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Botvinnik gambit semi-slav

I am thinking of switching my semi-slav with Black to the Botvinnik system. I made soem analysis of it recently and it looks sound enough. It is a risky opening but it gives complication to win. Let me know what u think guys :)

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It's interesting, but you should know lots of theory, and remember all of them! 
And if your opponent has a very strong computer- you may be in danger :) 

If you want to play, it's ok, but I think you should change on  Slav because it's has a lot of (  potentially ) sharp positions if you are looking for it. If you are looking for attractive positions you can find them in Slav too. If you are looking for logical play, you can find it in Slav...

 

I experienced Botvinik's system/gambit ( whatever ) very rarely( they  don't accept c4 pawn or they even dob't play semi slav, or play 2...dxc4 ), just as white, so I can't say anything to that.

The Botvinnik System is a very fun opening to play. As others have mentioned, it is very complicated and theoretical. In fact most lines in the Botvinnik system lasts for 30-40 moves. They tend to very tactical and complicated and one mistake is all you need to lose. It is also a very positionally rich opening to play. 

If you want to play this opening, you might have to invest a lot of time learning all the theory and making sure that you remember it all. 

QGA Qe2!

Hi Avetik i took a look at QGA with 7 Qe2 ;  i like the line a lot.  Would u recommend the bishop go on d3 or b3? i saw a game by Spassky with Bb3 this looks interesting. tx for the advice :)

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Hey Jony! I am glad you liked it! 
Bd3! 

"Taimanovish" sideline against the 2.Nc3 Sicilian

Hello coaches, hello everyone :-)

I am fascinated by our coaches’ repertoire recommendation 2.Nc3 against the Sicilian. But I have a question that’s been burning in my mind for about two decades now :-)

Before I became a ChessMoods PRO member, I was never too worried about facing 2.Nc3 as black in the Sicilian, because I had/have sort of my own little – and rare – pet line that I had a lot of confidence in (and in fact still do – so maybe the CM team can change my view after all these years). I never really fully knew for sure whether I was right, but then again I never really much cared about what white should play. After all, my reasoning was… it’s white’s problem!

Well, now that I’m seriously considering to play this as white, I guess you might say that it has finally become my problem too! ;-)

The line is this: 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Na5!?

I realise that a good number of you – especially those who’ve never seen this before – may scoff at this ridiculous, tempo-losing, knight-edging move. I know I did too when I first saw it. However, let me try to defend the logic behind it.

Compare this variation from the Open Sicilian:

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be2 a6 7.0-0 b5 8.Be3 Bb7 9.f4 Na5. This is the Taimanov/Paulsen/Kan Sicilian (okay, it’s a bit of a sideline and other ways of playing are considered better, but then again I think even the great Taimanov himself sometimes played his system with Na5).

Now look at this:

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Na5 4.Nf3 a6 5.Be2 e6 6.0-0 b5 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bb7 9.Be3 Qc7. The result is the same position with an extra move for black. So, even though the first variation (above) was maybe not the best line for black in this system, the fact that he has an extra move in an otherwise generally quite well-reputed opening makes me rather uncertain that this is the way for white to go.

And of course I do realise that these are just sample lines and by no means “The One Truth” ;-). Maybe there is a specific move order somewhere to punish black’s idea, but so far I haven’t found it yet and my general feeling is that white has to either play this line a tempo down or else restrain himself with d2-d3. That makes me feel a bit uneasy ;-).

At any rate, my results with this line have always been quite good with black (although it must be said that the instances where I faced 2.Nc3 and 3.Bb5 have been few and far between – which is another very good reason to play it!)

So then…To Avetik and friends, of course you already know all the things that I have written above – and much more too – so maybe you can shed some light on this? I would be very interested to hear the experts’ opinion on this little line that I have always found interesting, but the soundness of which I have never been able to (dis)prove…

 

Thank you for sparing the time to plough through this long post!

Kind regards

Raf

P.S. By the way, I will of course never consider playing like this against the Rossolimo, because after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Na5? 4.c3, black is just sitting at the wrong side of a very bad Alapin! ;-)

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Hey Raf! 
Thank you for an interesting question and in details explaining your thoughts, so others can also see the depth of the question. 

3...Na5 is an interesting move, you explaining clearly ideas of that. 
It has some minuses and the biggest problem is 4.d4! 

Nowadays there is a very trendy line. 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4!!? cd 4.Qd4 Nc6 5. Qd2! With idea b3,Bb2,0-0-0. 
Many 2700+ GMs has played, Carlsen too. 

After 3...Na5 4.d4 is working much stronger! cd 4.Qd4 now if Nc6 5.Qa4 and black have a problem with development.  
4...a6 is probably better but 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Qe3 or 5.Be2 Nc6 6.Qd2 and b3,Bb2 (which I like more), white gain dangerous initiative, due to big advantage in development. 
There are other ways too against 3...Na5 but I think 4.d4 is the strongest way for white, and because of that 3...Na5 is not a popular move. 
 

1-1 blitz games against GM Hovhannisyan Robert (ELO 2640!)

Dear Friends, Dear PRO Members! 
Today we have a super guest- GM Robert Hovhannisyan (FIDE Rating 2640!) 
He will play 1-1 blitz games with our PRO Members! 

https://chessmood.com/event/1-1-blitz-games-with-gm-hovhannisyan-2

See you in 1 hour! 

