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Anti Sicilian

How to play against e4 c5, nc3 e5?

Opponent will then play d6 and then play for f5

Replies

e4 c5 Nc3 e5 is a bad move. First of all it weakens the d5 square and the long diagonal a2 to g8. My normal logical thinking says place the bishop on c4 and  then i have two plans.

1. e4 c5 Nc3 e5 Bc4 d6 d3 Nf6 f4 and I feel ok in this position and I can castles long and give tremendous issues to black.

2. e4 c5 Nc3 e5 Bc4 Nf6 d3 d6 Nf3 follow by castles 

I like the first aggressive approach.

I hope it will be useful 

Devansh, the wrong move is Nf3. You want to play Bc4, d3 and f4 at some point. Maybe f4 immediately. 

Practice and revision

Hi guys I know chessmood provides weekend tournaments but if anyone like to play 10 mins games then analise them together via audio calls then let me know.

1. Advantage of this weekend practice is that we will revise those lines which comes on the board. For example I will play caro kann against you and you will show how well you know about white's attacking ideas and this way we will revise lines in better way.

2. We will become good friends and study partners. I have one WCM from US as study partner but she is old and have time issue so we sometimes meet only 2 times in a month and sometimes four so its better to know more people too.

3. We will help each other by solving each other's problems 

4. It will save our time if we work together. For example if one person work on one opening it may take one week but if we work together then we may finish one opening in 5 days

There are a lot things we can do. Like practice very long time controls on weekends. 

Anyone interested can comment their facebook or gmail or chess.com in the bottom.


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Hi Abhi

I am a 1628 rated player and I would like to have some practice with you

My phone number/Whatsapp no is 8850128667

Feel free to call/text me

Hello Abhi, I am a 1800 online rated player, my profiles are: Giorgos_Kechagias on chess.com (I have already added you as a friend) and giorgoskehagias509 on lichess, although I am a bit lower rated on chess.com. I haven't finished all the courses have 4 remaining for white and 2 for black. My phone-whatsup 6984254004. Feel free to call or text me.

Banned members

Hey guys! 
This is not ChessMood community, this is ChessMood family, were everyone grows, we have fun and help each other. 
Unfortunately, there are people who violate our rules, terms of conditions or try to trick our system generating moodcoins. 
All such members will be banned. 
Very unfortunately, this month we had 9 such members, who are banned from ChessMood. 

At the same time, we want to say big THANK YOU to all our great members who are far from such things. Who take value, have fun, and help others. 
Thank you! 

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Who are they? I am shocked that there are still people trying to cheat.

I am sorry, I hope people will stop violation. 

Well done.

Can you solve the problem by banning them?

The presence of cheaters  in Chessmood tournament makes it an unpleasant event, and I hesitate to participate in those tournaments anymore. You cannot enjoy a feast with bugs flying around. 

I have lost +40 Elo in just one tournament in one hour, facing chess engines.

This is  ugly.

Calculation- My nightmare hehehe

What was the deepest forcing line you ever calculated?

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1. e4

Joking of course. I just finished reading Reti's Modern Ideas in Chess (highly recommend for an engaging, historical overview up to 1920s); Reti quotes Breyer there: "1 e4. White’s game is in the last throes" :)

Is it fine to spend 1 hour on calculation?

ChessMood Family!
Today I got an interesting question:
"Is it fine is for solving some complicated position, to spend 1 hour? It's time I needed to solve it and find the right moves, but during the real game, I can't spend so much time. What to do?"

A very good question, that many of you have in your mind or have asked me before. So here is my answer.

Yeah, that's right. During the game, you can't spend 1 hour.

When you solve such puzzles, it's basically training for you.

There are positions, that I use with my Grandmaster students, solving which they need 2-3 hours.

But the reason is that it's just training.

You develop your calculation skills, visualization, and others.

I use two kind of excrecies: practical ones, and position like the mentioned, during which students will just develop his calculation skills.

The final advice:No worries if you spend on some calculation too much time. It was good training for you and during your real games, you'll spend less time.

