Chess forum by Grandmasters

Benko Gambit is alive!

Many people think that Benko Gambit is a bad opening, especially because of 12.a4 line.
But we have 11...Qb6 improvement! 

Today I just played an excited game with that move. 
https://www.chess.com/live/game/4131952033
Nice one yes? :) 

The whole course is here: https://chessmood.com/course/benko-gambit

To crush with ChessMood openings or to be crushed- it's a choice :) 

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I love Benko and I studied only few dvds and one book and I love it.

I really do not care what people think. If the opening is solid so I love to play it.

Generally I like wild and complex positions, which require confidence and huge calculations. That's why I like to play benko gambit with black. As a refered previously in the f pawn conversation, I like to play king's gambit and bird opening with the white pieces. Qb6 is a very interesting continuation; I will try it. I have also studied the free part of the course 1 week ago. It is the first whole course I will unlock with moodcoins for black.

How Long Can you Calculate?

Hello ChessMood family!

My question is how many moves are you usually able to calculate, please next to answer also mention your rating!

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I would like to ask how to improve calculating skills. I can calculate maybe 3 when I do right but sometimes miss calculation. Rating 1412

Dependings on the situation. With forced moves I have calculated as deep as 12 or more moves. In a normal position I usually can calculate 5-6 moves. My Rating is just over 1800

I can calculate 5 moves ahead if forcing lines.

But in quiet positions I only focus on positional factors such as pawn structure, pawn levers. I only can see 2-3 moves ahead in quiet positions but I can recognize where my pieces needs to go.

I am just 1465 FIDE rated and now I am unable to study.

I play almost everyday games on chess.com and lichess and my ratings are around 1700-1800 in bullet and blitz  1650-1750 in rapid and classical. It depends on the part of the game: opening, middlegame and endgame. When I am not under time pressure I can usually calculate up to 11 when I am going to give mate, but generraly I can calculate from 5 to 8 moves.

Playing on the left and Right side

AI Alpha Zero gives us a new approach by playing on both the side of the board. Though there were some grandmasters who played such games but they fail or did't get much popularity as this chess engine has achieved so far. So according to human perspective whether it

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Sometimes I play both on the queenside and on the kingsside. When I play for example the Najdorf variation of the sicilian defence with the black pieces  I keep my king in the centre of the board, on e7 sqare, protected by 4 pawns and my dark-squared bishop. And advance both on the 2 sides of the board. This is terrible for my opponents. When a player doesn't know how to defend accurately when he has to eliminate two attacks and knight sacrifices, he gets sick and resigns. In addition, sometimes in the dutch stonewall formation with black pieces, after castling queens-side and bringing my king on d7, protected by the wall and 2 bishops, I think it is uesful to advance on both sides. I think this is a good example for players on how to organise full-side attacks. What do you think, players and GMs, about my opinion?

There are many openings and positions that you should play on both sides.
Modern Benoni for Black is a very nice example. 

Killer Bd3!

My first game of this main line ever. I tried to apply the concept of advanced french course because I think I understood key points so it's good for me to practice all things .

Take a look and kindly tell where I went wrong or was it good game?

https://www.chess.com/live/game/4323828300

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Good job, everything is perfect! 

What's the Right Way to Prepare for the Chess Game

Hey Champions!
We have this topic in our Blog.
https://chessmood.com/blog/grandmaster-tips-the-right-way-to-prepare-for-the-chess-game
If you have any questions, comments or you just liked it, feel free to share your thoughts here. 

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Great article GM Gabuzyan Hovhannes.

It really helps to share that crucial information...i never prepared before but with this kind of advise..

I see the need really and be well ready for the fight in case you bring a knife to a Gunfight

Stronger Players use Gun type of resources from Opening to Endgame

...thanks so much...

Scotch 8.h4?!

Hi,

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 ed4 4.Nxd4 Nf6! 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. h4?! Qe6 if 9.Nd2 a5 10.g3 Nb4 11.Nf3 Ba6 12 c4 (Vacaturo-sargissian, Helsingr 2019) Nb4 13.h5Qc2 14.Rh4 c5 favors Black slightly and if 9.g3 Nb4 10c4 Ba6 (game is Tomczak-Kramnik), Batumi 2018 11.Bf4 d5 12.a3 Bxc4 13.Qd1 Qf5! 14.Bc4 dxc4 150-0 Nc2 16.Ra2 Rd8 17. Qe2 Rd3 is winning for Black despite the tripled isolated pawns!!  Kaufman writes of 8.h4 (In fashion, don';t ask me why!!)What to play as white??  

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Lesson number 1. Don't follow analysis blindly!!!  any how....

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 ed4 4.Nxd4 Nf6! 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.h4 Qe6 9g3 Nb4 10 c4 Ba6 11.Bf4 d5 12a3 Bxc4 13.Qd1 Qf5!!14.Bxc4 dxc4 15.0-0 Nc2 16Ra2 Rd8 17Qe2 Rd3 is winning for black!! ok so maybe the -1.23 or so that stockfish runs isn't totally winning, but hey you cant take the knight due to Rg3+, very nice (as Borat would say)!!

