full pro analysis so pro members only.

I may accept more than 3-4 if they really want in and convince me they will work on it often. I believe I am about 30% complete with the entire opening repertoire. A lot of it is entering moves and then double checking validity within completed moves by learning along with the videos. If you would like to you can contact me here. Tell me your lichess handle and expected activity. Please no trolling by coming in and messing up the PGN standard. I am merely putting in the suggested continuations with no analysis. I believe in the idea of this homework and will take it seriously. So trolling is immediate expelling. If you are inactive for more than a week I reserve the right to dismiss you. If no one accepts this, then it is like the chicken who baked a cake. I will eat it all.:-) I hope we work together on this soon.

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How did this game end?

Unfortunately, I was on the losing side of this game (against 2610 GM), but it should not discount the fact that white wrapped it up in a pretty neat way. 

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I think White won.

31.Ng6+ Kh7 (31...Nxg6 2.Qxg6 with a mate on g8 to follow) 32.Nxf8+ Kh8 (there is at minimum draw with repetition) 33.Qg6!! (threat of a mate on h6) 33...Nxg6 34.hxg6 Rxf1+ 35.Bxf1 Ne6 36. Nxe6 Qxe6 37.g7 Kh7 38.g8Q#

Wow, that's a cool one :) 1.Qg8+ Nxg8 2.Ng6+ Kh7 3.Nxf8+ Kh8 4.Ng6+ Kh7 5.f8N#

Wow, wow, wow!!!!! 
Did he play it? 

This is a nice idea to make a composition :) 

very beautiful ending!!!

Starting out with Modern Benoni

Hi everyone and GM Avetik.

I have played modern Benoni for few years. I really love the imbalance in position of Benoni and I really enjoy sacrificing pawns or exchange for initiative and some long term positional advantage. I still remember I play the Benoni against former woman world champion GM Zhu Chen in a simul exhibition and success hold till the last to walk out of the playing hall. I was inspired by the game and I plan to make Benoni my main weapon. I have played quiet a number of Benoni Defense in my classical games and I faced some troubles with some theoretical line. Therefore, I would like to seek for suggestion about books, video course or methods for me to start learning seriously about the Benoni defense.

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Hey Wenstin! 
Modern Benoni is my love! :) 
I love this opening! However, it's very complicated, and it's concepts are complicated - where to go to the kingside, when to the queenside, where to exchange the bishops, where to go with b5, when f5. 

However, if you're 2200+ , it might work good. 
I would recommend to check out Marin's Modern Benoni. It's a good one. 
Also ,GM Ivan Ivanisevic has a very interesting book. It's not really Modern Benoni. It's delayed Benoni. 
But there are lots of very-very interesting stuff. 

The Marshall Gambit in the Semi-Slav: Good or Bad?

Hi Chessmood friends,

To avoid the boring and Darwish Exchange Slav, some Semi-Slav players use the triangle move order (d5+e6+c6) to reach the Semi-Slav. Therefore, The Marshall Gambit in the Semi-Slav Defense cannot be avoided:

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e4 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 

My Question: Is it bad for Black? Is it a dynamic equality?

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It's too dangerous for black, I recommend to escape this line. I used to start with e6 and c6 too but then I stopped playing it because of e4. Nobody plays this among strong players

Kourosh, this is one of the most complicated lines in the theory :) 
It seems that in the modern theory Black survives, but they should have a better memory than the computer has :)))) 

French exf6 question making e6 pawn weak

This game played by me https://lichess.org/zo9LVhTB

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Ne2 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.a3 Rb8 8.0-0 Be7 9.f4 (to play f4-f5 Ng3 Qg4 to start attack on kingside which was told by GM Avetik in French Webinar) 9...f5. In the game, I thought 10.exf6 would be good for me cuz I create a weakness on e6 pawn and having e5 square for my strongpoint but when I check with my engine it shows equal. In the game I can make any progress to attack the e6 pawn weakness and ended in a draw. Then I checked with my engine, it says I should play b2-b4 to gain space on queenside. My question, is exf6 good move or not. If not what is the better option for white to play after 9...f5?