As General Suvorov said: Harder before, easier during the battle.

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Wow, that's super advice. I thought it's not good to spend 30 mins on a position but you opened my eyes. Now I will follow same path.  GM_Avetik Grigoryan

Fully agree with Coach Avetik on this one, practice hard so it becomes effortless in actual game situations.

Final word. Without knowing concepts and classics can anyone calculate? I think no. Any idea?

Playing Supercomputerand Superhuman

Dear friends! If you can't beat superengine - make it stupid (42...Bg5), If you can't beat superhuman - flag him  I hope you will enjoy this 2 of my games https://lichess.org/ASbsbaYc/black?fbclid=IwAR38C196zFPoX1NTA23nO8j9_a3_XzLRAAV_H5urkRMOzd8Uc71jylOZwEI#83                        https://lichess.org/tlP3OVgU/black?fbclid=IwAR3cOcI1ZzW3rOb_LToavThLA-X1StS1sf5buzXbv4nBe8ZU4HUD08pF6xA#0

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Nice games. This kind of chess will open my head hehehe.

Bg5!! :D

Best place for solving tactics

Hey Champions! 
Where do you solve tactics? 
Do you know any platform, where you can find tactics based on topics? 

Chess.com has it, but it's messy, the positions are classified in wrong topics very often. 

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The best I know is CT-Art. It is not free but costs less than 10 euros for Android IIRC. I it is well worth the investment IMHO

I know chessmood and other mentors suggests Chesstempo. For me I love books. I love to solve books because I feel more motivated and happy whenever I solve any chess book on tactics. I also choose those books which take positions from a real game instead of computer positions. 

After my basics I solved a book called The Complete Chess Workout and after that I solved 3 Russian books written names were in Russian so I do not know the names and now currently I am working on woodpecker method for my pattern and tactics training and after this book I will choose domination in chess endgames for calculation training. Max 2-3 studies I will try to solve from the book.

I have used CT Art, chess.com, chessable and various books.

Of these I prefer chessable (effectively books put into a computerised testing format) and I think it is for tactics that chessable is very good. I am less keen on the format for studying other things but the fact you can repeatedly drill the same tactics on chessable and do ones you get wrong more often appeals to me and I found that doing 1,000 checkmates helped my recognition of these patterns.

For books I would recommend Chess Tactics from Scratch (Weteschnik) for understanding tactics. I presumed it was a beginner book until I saw Naroditsky say he really rated it.

The above is more for quickfire tactics. For harder ones I know Naroditsky and an IM friend of mine both recommend Chess Tempo.

Obviously all the above is after solving the chessmood daily puzzle.

Thanks guys, for your answers. 
Now our team is checking various platforms, and at the end we'll recommend you, which are the bests. 

I solve tactics on chesstempo platform as you suggested in a blog.

A setup against Caro kann

Coach if you find time then check out the game I am sharing in the bottom and show us ideas against the plan a6 Ra7 which black chose in the game. I felt that it was passive but the way black explained the ideas in video was also instructive so I am curious to know the weakness in his plan. As you know Black player is also an experienced mentor like you so it will be great to know the weakness in his sidelines. He is not recommending to play this as black.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1612896

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Hi Abhi! That's interesting.
With big respect to Seirawan, I don't think it's a good idea. 
Ra7 is far from everything. He played against non rated player and outplayed him. 
However White had different options to get a strong attack. 
For example on 13.Bg5! with next f4!  

Also after 6...a6 white could play for example 7.h3!? keeping the opponent's bishop on c8. 

My score was always +ve against caro kann by using caro ex but after I saw your course it's more than positive. I am doing superb against carokann or I can say I am winning most games but if I lose it's just because of some mistakes by me.

Eric Rosen vs ChessMood openings :)

Eric Rosen faces Ra4 during his live stream 
If he knew that he plays against my student and that this move is covered in our ChessMood Courses ????

https://chessmood.com/course/10-crushing-the-scandinavian

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I haven't watched the Scandinavian course yet because I chose Philidor yet the players of my level 1700-1800 choose it as black, and especially Larsen variation.