Now 9.Nbd2 a5 10g3 Nb4 11.Nf3 Ba6 12.Qg6 h5 Qc2 14Rh4 c5 favors black a bit Queens will be exchanged.  No more attack for white and may have to defend  stockfish -.30 or so like 2 bishops vs Bishop and knight advantage.  So0 I guess back to Ruy Lopez or Guicco Piano!!???

Sorry for the errors before!!!

Marc, this opening repertoire is for players below the 2600 level, not for preparing a match against Carlsen :) 
In your level, be sure, that noone will come so deep. 
I am streaming it all the time, playing h4, and you'll not find any game, when any of opponents came so deep. 
Don't go so deep in the theory my friend. Spend more time on Commented Classical games course. It will help you with chess understanding and you'll make easier decisions when you play. 

Tempo and transpositions

I follow normally all super top events like Grand Chess Tour. I do watch live commentary in which GM's explains ideas for both sides but I can't understand one thing that when white is tempo up and when white is tempo down and how to understand that white is playing reversed openings or black is playing white's reversed openings?

Is it advanced concepts? I am just curious. 

Example: Ok it's a reversed King's Indian and white is tempo up so I feel so confused.

2nd question;

How to stop your opponent if he tries to transpose your opening into a new and different opening. For example today I was playing a game. I was black.

Move orders:

e3 c5 

d4 cxd4 

exd4 d5 

Now it's a caro Kann structure. Even though I never studied caro kann I got these structures. I do play caro kann exchange as white so I got good position and played fine minority attack and won. But I am just curious that why it happened?

May be i need to work on basic pawn formations and their general plans so I will atleast handle transpositions like that.

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I think in this position u can play c4 and go for panov attack

c4 Nf6

Nc3 e6

Nope, you did fine.  it's cool book I know. I will again read it in order to improve my isolated pawn play because it;s my weakness and I wanna solve it.

If you are looking for books which explains about IQP strategies, there are so many books

Winning pawn structures by Baburin

Isolani Strategy by Alexander  Beliavsky

Weapons of chess by Pandolfini 

Chess structures by Mauricio Flores Rios

There is a nice chapter on IQP in My System by Nimzowitsch

There is a video course PAWN STRUCTURE MASTERY with IM Mat Kolosowski 

Abhy, I usually get transpositions from one opening to another. Most common is the transposition from frech type strctures to queen's gambit declined, an opening, which I have studied and use extensively. It is useful for me since I use Tartakower-Magagonov system with black.

Another transposition which I face quite often is from queen's to benko gambit with white. Something is going on here :). Anyway, I crush my opponents with this opening. 

Finally, I haven't studied so much Carro Kan defence but I get into good positions. (Have studied Karpov's games).

Abhi, there are many openings that you can get with white with reverse colour. 
About 1.d4 c5 2.e3 better not to take cd4 and open the bishop on c1. 
During our streams and webinar many times I've shown the right way playing with b6,Bb7. 

Importance of Endgames

Hello ChessMood family!

Topic I would like to discuss is importance of endgames. I noticed that many players are learning openings and middlegames with pleasure, but about endgames are not so optimistic.

What do you think, are endgames equally important and why?

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Yes! Endgame study is just as important as other areas of the game. Just knowing some basics (K+R mate, Opposition, King in the square, Triangulation, etc.) can win you many chess games. The more endgame knowledge you master, the better you will become at transitioning from the middle game to a winning position. 

That being said, I find it extremely hard to stay focused when studying endgames. I have not found a method of study that keeps me engaged for a very long time. As a consequence, my endgame play is pretty weak, and needs a lot more work. 

I am eagerly awaiting the endgame courses ChessMood will be producing soon, and hoping it is a much better way for me to study this very important part of the game.

Hello GM Gabuzyan,

I personally believe that most players have weaker endgame than middlegame and opening, because you do not have ro memorise long lines, motifs or tactcs. In addition, engames need better understanding of the position and ideas pf how you can win. For instance, a pawn and rook endgame is difficult for most chess players rated under 1800. 

I have studied many endgame studies, with a preference to Otto Bláthy' s ones, both in the suren channel and in a book I have. Chess is a game of brain, where creativity is the first weapon that you may have. If you aren't creative enough, tou can't reach high ELOs.

I don't have that vast theoretical and opening knowledge (I was helped very much from your courses)( and my ratings around 1750 prove this), but I think I am better in the endgame. Sometimes I also have problems with my endgames, especially in very closed positions. I need to be better in my endgame, waiting for your engame courses ;)

Play the opening like a book, the middlegame like a magician, and the endgame like a machine. ~ Mikhail Tal

Super!! Guys, we are preparing a big course about endgames. In 2020 it's coming! :) 

Question About opening versus 1 c4 and 1 Nf3

Will you give courses for black versus 1 c4 and 1 Nf3 in the near future

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You can play c5 against either. Playing c5 give opportunities to transpose into either Sicilian or Benko depending upon white's choices. If white simply refuses to transpose then the black pawn structure will still be similar to a Hyper-accelerated Sicilian. If stays along English lines then there is nothing wrong with the symmetrical English for Black.  

yup, it's also giving me trouble so much nowadays.