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5th october?

There’s a mistake. It saids it starts in 148 days

Study Plan

I am not sure about my study plan. Whatever I try, it falls fast because of non-planning. Please give me advice about the study plan. Info ( about me ): 1542 FIDE rating, love to attack, best in openings, good in the middlegame, weak in endgame. Plays 1. d4 as white and 1... c5 on 1.e4, 1...Nf6 on 1.d4 as black. I am better in open positions than in closed, but it's fairly good too. Please help!

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You should make a study plan around solving tactics, going through classical games and playing/analyzing games.

Hey Slobo! 
Somehow we can't get in touch and can't make a 1-1 call, during which I give directions, study plan to all our members. 
Please message me on my personal e-mail, which you have, we'll try to have a call. 

Before that study our courses- you'll like it, especially when you love attacking chess.
About studying endgame part you'll get directions here: https://chessmood.com/we-recommend 

Nc3 in front of the pawn or behind it?

Hello Chessmood Family,

      Is it better to play Nc3 after you have advanced the pawn as a general rule? Obviously not in the anti-sicilian but in other lines? I know the nf3 has a special relationship with castle kingside, so I understand the logic behind playing nf3 and blocking the f pawn.  But I find in other lines, that advancing the C pawn before playing nc3 gives me more space and dominance near the centre. Let me know your thoughts, thank you :)

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It depends on what you play. For example if you play 1.d4, White often wants to play 2.c4 followed by Nc3. However when you play 1.e4, playing c4 can create weaknesses in your position especially the d4-square. 

Nice answer from Kevin! 
Bobby, I had the same thoughts when I just started to play chess.
I realized that it's better to play c4 then Nc3 always, so eventually my first move was always 1.c4 :) 

Kevin gave a nice answer! 
 

I am a hardcore 1.d4 player and like that, I will advise you to play it behind pawn if you played 1.d4, but 1.d4 d5 2. Nc3 ( Veresov's system/opening ) isn't bad for white, whatever, white has more chances for the initiative. For example, let's take this moves ( showing examples for 1.d4 ):

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 ( 2...dxc4 3. Nc3 again, because of that knight blocking b5 square ) 3. Nc3 

                                                                           OR

1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nc6 ( 2... g6 3. e4!? that's the main threat for initiative ) 3. Bg5 e6 4. e4!?

 

Examples for 1. e4:

 

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 ( for calmer variation you should play 4. Nc3 ) 4... Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bc4+ 7. Nc3 

 

note: this is for f4 pawn you mentioned too.

1.e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Nf6 ( this tempo-jackpot example, I showed because of movment of both f4 and c4 pawns )

4. e5 Nd5 5. c4 Nb4 6. d4 Be7 7. Nc3

 

When we're talking about black pieces, just Sicilian is enough to explain everything:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 ( I play this changed order of moves, it all goes to the same position after ) 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 ( that's it! )

 

Now?! You see how complex and flexible that question was?! Everything is different from opening to opening, from variation to variation,..

French , Sicilian or something else

Sir , what to do with this opening move order ?

1. e4 e6 2. d4 c5 *

Someone can sidestep both my French and Sicilian preparation  with your recommendation .

Can you suggest  something quickly ? 

Opponent plays both french and Siclian I guess . 

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Just d5, and black will get a very bad version of benoni :) 

Some questions about Benko gambit...

Hello chessmood family !

I post a pgn file about videos course of Benko gambit. Thanks for your remarks.

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Hello Mr. Pascual!
1st- After 2.Bf4 many moves are possible, Kg7. Kf8 (trying to bring him to d7, Ra3 is also fine).
The fight is on the 2 sides, so bishop is doing a better job, but in current position black rook is doing better than white one, he is more active, attacking pawn on a2, and blocking him... Because of that the position is around equal. 

2nd and 3rd, you are absolutely right! In the 2nd I didn't noticed Rf2! 
And in the 3rd I blundered Re1, Rf4 was best! 

Thank you! 

French game Question

I recently had a French game , there was little bit difference between the line you showed in Video 

https://chessmood.com/course/french-defence/episode/131

If you get chance can you please look into the game and update the pgn file with your comments , I wrote some of the things I thought in the annotation , want to find out what I have missed or could have been improved . 

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Hey Bhabatosh! 
A very nice game! 
Na3, Nb5 very logical. 
I'll make a video and upload in advance course soon, I have a feeling that 5.c3 instead of 5.Nf3 is the best :) 

Webinar - Time Management

Dear Friends, dear PRO Members! 
On the 17th of May, we'll have a webinar about the topic you have requested - Time Managment. 
Take your seats and send me your questions clicking the below.

https://chessmood.com/event/webinar-time-management 

Right Mood - Right Move 

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#SLP version 3.1416

Clearly I need to stop giving away material for free. I would rather convert winning positions instead of saving losing ones. However, saving some of them when they happen is a good thing!

 

https://www.chess.com/live/game/3701567895

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Webinar-Workshop on the topic Time Management

Dear Friends, Dear PRO Members! In less than 2 hours we start a super interesting Webinar-workshop about the topic you have requested - Time Management This is the training that you should not miss! See you soon!

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I guess I get into a lot of lost positions LOL #SLP

Saved another one!

 

https://www.chess.com/live/game/3717054637

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ssss

Check this out

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