@GM_Avetik_Grigoryan

That's very odd as Rosen posted the following Video in 2018 recommending 7.Rxa4! for White!, so he was definitely already aware of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IBDe-f_PCc&feature=youtu.be&t=1411

Perhaps he forgot about it or just wanted to see if his opponent was aware of it. Do you have the link for the stream in your Screenshot, it would be interesting to hear what he says about it. 

Any danger of overtraining?


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You can play classical chess online and I would recommend this to get some feedback into your play. It also will help with motivation for your training as most of us are competitive.

If you are doing lots of training sometimes you may need a break for a few days or a week periodically to enable you to come back fresh (as with any job).

Interest is different from commitment. Check out the article: The Golden rule how to go up with online chess.

Krystof! Good question. 
Well you should not train, when your body doesn't want or it is very tired. 

And at the same time you should play in order to develop your playing skills. 
To understand chess and play chess are very different. 
Try some online blitz games or friendly games. 

It's very important not to afraid from competition. 
Here is a very good video, recently sent by one of my friends 
Check it out. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94MBVD_tZeU      

Interactive Lesson on "The art of exchanging the Bishops"

Incredible lesson on identifying and trying to get rid of bad bishops https://youtu.be/9W3NHXrs43Y. Didn't even know it existed until today morning. Thank you coach for these lessons

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cool. Enjoy the lessons!

Cool to hear that! 
Thanks, Hunan! 

How to study endgames - efficiently and effectively?

How to study endgames - efficiently and effectively?

When will chessmood post endgames material? 

Thank you.

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If you are below 2000 then my idea will work well for you. I do not know how to answer if you are above 2000. So let me start.

In case of endgames Chessmood will post courses soon this is what coach told me, So, I am also waiting for the material but in this mean time if you want to work alone then I suggest you to work from the book called Silman's Endgame Manual. The good thing about this book is that it covers topics by rating level. For example if you are below 1600 it will show you lucena, Philidor positions and vancura too. So by this way you will slowly learn theoretical endgames and slowly slowly this book will become difficult and make your level to 2000 in theoretical endgames. 

In case of practical endgames I like the book called  Capablanca's Best Chess Endings by Irving Chernev. This book will not only help you in practical endgames but also improve your positional play. So that's all I suggest you.

Another nice point is that if you are below 2000 then as statistics shows that most games are decided in the middle game at below 2000 level so I think working on Chessmood openings, classical games sections from chessmood and other sources such as books on world champs or videos, tactical pattern training from woodpecker method book or any other method which you like, only knowing basics of endgames which silman will show you, daily 2-3 Endgame Studies from Kasparian's book can make you 2000 in an year or may be less depends on your burning desire.

Good luck!

"100 endgames you must know" by Jesus De Villa is very good for a range of levels.

I like Jonathan Hawkins "Amateur to IM" book as well (probably for 1700+)

I know Chessmood recommend it but I was very disappointed with Chernev's Capablanca book and gave my copy away.

I think drilling mainstream positions with a training partner is a good way of training these.

Hey Heri! 
Nice questions. 
We are working now on the endgame courses, and soon we'll upload. 
Today we're going to publish a great article written by GM Hovhannisyan about learning of endgames, and at the end of the article, there will be something cool. 

Alekhine Section 4 4...Bg4

In this variation, after 5. Be2 e6 6. 0-0 Be7 7. c4 Nb6 8. h3 Bh5 9. Nc3 0-0 10. Be3 Nc6?! 11. exd6 cxd6 12. d5 exd5 13. Nxd5, what exactly should White play after 13...Bxf3? Now, after 14...Bxf3, the c4 pawn is hanging!?

Replies

Ramon, you can take Bb6 first! 
Bro, please post Alekhine related question in the topic of Alekhine Defense, 

Benko Problem!

I was seeing the lines of Benko and found THIS : 

In the video you said that Ne1 is double attack but now I saw my lines carefully and saw that there is a Rook on e6! There is just Rxe1 and white is winning!

Replies

But after Rc2 Rf4 gf4 Nf4 and black is just winning the endgame.

