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Chess forum by Grandmasters
coach
Hi. what do I need to do to get one of your coaches to coach me?
Replies
Hi Eliya,
Please send a message to our client support team [email protected]
and they will provide you the information 🙂
Alapin Bc4/Nf3 without d4 variation
Hi All,
played today a game in our league.
I felt very good preped and had good confidence.
But here in the game after i played fast Be6 my opponent took some time and i had the chance to think, what actually happens after Re1 or even Ng5. In the game opponent took Be6 and it lead to known territory from video course.
But what would be the suggestion after mentioned Re1 or Ng5? I funnily asked Stockfish on depth 40 about Ng5 but his variation actually looses in the end for black if im not wrong. xD
Thank you for your help!
Replies
Dear Fred,
I checked the position and have 2 suggestions.
Instead of 11…h6 I like more Rd8 move - as next moves of white like f4 - are bit unusual.
As well if you are playing on very high levels, and need super engine Prep - instead of Be6 you can try Bf5 move - which leads to complicated engine lines with equality.
Rossolimo Doubt
https://lichess.org/O3Y9Pezr/black#11
. This game was Exchange Rossolimo with 4.Bxc6 dxc6 and here my opponent confused me with 5.Re1. I realised that if I go Nf6-Nd7-Nf8 manuever, he will quickly play e5-e6 and then crush my pawn structure so I was feeling a bit annoyed and then I played Bg7-.e5 and then manuevered by knight via Nh6-f6-Nf7-0-0 and then launched an attack with f5. My opponent gained an advantage in the opening and it was a bit uncomfortable to make a lot of pawn moves, though I somehow generated counterplay. Can you suggest a remedy to this line. Thank yu
Replies
Hey AK Chess,
After 5.Re1 e5 - followed by Qe7 and developing the Knight to f6 - should be the best way in my opinion.
calcman
Is there a quiz to the calcman course because in the last video of the course GM gabuzyan said that there is a quiz but i don't see it. Also on one of the videos he said that there is a link to play a blindfolded online game, but i don't know where it is so can you send the link?
Replies
The quizzes are within the various sections in-between the videos - enjoy the course, it is a great one!
Dear Eliya,
I checked about your question - here is the missing link https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/blindfold-trainer/
which will also be added to the course.
As well we have now quiz examples in between of the sections, and we might upload more training positions soon - not sure about the exact dates.
Thanks for being focused and working hard!
Good luck :-)
Why is there no dutch pgn file?
Why is there no dutch pgn file?
Replies
Hi there!
I have just tried and it works :)
Can you please check one more time?
Here is the link: https://chessmood.com/course/blackmood-openings
Blogs
Why are there no more blogs?
Replies
Hey Random Guy,
We are doing different uploads - courses, podcasts, trainings, blogs as well - we have couple of hundreds articles - and if you read them all, will ask you to be patient and wait as for sure we will have more!
Thanks for being committed and putting a great effort 🙂
New article: 7Q Method: Your Roadmap to Formulating Chess Plans in Any Position
Do you ever look at your position, feel clueless, and not know what to play next or how to think? By asking these 7 questions, you can find a solid plan in almost any position 😊
Discover how in today’s article:
https://chessmood.com/blog/7q-method-chess-planning
Replies
sir to me this article was really helpful but when i was going through the example i found out that i was just checking candidates moves and calculating variation for justifying the weakness of pawn or attack which i do naturally which hinder the process and make it difficult to had more precise positional solution to the question for ex in many position you said that the opponent can use this or that weak square for their knight but i can't simply think of it easily as it is not the part of my candidate moves. making all the calculation blurry so how to avoid it.
On question 7 on the board that says white to play the pawn is supposed to be on h2 but it's on h4
Edit: I see the black dot in the corner, and you wrote that it's white to move. I think you accidentally made a move while taking the picture
Would you recommend playing slower time controls, such as 15+10, while we are learning the 7Q Method? My thinking is that the extra time would allow us to really apply the method during our games and get comfortable with it. Then, once we have mastered the 7Q Method, we can transition back to faster time controls.
Thanks for your input!
thanks for giving
Alapin 12.Re1 feels uncomfortable
Hi All,
following game (https://lichess.org/gRWt9qml/black#23) i played after funnily watched today whole alapin course.
My opponent played 12Re1 and after 12..Qd7 i got somehow in trouble.. felt uncomfortable getting a kngiht to e5 and what i played was even worse.. i checked afterwards and all 3 mastergames played Qd5. what would you recommend here? i think this Re1 idea after Na3 i couldnt find in the videos.
Thank you for the help in advance. :)
Replies
How to Spend MoodCoins?
I have some mood coins but how do I spend them on courses?