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I am not sure what will be the best response after f5, but I think even after exf6 you got a very nice position after few moves, unfortunately you could not convert well, but I got mad when I saw in which position you took the draw :) why you didn't continue the game? I think there's still a lot of chances to win, just keep the Queens and annoy him :)

Hey Chong! 
Ususally after f5, when you take on f6, you get a slight edge. 
However more problematic is when you don't touch it. 
In your game, I would play b4! 
And if at some point he goes 0-0, then g4 will start a checkmating attack! 

Usually f5 moves in french, lives them without counterplay... 

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 course question

Hi ! ChessMood Pro Members. When someone plays 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 with me and in all black course was suggested to play Nc6 so it can tranposes to the maroczy, dragon, rossolismo. But when I am playing with Nc6 with ChessMood Promember there is 3.Bb5 (which was covered in Anti Sicilian part 2). My question is, will there be courses how to play against 3.Bb5 movein anti-sicilian for black?

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I believe it's work in progress.

In a webinar or stream, it was mentioned, I believe, that the best line for black is  3.-Nd4 4.Nf3 -e6 5.0-0, -a6 6. Bd3 - Nc6 . You can find this line in the advanced course

Hey Chong! 
It's already recorded. We're going to edit and upload it soon. 

Can you find it?

ChessMood Family????

After each online session, I recommend to download your just played games and briefly check them out, mostly paying attention to the opening part (check if you have done all correctly) and check the blunders.

 The same I do, after each session. Here is a very nice move I missed playing with Black. Can you find it?

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The most obvious move 1...f4 doesn't seem to work. 2.Bxf4 Rxf4 (2...Bxd4 3.Qxd4 Rxf4 4.Qxd5) 3.Qxf4 Bxd4? 4.Rc8+ Kf7 5.Rc7 

What about 1...g5! 2.Bxg5 e3! (3.Bxe3 f4) 3.Bxe7 exd2 4.Rd1 Re1+ 

or 1...g5! 2.g3  Bh6 3.Rxd5 f4

ChessMood endgame tournament

I would like to practice also the endgame courses that we're able to watch. Is it possible to create an endgame tournament as well? :)

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That sounds good! Maybe we can alternate every Saturday. For example, one Saturday we do an opening tournament and one Saturday we do a "Rook Endgames" Tournament so we can practice both.

I'm in the Lichess4545 league and we're playing through "100 Endgames You Must Know".  Perhaps we could play through the Chessmood endgame course positions over a series of weeks here.  The Lichess4545 league pairs players and we play both sides of a few positions.  I don't know how it would work here, but I'm learning a lot over there.

Wonderfull idea for the endgame tournament (Avetik please take notice).

I think we can do it without Lichess4545 (I am also a member there). Chessmood could prepare a normal Lichess tournament with a starting position.

And if this is not done, we could do it ourselves :)

I propose that you put here in a reply the prefered day and hour for the ending tournament.

Nice idea! Rook and Pawn Endgames seem specially hard for me. The idea is easy to grasp, but not the execution, so it is very important to practise 

Yeah, the problem is, from exactly what position to play? :) 

Surprise in the French Defense 7...Qb6!?

At first I though this was a bad move as it was not covered in the course. Later I checked the engine and my response was not a good one as I was worse after couple fo moves.

Somehow I managed to fight back and won in the end.

Full game has been posted on the page 5 in the best December games: The best games of December and the prizes - ChessMood

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Ohh that was a nice game, I liked it.

I don't think this Qb6 can be a good move, because, if he takes on b2, then you're gonna be so ahead in development. I will definitely play for white in that position, and if he doesn't want to take on b2 then the Queen doesn't stays good on b6, because our bishop looks at her :D

Robert, after 7...Qb6 you just to 8.Nbc3. 
if 8...Qb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.0-0 with initiative. For example 10...Be7 11.Nb5 Qa5 12.Bf4! 
or 10...Qa5 11.dc5

If 8...cd4 9.Nd4 Bc5 10.Bc6! bc 11.0-0 with Na4 - Black has problems. If 11...Qc7 then Ne6. 

Is there a course for beating 1.Nf3 as black?

This is not covered yet, correct? 

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The best advice to be able to stick to our chessmood openings would be to play 1…c5. Then you are ready to play our accelerated dragon lines after 2.e4, Nc6 …
Or after 2.c4 you play 2…g6, transposing into the English, as recommended by coach Hovhannes Gabuzyan, and after 2.g3 you also play 2…g6, 3.Bg2, Bg7, so that you can transpose into the English again after 4. c4, Nc6 … or after 4.O-O, Nc6, c4 …

Hi Kevin!