By the way it was already pointed out!! I just now saw that! 

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-members/some-questions-about-benko-gambit

True! This course will be soon restructured and the mistakes will be fixed. 

Secret Power of Pawns!

it's so useful if anyone comment the useful and educational games in the bottom. I studied this game from a video today and in the resulting endgame I laughed because black had 8 pawns on the board and white's rook was stuck on f1 square. I won't say oh! opening was fine but the middle game and converting passed pawns into win and double rook sac was super educational. In short I can say strategical ideas are super useful. For example. We all know 2 connected pawns on the sixth rank are more powerful than rook but in this game we see this idea in practical sense. 

Try to watch it anywhere and share your thoughts.It's so rare to see 8 pawns in the endgame on GM level hehehe.

Eduard Gufeld vs Lubomir Kavalek 1962.


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Anti-Sicilian Part 3 Question

Recently, in the Anti-Sicilian,  people have been playing e6 first, followed by a6. The moves are like this:

1.e4 c5

2.Nc3 e6

3.f4 a6

And my question is if we keep continuing with our Part 4 plan, he can play d5 since Nh3-Nf4 is not possible since our f-pawn is there. Is there a plan to play against this particular move order?

Replies

It can work, but in this position it would be also useful to learn how to play against the Kan variation.

Yeah Sriram, this is a good way to play for Black. We'll play the same way we were doing against 2...a6, playing Nh3. We'll not have Nf4 option, but still we have initiative and it's very easy to play for White. 
I had this position a lot during the streams. 

Question on Maroczy Bind

In the video 9.Nb3 Qh5 10.Nd5 in the second 1:57 after black can play 12... Ne4 because after 13.g4 black has 13... Qe5 move and black is slight better

Replies

Kevin, can you please, in future post with Screenshot or video link? 
If we are speaking about the same position, after 14.Re1 black loses the knight. 

The best chess cartoon

https://vimeo.com/314770216 

Is there any better cartoon about chess? :) 

Replies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kweN7VLx-JE

Hi!

Here are some funny chess videos and a chess history video. Enjoy!

/Kim Skaanning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiBeu-U3sNU - Train tunnel chess - Paul Merton show

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/fwtqq2/kramnik_plays_prank_on_magnus_before_game/ - Kramnik plays prank on Magnus before game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XudCtJc3fsc -  Chess GM Funny Moments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsUASjpU0nY - Chess Fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeB-1F-UKO0 -  A brief history of chess - Alex Gendler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln4yI4zZEJE - Chess Sketch


All the courses are UNLOCKED

Celebrating the international chess day, we UNLOCKED all our courses for 72 hours ????
Enjoy and take as much value as you can...

100+ hours of courses

All the courses are created by GRANDMASTERS

Step-by-step opening repertoire for White and Black.

...and much more ????
https://chessmood.com/courses

Replies

Sir, why can't I download the PGN files?

Thank you very much GM Avetik!, I intend to become promember, just to know what to play against the Rossolimo variation in the order move 5.0-0 instead of 5.d3 and 5.d3 6.0-0. Do you have anything prepared against this? 

I would like to ask a question regarding the accelerated dragon course. Can I use the move order of hyper accelerated dragon 2. ... g6 instead of 2. ... Nc6 to avoid Rossolimo lines and only learn accelerated dragon, sicilian sidelines and maroczy structures against 1. e4?

I'm very impressed with the courses that I've looked at so far (Benko, Maroczy, Grand Prix vs 2...e6). I've been convinced that I should play these lines and I plan to become a pro member soon.

I do have a few questions:

1. There used to be the start of a Najdorf course. What happened to it?

2. Will there be a further course on the Reti/English, for lines that don't transpose to the Maroczy?

3. In the anti-Sicilian course, it seems that the lines are designed for Najdorf players (with an early ...d6). What is recommended vs 2. Nc3 if you want to play the Accelerated Dragon (2...Nc6, 2...g6)?

Petroff Section 8, 5...Nf6 & 6...d5

Is this line a transposition to some French Exchange?

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