Chess forum by Grandmasters

New Gambit

Would you get the vaccine? :D 

Replies

Haha :) 
Watching our courses should be a good vaccine already :) 

NEW ARTICLE: Nimzowitsch Defense – 1...Nc6 | How should you react?

Replies

Having just completed it - nice course and succinct.

I guess for White this leaves a few options left to cover, the main one being Owen's b6 which in blitz is seen quite often at amateur level, as well as various hippo defences that result from b6 and g6 with one or both knights ending up on the 2nd rank which can be annoying to break down and are often played to run the opponent out of time - I think there is also a lesson here in showing one's cards since often the hippo is just that, Black waits for White to commit a pawn structure first and stays flexible.

The other move that perhaps deserves a mention for completeness is a6 - the St George, given Karpov was famously defeated by it.

f5, the Fred, I guess will be covered in Abracadabra gambits as a relative of the Colarado. Does the borg (1... g5) even deserve a mention as a gambit or otherwise?

And other odd surprise moves such as Na6, Nh6, a5, h5, h6, f6.... As you've said before, you can't cover everything in detail, but I think there is a little value in covering how to deal with unexpected openings/moves to either get a good position or steer the game into something similar to the repertoire. Another option would be to have a course on opening principles that is collecting some of the lessons and wisdom from the other courses, how to find and select good model games, prepare for opponents, analyse deviations from the courses or theory and so on. Dealing with the unexpected / odd / forgotten / unstudied could be a chapter in that.

Perhaps this can be paired up with odd openings Black might face (I guess main minor options b3, b4, g3, f4, Nf3, Nc3 will have their own courses, individually or collated), and perhaps the grob 1. g4 may go under Abracadabra gambits since the pawn is often offered. Some of the others offer transpositions to the Black side, for example c3 c5 c4, or e3, e5, e4, but there are also stand alone variations and particularly e3 and d3 do appear from (occasional) time to time. The ideas of f3 Kf2 (Hammerschlag etc or King's Head variation if e4 comes with it - probably named after the club/pub rather than the king putting its head on the chopping block) can be an interesting lesson for how to attack the king. And then sillies like h3 and a3 offering to pass the move can be dealt with in how to develop sensibly into similar positions in the courses, where hopefully move will not be useful or harm White. Again maybe for an opening principles course.

Hi Coach,

Nimzowitsch Defense is indded a nicely presented course. I liked especially we can transform it to other openings in a way that is unfavorable for Black.

This will help me to easier remember parts of the other (transformed) openings.

I also liked the article explaining the main ideas behind the chosen lines. Please do it also for the other openings in the chessmood repertoire.

I faced once 1...Nc6 and the guy followed d6, e6, Nf3 and fianchetto both bishops. He was a 1500 player and probably went for something solid, a system, more than a challenging opening where you have to learn variations. I have played vs. this setup online a couple of times with a different move order and it was called St.George or something similar. The ECO code was C0X or C1X so it was classified in the French segment but without d5, c5 or simlar moves.

2.Nf3! instead of 2.d4, what a good advice. Since your video of not showing your cards I changed my mind setup and now I delay castling as much as I can. Well, I am a Sicilian player and wait if white 0-0-0 and goes for a pawn storm.

I remember game#1 of the Carlsen - Caruana WC match 2018 and remember that it was a Moscow variation. Fabi went for the attack opening the f file and just in the last moment MC 0-0-0. Fabi had no king to attack and MC started a smart piece maneuvering in the g and h files that could give him the game if he was an attacking player and saw that instead of piling on the g file, Qg7 to use the long diagonal and go to the unprotected Qside was the winning procedure. From then Fabi didn't attack anymore with white and with black and his boring Petroff, we all know how this match ended.

I realized I have a book Play 1...Nc6!

In the the book as the best reply against 2.Nf3 the following line is given:

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e5 Ng4 4.d4 d6

It would be nice to have this line coveredin the course

London 3.Nd2

How do we continue after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nd2 ? If 3...d5, White plays a normal London, where we don't normally play ..d5. If 3...Bg7 (the most common response), White plays 4.e4, which we don't normally allow.

Perhaps 3...c5 is in our spirit, e.g., 4.c3 (still wants to play e4) cxd4 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg7 7.e4 d5! 8.e5 Ne4 9.Bd3 Bg4!? with interesting play.

Replies

Hey Peter! 
A very tricky question. 
I found in my file marked with red (I mark red the moves, where I have questions for myself) 

I have added two options for Black, which can be analyzed further. 
1st - 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 (with White's bishop on g5 is a big theory). 
Now the bishop on f4 is a bit misplaced and we have interesting Nc6,Nd7,e5 idea in the future. 