After 1. Nf3 as @Didi_Mayer mentioned we are playing with c5. So if e4 it transposes to Sicilian which we are happy to see. If white is trying systems with c4 then you can watch the course of English and will know what to do. As well Maroczy bind is covering another part of white possibilities. And if white is just playing some random setups with g3 you can build positions as we are doing in the English course as well using similar structures.

Crushing d4 Sidelines Course

The pgn file is not quite right. There are 2 'Trampowsky' System and 1 London System and 0 Jobava System, like this:

https://imgur.com/a/rJYLdZF

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Oh, right. Sorry about that. 
And thanks for saying. 

Commented Classic Games Course

I hate to be a cheerleader but this course is a must for every chess player under 2200, just for the ideas alone.  Each game is presented quickly enough that you don’t get bored but goes deep enough so you understand the strategy and tactics and also how the great player deviates from what lesser players might do in the same position.  

Cheers to the GM Avetik who created it.  

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Exactly! I also like this course so much.

Hey Tom, thank you very much! 
Have you started to watch the Attacking games and Endgames? 
I think you should love them too :) 

P.S 
Tom, may I ask you to copy your words and paste into the "review" part of the courses? :) 
https://chessmood.com/course/chess-classical-games 

16000 dpi gaming mouse

I been having problems with my mouse and remembering GM Grigoryan upgraded to a 16000 dpi razer. I also upgraded to a 16000 dpi mouse. I also have a pvc aluminum mouse pad. Do you guys really set the mouse on 16000 dpi the motion of the mouse covers the whole screen moving an inch. The best setting I found is about 3500 dpi without the aluminum mouse pad. I haven’t experimented quite enough with this yet I’m trying to get the feel of the mouse it’s so much different than the $20 version I have been using. Any advice? 

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Hi Brad,

I use it at 10000 dpi. I think that 16000 is too much, but if you get used to it, why not? The problem is getting used to it. I am using the mouse all the day long at 10000 dpi and I have no problem. You just need more practice and start with less dpi, then when you get used to the speed, you can go to the next dpi level if you feel like you need it... I started gradually like this too. Now less than 10000 is slow for me...

Hey Brad! 
I bought it, but later my friend told me that 16.000, only professional gamers use :) 

I'm using now 4000 and slowly starting to add more speed. 
You should find out what is suiting you best. 

Chess.com Game analysis

HI All

Does anyone know the process that chess.com uses when analyzing one's games and establishing a certain "accuracy percentage"?

For example, do Best move and Book move have equal weight, while mistakes, blunders and inaccuracies deduct various values from the total "accuracy percentage"? And maybe brilliant move adds a bonus?

I believe its a decent engine feedback in general....

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I think, only chess.com guys know the answer :) 
It's not standard at all, how they calculate accuracy :) 

Can I completely skip Maroczy Bind and only learn Modern Maroczy?

As Avetik said, Modern Maroczy Bind is a superior than Maroczy Bind. 

To save time, is it fine to only learn Modern Maroczy and skip the Maroczy Bind course?

Am I losing anything. Thank you so much!

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That's a nice question Kevin. I did both courses and I am playing the Modern Maroczy whenever I can. I think that yes, you could skip it but the old maroczy bind has lots of ideas that you can also use in the modern. I watched both but once you enter in the Modern Maroczy everything is covered to the last detail, so yes, I guess that you can. Think of the "old" one like the foundation, and then you go to the Modern, with more concrete variations which require more memorization.

I would at least look at all the videos to get a feeling for the position but learning only the Modern Maroczy seems reasonable. But make sure you understand the reasons what issues the modern Maroczy  attempts to solve.

I recommend learning both, but if you do not, at least watch the standard maroczy videos and grasp the ideas, even if you do not learn the concrete movesin each variation, and only learn modern Maroczy

Thank you, all, for being so helpful!

Hin Kevin,

I believe you will also need to learn the Classic Moroczy Bind , because some move orders from the English oppening will not let you play the Modern Maroczy bind.

Kevin, I would recommend to watch Maroczy Course first, to understand the ideas better, before moving to the modern Maroczy. 
Also, in the Maroczy course, you'll need to learn Maroczy with g3.