Yeah, Franck we'll make a course for 1.c4 and Nf3, but for now you can go 1...c5 and mostly it'll be transposed to our courses, especially Maroczy. 
This happens 95% of the times during streams

Big compliment

I Will team chessmood give you an compliment for the call with grandmaster and the level of courses.

you are in one word super!!!

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yup they are amazing.    

Hehe :) Thank you guys :) 

Suggestions?

https://www.chess.com/daily/game/244019022

Kindly check my mistakes and I am not an e5 player. I played unrated against her in order to help her in practice italian because we both dont know it well.

I love accelerated dragon and czech pirc but just wanted to know where I went wrong in this game and what about d5 early in my game?

Rating 1465.

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Rooks on 7th rank.

After a long time I played a game in which I got my both rooks on 7th ranks.

I made many mistakes I know but still fun.

Any suggestions?

https://www.chess.com/live/game/4305479316

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French Bd3!

I really enjoyed it. Once I entered into Advanced section I was a bit confused.

I am Just 1465 but I only studied positional chess and I am a alapin player and I almost studied 300+ games of alapin by heart to understand all the key points of theory and understood many ideas from it.

When I was watching the Advanced e5 section I was confused that why players of 2000+ played this move e5 which looks so dubious to me after Bxc6 and the endgame favours white clearly.

Can you guys explained their mind games or ideas behind playing these kinds of lines because when I first saw the line I felt black will not get enough compensation because of their bad pawns in queenside.

Anyways thanks

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Hey Abhi. The section name speaks for itself. "Advances section". It's a section for advanced players for 2200+. 
Don't overwhelm yourslef with trying to understand it now. Later you can come back when you get 2200 level. 
Me too, I'll not understand anything if I try to analyse advanced math, or advanced coding. 

1.e4! c5!2. Nc3 d6 3.d4!?

Hi all,

Has anyone seen this idea with Qxd4, Q d2 after Nc6 then b3 bb2, 0-0-0 with g4 ect coming??

Marc

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Yes Carlsen played like this last year and since then has appeared in many GM games. Kaufman's new edition of his Opening for black and white book has a section on this as an option for white.

I think this line became Popular thanks to Grandmaster Gashimov.
Then once Carlsen has played. And as a rule, whatever Carlsen plays, that line becomes popular :) 
Our PRO Member Nicolo Passini is an expert in this line! Even my Grandmaster friends were surprised at how deep he has analyzed this line. The line overall is very interesting for white and maybe in future we will offer in our courses as an alternative to GP attack. 

Word is getting out!

Hello everyone! I hope you are all in the right mood today! Some of you know my story and some of you might not yet know, but basically I am working with the guidance of GM Avetik on being the first player over the age of 40 to go from amateur to GM. 

Well, the word of my journey is reaching outside of the chess world, and I was interviewed for a podcast called “Lead, Grow, Innovate” this wee! 

Go listen here and let me know what you think!

https://leadgrowinnovate.com/podcast10-milestone-and-first/

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So, I listened and heard the word. I trust this will spur you onward & upward and goodluck! I also hope you make it happen sometime soon and will watch your progress with interest! If there is any help I can give you, let me know. Best wishes

Good job Jay! 
Keep it going! 

Question About part 56 anti sicilian

Question About part 56 of anti sicilian

is instead of Qe3 rxe4 not possible mostly with the idea qc3 and c5

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Franck, please post the link of the video. It's very unclear what do you mean video 56. 

North American Open

Dear Pro Members,

I am gonna be playing North American Open in Vegas from 26 th Dec. just wondering  if any of our pro members are gonna be playing there?

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I wanted to play, but I couldnt afford a place to stay for the tournament. I hope to play in the National Open in Vegas in June though.

Sounds like a great venue!  I won't be there and the only player I know that is going, is JapaneseTutor (Twitch/chess.com). Goodluck!

Is it a chess open tournament or Poker? :D 

Benko Gambit

I forgot my opening but I won hehehe.

I won because of too much pressure on white.

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/4305537977

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Good game! :) I hope the a5 was a misclick :) 

Another opening versus 1 D4

Do you plan also to recommend other openings versus 1d4

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Modern Benoni for advanced players. But not now. 

Chessmood Stream PGN's?

There are Chessmood stream's on Chess.com that I can watch but cannot replay on board due to lack of PGN's that isn't a problem on lichess. Different GM's are using different handles too. Is there a way we can get access to consolidated PGN's from all Chessmood stream's to download and work OTB?Much like "The Week in Chess" stuff,we can have "The Week in Chessmood" :-)

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Haha :) 
The week in ChessMood :D Nice idea. 
Actually, you can go to chess.com or lichess, search for the nickname and see all the games. There is also a way that you can download the games.