2nd - 3...Nh5!? if you love to play interesting chess )) 
4.Be5 f6! 5.Bg3 e5! 6.de5 Ng3 and fe5.  

This would be a crime, if White has played 2.e3 , as in the same variation, at the end White would play with Nc3, controlling the d5 square. 
When the N is on d2, this variation becomes very interesting. 

c6 d5 plan in the Modern

This was mentioned by someone else before, but it looks like there could do with some instruction in these lines. I was getting a number of wins as Black in the tournament playing this. The general plan is to not play Bg7, but play h5, Nh6 and maybe Bg4 to swap the light squared bishop (what I played in the tournament, though my opponent played Bf5 in the attached game) and put all the pawns on the light squares. Didn't seem to be an easy plan for my opponents to break down, and nor was it when I first faced it myself, game attached. This plan is usually against d4, but it might also work against Nc3.

Replies

Hey David,

System seems unusual ) But I don't like knight position on h6 and seems if white players properly, it would be very limited piece.

Hey David! 
The system will be added in the Modern Pirc. 
I just want to update the abra cadabra gambits first, as most of our students are struggling against them. 

SU 35 Video

Since I could not find the way to comment under the video I do it here

Seems clear we have to play on queen side but... how? 

Pushing a pawn...a4 a5? Exchange a5 on b6 if he doesn't push b5? But why? Is it the plan just to open a file? 

Thank you in advance

Replies

Claudio, why don't you comment in the comments section on Youtube? 
Yeah, your answer with a4 is right :) 

..

.

Replies

Would you give the position or the full move order please?

Krystof, no need to go so deep.
11...Nh6 is already a novelty in a rare variation. 

12.Nd1 is a novelty against a novelty in a rare variation. 
You should have worries about such things, only on 2650+ level. 

Anyway, I've analyzed it with cloud engine 12.Nd1 move. 
After 12...Qd2 13.Kd2 a5!, engine gives White adv. , but if you let him to think, he changed his opinion. 
I went deeper in my analyzes, but there is no need to go into details and share all 4 moves I've analyzed after 13...a5 :) 

As I have 2600+ students, I need to go to deeper sometimes, but you don't need guys.  

P.S 

Please, such questions, related to our courses, post in the PRO Members channel, otherwise, our Grandmasters can miss them. 
Thanks 

NEW ARTICLE: How I Achieved 2.900 on Chess.com!

Replies

First congratulations, your persistance and achievement was impressive.

Last year I hired a GM as a coach and one day I ask him if blitz help to improve. He said no although he had a good rating at chessli and chess.com. My conclusion is that blitz (and bullet) are for Masters and Youngsters.

Kids and youngsters like to play fast even at classical chess. They finish their game with 30-60min of spare time.

Masters are good players so is logical they play good at any time control. Humans like to do in what they excel. Success makes people more happy.

I am an amateur in my late 50 so I don't play blitz. I like to solve exercises and read the theory and history of our amazing game. Sometimes I go OTB in classical time control, but lately I blunder a lot and drop lot of material, time takes it's toll. 

Couldn't be a better ending for Chessmood in 2020!!! Sooo motivating and useful!

I want to reach 2200 on chess.com by the end of 2021

Firstly congratulations GM Avetik! Well, I am floating around 1860-1900 on chess.com and lichess blitz. Target is 2000. And in rapid I float around 1880-1910 and I also want 2000. Note: I have raised 230 points in all time controls last year.

Well done sensei, some of those games were extremely well played and very instructive, perhaps you should use them in the courses as further examples of just how devastating the repertoire can be.

Congrats !! GM Avetik for this achievement.Very inspirational article specially i like paragraphs under heading Doing a deep analysis, The importance of practice & What I did wrong.

Congratulations GM Avetik

Congratulations. The article is very inspiring.

Wow the raised arms pic is priceless! The power of goals with a strong WHY. I'm gonna try it for the new year!

you are a truly role model!

Pro member

How to become a pro member by paying with credit card /debit card? 

Replies

That's how I did it. Click on PRO Members, click get started I believe and follow instructions there.

You can with PayPal as well. 

Sicilian: 2.. Nc6 with 3.. e6

Hi Avetik and CM team,

I just lost a game online where black combined Nc6 with e6, all while holding back on d5 until after I captured on c6, and then taking back with the b pawn. The initial moves were: 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. f4 d5 6. d3 Nf6 7. e5 Nd6 8. Nf3 Be7 9. 0-0 and on the next move I pushed d3-d4, which probably wasn't so good. In any case, I couldn't find anything in the course against this specific move order. Could you please comment on what should be the approach for white here?

Replies

The way you played was okay, only in move 10 you should not have played 10.d4?, allowing Black to play 10...cxd4 and getting rid of his problematic pawn on c5.
You should have played 10.b3/Qe1 (protecting Nc3)/Ba3/Na4 (putting pressure on c4), then maybe c4/Rac1 and whenever Black plays d4 (which weakens e4) you can play Nd2/Ne4!