Replies
On the page of a video, you should find an option in the top right that says "Get lifetime access". If you click on it, there should be several options regarding your payment method, one of which should be using moodcoins. (This is a quote from Peter M. that I am kindly copy and pasting, Thanks Peter!)
Thanks, but when I went to the BlunderProof Course, I didn't find any button that says " Get Lifetime Access".
You can spend mood coins like this: First go to your profile, then go to courses and there you go !!! 😀
Hi!
I have some Information for you:
- Go to the Courses page and pick your course
- Select the option “Or get lifetime access”
- Select the option “Buy the course”
- In the right-hand section titled “Choose your payment method” the last option will be MoodCoin.
Remember that $1 = 1,000 MoodCoin. So, if the course costs $300 that is 300,000 MoodCoin.
Need to earn some more? Details are here: https://chessmood.com/moodcoin
Can you use mood coins for a premium membership?
Feature suggestion: Fixmood for custom repertoires
Hi!
Great job on the latest site updates! Fixmood looks very cool!
One thing though - I do not play the Chessmood openings, so I wondered if you would consider making support for custom repertoires in Fixmood?
Uploading PGN with the repertoire would work great. Preferably with support for multiple files, so the files do not get so big, and I can change out parts of the repertoire more easily. Even more awesome, though obviously not straightforward, would be the ability to create/edit the repertoire directly on the this site.
Keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Harald
Replies
Try chessbook.com. You can import your repertoire by pgn and then link an account and it will tell you where you deviated from your repertoire. The only issue with this is it only let's you practice some moves before it asks for a subscription, but a useful tool nonetheless.
Hope this helps, Samuel
Dear Harald,
I did send your request to our technical team, and once they have the answer, you will get the information!
Thank you 😊
hi
hi
Replies
hi
hihi
Anti-Sicilian 2... Nc6
I found out that in the line 4… e6 and 5… a6 after b3, which is the recommendation, i see often g5 instead of d6, which always crushes me, how to counter that? I saw few lines in the database: After b3, g5, Bb2, Bg7, Na4, Bxb2, Nxb2, g4, Ne1, h5 engine says its pretty equal but seems like black is attacking.
Replies
Anti-sicilian Nc6 line
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nf3 e6 5.0-0 a6 6.Bd3 Nxf3+ 7.Qxf3 Qc7
What to do as white in this line. I have been losing some games here.
Replies
Dear Rahul,
In the given position White plays with ideas of 8.b3 Bd6 9.Qh3 - followed by Bb2 - sometimes f4.
There is a concrete line if 9…Ne7 10.Bb2 Be5 11.f4! and if Black accepts with 11…Bxf4 12.Rxf4 Qxf4 13.Rf1! and White have a big advantage - I would recommend to check the last position with the engine for better understanding.
If after 11.f4 Bd4+ 12.Kh1 - often White traded Bishop on d4 with Na4 or Nd1 - that position is interesting and playable for both sides.
MacCutcheon Gambit
Dear CM coaches, it would be interesting to have model games from this line. by the way the rating of the simplified chessmood openings (800 -2000 elo) are FIDE like or online ? (anyway by using them i got good results even against 2200 Fide rated players)
Replies
There are model games Marius:
Scotch game (Main line 4. .... Nf6)
Hi GM Avetik,
In main line 4. …. Nf6 in “The Scotch game course” (Video 9. 8. …. h6 we've started from the position below.
Then here is your recomendation from my repertoire as a pgn.
8...h6 9.c4 Ba6 10.g3 g6 11.h5 g5 12.Qe4 Nb4 13.Nc3 {Black's knight may have problems.} 13...Bg7 14.a3 {There's really a problem with this line. GM Avetik said Black's knight is trapped. It's not.} 14...d5 15.cxd5 Bxe5 {This move saves Black. I'll make a question.}
We can also see the same moves here as a GIF file.
The position is equal and the knight isn't trapped. I think there's really a problem here. Am I wrong somewhere?. Thanks coach.
Replies
Hi , when the opponent finds all the right moves up to 15 moves , it’s ok to get an equal position . If you can play perfectly all positions up to 15 moves without any help (computer , books, etc ) , you should get good results !
Dear Ilias,
Thanks for the interesting question. In the given position Black Knight isn't trapped, however white is slightly better.
I also checked and after the Bg7 move of black f4 also leads to a decent advantage for White.
Good luck :-)
Struggling with OTB vision compared to online games
Hi everyone,
I recently played in an OTB tournament and noticed that my performance wasn't up to the same level as my online play. My biggest issue was my tactical vision—especially spotting knight forks, pins, and other key threats. I found that I struggle to visualize the board and detect my opponent's tactics in OTB settings compared to online games.
I’m planning to get a physical board to help bridge this gap and practice my OTB skills more effectively. My idea is to use the board daily to train my tactical vision with real pieces, which I hope will help improve my focus and pattern recognition when I play in physical tournaments.