Hey Yair! 
You actually have been transposed to Sicilian 2...e6 course. 
Check out that one, you'll find the answer. 

Move order problem

I got a move order problem against 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 O-O 5.0-0[5..c4 c5 no problem] now if c5 then 6.c3 leads to symmetrical structure and drawish positions

Replies

Do not fear 6.c3, I suggest to play cxd4, 7.cxd4, d5, 8.Nc3, Ne4 (or Nc6) and Black is equal - this is a trendy line nowadays!

Khokan, you go 3...c5! 
And if 4.c3 then b6 with Bb7. 

Classical game Rubinstein Duras

In game 15 Rubinstein Duras... minute 11,would have been the same to play Nb2 instead of Qf1?

The idea was the same... changing the queens

I maybe found the answer on my own... the problem is that b3 wouldn't be safe anymore... correct? 

Replies

Yeah very similar, Claudio. Just it's better to have the knight on d2, to protect the b3 pawn. 

Daily Lesson with a GM (Chess Mood at YouTube)

Chess Mood started yesterday with more chess video instruction on YouTube in the form of daily video lessons. I am about to watch video 2 (020121).

I do not think they want members to view these though, as they have not been promoted here onsite. Another hoodie blunder!

So I will promote them. They can be found on the Chess Mood YouTube website. Go watch, learn & enjoy ..Right Mood, Right Move COGRO

Below is the link to the first video-The Useless Bishop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR1XHvULGnKd9WV3fju845ps9r-1hRNbPwF32L-1oetJAAEEzaNDm7tKZFw&v=i9vTe4kgSwI&feature=youtu.be

Replies

Thank you Richard. I received an email and it was also commented in the Messenger group

Watched the first two already and spread the word around.

Also wonder if it would make sense to cross post the videos here as a free course in the middlegame section, so members don't have to go out to youtube to find the videos?

Hey guys! 
Thanks for support! :) 

Well, we want to add them in the website too :) 
The problem is just technically. 
As Vimeo and Youtube work differently. But we'll solve it soon :) 

Alekhine's My Best Games of Chess

While reading this book I found it hard, hard to grasp. Sometimes I could make some observations, like 'Alekhine's pieces often seem to be in good active positions', other times it's like move, move, move and suddenly he's winning, and I'm like wtf? 

It's also not easy to make sense of variations given.

What would be the solution here? Thx!

Replies

Hi

I cannot answer this, but I sympathise with you. I have not read this book, but I have seen several of Alekhine's games and he was an amazingly good player! I believe there are some of his games analysed in chess courses and on chess websites, so if you can find any, that would be helpful (I should think Matojelic at YouTube must have done analysis of some of his games!).

I chuckled a little at this post, as it has a similarity to the fact that, I am looking presently at at a course by GM I Smirnov, titled "Play like Fischer" and the first video explores the concept, that Fischer placed his pieces to the most favourable places, as he was a fine positional player! Talk about stating the clearly obvious! Still, I have yet to finish this course and I hope to get better answers to how Fischer played his style of chess so well!

Good luck with your Alekhine studies, stick with them, as learning from Alekhine will make you & anyone else a better chess player (GM R Fischer knew Alekhine's games & I think most GM's know something of Alekhine and his chess ideas-an ex world chess champion).

Inguh, a good question. 
It's very important to know who is the author of the book. 

It's the main factor, and about whom is the book is the 2nd. 

I often see, many Youtubers create great content and analyse games very well, when the game is very concrete, and they found all the answers with help of engine, and then they show the game. 
In that case it doesn't matter so much, who analyse. A GM or 1900 rated player. 

But with positional games.... There too much bad cases. When someone lower rated, explain some idea very badly. As they check with engine, but not truly understood the idea. 

By the way, that was on the main ideas, of the Classical Games course. 
I don't show you games with brilliant sacrifices. 
You can find them in Youtube too, commented not badly. 

So, overall my recommendation would be, to always pay attention who is the author. 

2. Nc3 against Silian Kan set-up, holding back on d7-d5

I just had a game (which I won eventually!) that started 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. f4 a6 4. Nf3 b5

This is actually quite a common way for Kan players to play, hoping white will play d2-d4 whereafter it's a proper Kan, but also being quite content with white playing d2-d3 as black has gained significant space on the queen's side. I didn't see this covered in the course.... What is your recommendation, CM team? Transposing to the closed Sicilian with g2-g3? Will there be coverage on this variation in the future?

Replies

I think in the e6 course when black plays with a6. The recommendation is to go with g3, bg2 and build up kingside with h3,g4 etc.

Early a6 from black a a move is a bit of a wasted tempi when white can still go go, bg2 etc and we play against black lsb which is stuck behind its pawns 

Definitely g3 and Lg2, and go for a closed sicilian position. Besides black is a bit behind in development

Yair, after e6 and e6, it's better to play g3 immediately, and keeping option Nh3 for future. 
It's more tricky when Black starts with 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.f4 Nc6 (!) 4.Nf3 and now a6. 
Still we go with g3. 

I'll add it in the advanced sections, after finishing with Abra-Cadabra gambits. 
The first one, we upload on Tuesday. 

Don't show "Get unlimited access" banner for Pro members

Please don't show this banner for Pro members. I need to close it every time I visit the site.

Replies

Hey Peter! 
Can you clarify what do you mean? 

Not a big issue, but I agree is annoying

Ah, I see! 
Will think about it! 

Free pgn editor/reader for Chessmood study?

Hello, new pro member here.  Watching my first couple videos and the amount of material is impressive.  Trying to absorb and retain the information will be challenging without taking the advice and really working and testing myself with the pgn files.   Does anyone have a recommendation for a free or more affordable pgn editor reader?  Obviously chessbase is popular, but that is fairly expensive.  Thanks!!  

Replies

Chess assistant is 40 euro. It looks like something out of the 90s but it works fine 

Chessbase have a free reader also I think and there is a totally free program called scid v pc or something. Never used that one but heard its ok as well 

Lichess Studies is ok to use

Hey, Matt welcome! 
Thanks for your words. 
Hopefully, you'll join the team of the winners! :) 

Discoordination of Openings

Hi, I just joined ChessMood.  I was hoping recommendations against Siclian sidelines would be g6 based but the lines against Nc3 involve 2. ... d6 and you have to know Najdorf.  Possible to add g6-based options?

Replies

Hi Anthony,

Hi Anthony,

Have good news this side. Updates are almost finished and will be published in near future.

There you will find the whole reporter based on systems we are playing now in ChessMood.

Hey Anthony! 
Welcome! :) 
We're editing now the videos, will be uploaded very soon. 

Apparent contradiction in Trompowsky Course

In Crushing d4 Sidelines, Section 1, video 6 (g3 line trying to keep white king safe):

At about 3:33,  it is mentioned that if h4 Black should not play ...Ng4 because they run into d5, like this - https://imgur.com/a/hlUG6EM

However, at 2:34, from this position - https://imgur.com/a/wR1ZRNo

the move ...Ng4 is recommended! Now if White plays c4 ...dxc4 Nxc4 ...Bc7 d5, hello! We have transposed to the position which Black should not have gone for!

PS I finally started creating my pgn files (it feels great!), discovering this while doing so.

Replies

Well noticed! seems you are right. I thought maybe there is something against c4, but no, black should take on c4 and the position would be transposed.  

Haha :) 
Hello, hello! :) 
Well, you're right. 
Before Ng4, Be6 is a good move! 

Question in the Tromp

In Crushing d4 Sidelines, Section 1, video 7, this position: https://imgur.com/a/cPpUuvB

(1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3 c6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.Nd2)

it is mentioned that White's idea is to play Qf3 and prevent ...f5, but thinking logically, why not play ...f5 right away after Nd2, before White plays Qf3?

PS I've posted 3 times in the last 2 days, hope it's not too much ;)

Replies

Stockfish doesn't like f5 immediately, I think it has its explanation but I couldn't find out it, maybe h3-g4 will follow? Anyway would be better to wait for the coach to answer. 

btw, ask as much as you want and don't worry about that, especially since your questions are interesting and logical :)  

Inguh, really a good question :) 
Looking at the position now, it seems absolutely fine too. 

Selection of advanced topics

Could I ask why in particular the Nc6 anti-sicilian topics e.g. 4... e6/a6/g6 are advanced?

It's not a move that only 2200+ will play especially given its proximity to the start, and knowing how to deal with them is rather important to the system's viability. If there were good workarounds given then perhaps that would qualify. It's one thing to say don't worry about it for blitz, but another if you are going to be playing in a match or a tournament. Personally I would leave advanced for giving information that isn't likely to be remembered because it's long, difficult to get right or just too much detail. However, if it's a major move you're likely to face or it's a recommendation in a major course or book, it really does need something in the ordinary course section as an alternative, or the first few moves leading to it so that it can be muddled through over the board (against perhaps less accurate responses).

Replies

But if you are a Pro member, what is the problem to watch them in the advanced section? :) 

David, before 2200 level, Most of the people whether play 3...g6 or take on b5 after Nd4. 
We have seen many times during the streams, when I was playing against lower level players. 

If you don't think so, and you meet them often, not a big deal :) 
There are in the adv. section.