Has anyone else faced a similar issue transitioning from online to OTB play? If so, how did you deal with it, and do you have any tips or exercises for sharpening tactical vision on a physical board? I'd really appreciate any advice or suggestions that can help me better prepare for future OTB games!
Thanks in advance!
Replies
Hey Tyler! When I started playing otb I had very similar performances. I realized that as I play more otb and stay focused that soon my online skills will reciprocate into my otb games! I also did more things over the board, like puzzles or master games. I think that should help a lot with the otb. Good luck in your otb games!
Hi Tyler,
I faced the same issue as well in my recent tournament.
As I was used to the online boards, I lost the sense of the real one.
If you are going to play lots of OTB games it's vert reasonable while solving the tactics put them on a physical board and practice that way.
Modern Maroczy Bind 9.Bg5
Hi All,
after modern Maroczy 9.Bg5 my game was the following:
9.. 0-0 10.Qe3 Be6 11.0-0 Qb6 12.Qd2 Qa5 13.Rab1
I was lucky played Nd7 and opponent blunder b4 nice tactic with Bxc3..
But unfortunately Nd7 is not good.
I checked with engine and engine let white play b4. move soon or later.
Interestingly by far better engine say Rac8. But every master game or lichess game nearly went Rfc8..
Do you understand the differences and what would be your recommendation for black after 13.Rab1?
Link to my game: https://lichess.org/Krxi86yM/black#25
Replies
Hey Fred,
I am not getting Rac8 as Rfc8 seems to be much more natural.
I would have continued that way 😅
Multiple imbalances in a position
I'm struggling to come up with plans for each side in this position. For example, will a rook exchange favor black or white?🤔
Replies
Dear Mike,
Here Black has dangerous pawns, and once position gets simplified they can start pushing.
As white I would try to enter 7th rank and create threat, especially against the King, but position is complex. I feel Black should be better 🙂
Middle Game Mastery - Pawn Structures
Hi GM Avo sir and GM Gabuzyan sir how about a course on Pawn Structures under Middle Game Mastery section.
Replies
I was looking for something similar but could not find anything here on Chess Mood. (maybe because there is no search function that searches for keywords?). Anyway, I am also in Facebook Chess group where someone posted a similar question and the answer there was that you need to look for topics like ‘pawn break’ to understand how pawns can be used in the middle game. Searching for this, I've found this article:
https://www.chessjournal.com/chess-pawn-break/
Hope this helps finding what you are looking. And yes, I would also like to know if there is already a course on using pawn structures in the middle game.
Here is also a lichess study:
https://lichess.org/study/8i48j3zf
(based on a YouTube video) that I found looking for ‘pawn breaks’ in the study area of lichess (I have not looked at it so I don't know if this is any good, but there seems to be a few 'go to' resources once you know what you are looking for.
They are working on a positionnal chess course ("Strategic symphony") in the rating booster section, I imagine it will contains stuff on the pawn structure (can't wait!).
If you have a premium account on chess.com, there is a lesson by GM Johan Hellsten “Every pawn structure explained” that is interresting. There is about 30 pawns structures that can emerge from the main openings and the associated plans for both sides and a few exercises.
https://www.chess.com/lessons/every-pawn-structure-explained
Struggling with Premature Attacks in the Dutch Attack - Need Help!
Hey ChessMood family,
I've been playing the Dutch Attack but I keep getting into trouble before move 15. It seems like my early f-pawn push opens me up to aggressive attacks, and I often find myself on the defensive too early. Here's an example from a recent game where I had a hard time defending:https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/121809533959?tab=analysis&move=81 As you can see, I struggled around the middle game after moving the f-pawn early and eventually fell to aggressive play on my kingside. What adjustments can I make in the Dutch to avoid falling into premature attacks and instead, be the one with the initiative?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance! 😊
Replies
Hi tyler,
in the given example I think the first mistake was 9…h5. This move weakened the square on g5 and allowed 10. Be2 which is where i think you lost the initiative and started having to defend all the weak squares (Note that Qh5 was not a threat just yet as the knight on f6 covers this square). I think that 9…0-0 was probably a better move
After your opponent played 10.Be2 I think taking on g2 was probably another mistake as it allowed your opponent to gain the open g file in front of your king and allowed the infiltration of your opponents rook to g7. I think a good lesson to learn from this game is to think twice before taking a pawn that may open up a file in front of your king and to try to avoid pawn pushes on the side where you intend to castle. Overall I don't think the issue was pushing the f pawn too early but I think that the real issue was the open g file.
Hope this helps, Samuel
Dear Tyler,
9…h5 was a huge mistake as it weakens dark squares on the Kingside, and without that you had a pleasant position.
I would highly recommend you checking all the model games - where you will see how we move our pieces and pawns in that openin 🙂
