Chess forum by Grandmasters

Fearless Warrior Section 8 (Smart exchanges)

In the Fearless Warrior course, in Section 8, in the quiz for the 4th video (Exchanging multiple defenders), there was this quiz position. Bf5 was marked as correct, but why is Bb5 wrong? Doesn't it also exchange a defender by targeting the knight on d3?

Replies

It's still good, just technically doesn't allow c4, which is stall bad for White.

Problem on online games

Before a blitz tournament I play some blitz games online and I play BADLY, I hang pieces, I lose winning positions, it feels like I haven't played chess for years, my online rating goes up and down like a rollercoaster.
 

But when it comes to the real OTB tournament I'm beating 2200 fide rated players and play the opposite of what I was during my online games.
 

It's just discouraging seeing me lose online games and it makes me wonder if I'm even going to play well on the tournament. It makes me lose confidence.
 

How am I even going to explain that I mess up online games but ace OTB tournaments?? If you can give some tips/advice, I'd appreciate it )

Replies

Maybe your not good at fast time controls I suggest you switch your online games to rapid (10+0) is perfect.

@ fluffy goldfish

Chess Time Controls: Which is Best Suited to You?

Need guidance for rating improvement

I completed all the courses under Rating Booster and Middlegame mastery section. I spend almost 5 hours daily studying and practicing chess but still I am stuck at Fide rating of around 1550 since last 3 months. What could be the reason , is there any tool which will pinpoint my mistakes exactly? How should I progress, please suggest some ideas?

Replies

Hey Arjun,

I would be happy to help, but this is a large topic that depends on many questions I might have.

Did you take a 1-1 call, or don't have that option?

Our client support team will contact you :-)

Hi Arjun and chessmood improvers! 

Practice with this also. Important to know basics. 

Practice chess positions • lichess.org

Chess Endgame Simulations - Interactive Chess Endgame Training

Caro kann doubt

Hi chessmood family! 

In the course, it is said that Caro Kann with Black's early e6 is too passive and Avetik sire mentions the following plan - f4 ,  Qe2  , Nf3-e5

But in practice, I am not able to get an advantage if Black is playing it in the following way:

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 e6 6. f4 Bd6 7. Nf3 Nge7 (not Nf6) and And later black are playing f6. 

Let us say 8.0-0 0-0 and now Ne5 is not good because of f6.   

How should we tackle this …Nge7 followed by …f6 idea of black?

Replies

Caro Kann with early e6 - Chess forum by Grandmasters

Robatsch (modern) defence

Team,

I'm coming across this opening quiet often and having a lot of trouble with it. How do you like to approach this opening? Any suggestions would be great.

Replies

The Modern is like the Pirc. In one of the streams I think Avetik recommend 1.e4 2.d4 Nc3 3.f3 followed by Be3-Qd2 with h4-h5 ideas and attacking on the kingside. 

Another system that I personally like is the Austrian Attack with 1.e4 2.Nc3 3.f4 4.Nf3 but this variation has a lot of theory and leads to very complex positions. 

Hi Kevin.  Try 4 BG5!!!  1.e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 nc3 g6 4 bg5!  Why?  Strong move BG5!  Austtians lots of theory.  F3 ECT  black I think can go into Kings Indian.  And c5 Gambit by black is why samiech no longer played.  Read up on Bg5.  Called Byrne line.  Shirov as white played it in 1992 with an awesome game!  Marc

Hey Kevin1 The Material is ready already, will record it soon, when I am back from the USA. 

Hi Hovhannes and chessmood!

Okey i understand i can work on this position more. I like your postional ideas. I get a good position with it. Iam not sure if can press this position more than that. Any suggestion? Have you seen any player with style of pressure position like this or postional game that you are inspired of? 

 Yes you are right I train mostly middlegame now. I have seen  all your courses. I play both advanced chessmood repertoar and repertoire under 2000. Only one opening i do not play is Benko gambit yet. I have seen that Benko gambit is okey.

 I have seen your course and also read Modernized Benko Gambit- GM Milos Perunovic and i did a digital study about the book. 

2025 i study many chess books. I have played alot of games with chessmood repertoire and get good games also against higher ranked players.

Any good tip to study middle games position? I play more different position than before and analyse almost every day. I like dynamic position and mostly play dynamic positons. I play badly with Knights and closed position and slow maneuvering games. Any good recomendation to train also position with good knight against bad bishop? I have study a book  with Ulf Andersson game and some Catalan Opening and some boring Kramnik games :-). 

I play chessmood repertoire and analyse positions arising after the video end. I have made many studys about different variations.

I train tactics every day and see games on chessbase.

Im buying courses and see good youtube videos.

I analyse classic book like now Chess structures- Mauricio Flores Rios

Winning chess middle games structures- GM Sokolov but this is a tough book for me after every 1h study im a very tired. 

Often he like Nimzoindian position and im not playing so much this position as black except when im white in Sic Grandprix Rossolimo position. Bxc6. I try to lern position and ideas with reversed strategy. GM Avetik Grigoryan, GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan, GM Simon Williams, GM Arthur Neiksans, GM Stuart Raven, GM Milos Perunovic are some of my inspiration in chess. I lern from you all alot and listen and analyse but i never trust anyone. 

Petroff doubt

Hi Chessmood family! 

In a lichess rapid game, my opponent played 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Qd2 Be6.

not committing his N's position on move 8 or playing 8. …Qe8, 8. …b6. I think this 8. ….Be6 is a flexible move. 

How should we continue as white? 

Do we start with 0-0-0 or Bd3 or h4 directly and wait. 

What is our plan?

Replies

Hi Little Bobby!

Make Coach Avetik happy and proud.  Play like him!

 “Strike first, strike hard no mercy” - “Cobra Kai” :-)

See this game how he play. Lets later see what GM Avetik or GM Gabuzyan say about it.

GM Avetik_ChessMood vs playforwin64: Petrov's Defense: Nimzowitsch Attack • lichess.org

There are two ways to mate in Chess Puzzle 28/1/2026

😕😕😕❓❓😀

Almost at the end of the puzzle, there was two ways I could win. But they only put one move that was correct and another was wrong. Could you guys explain why?

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😭

By the way, both of the moves were still mate in one

It considers Kg7 correct but Kd6 incorrect when both paths go to f5 square.

By the way, it's 27/01/2026 puzzle but they don't change today yet

Hi guys! If there were two correct solutions at some point, feel free to message our support and we’ll add 500 MoodCoins to your account 🙂

No Daily puzzle for today (28-01-2026)

Where is the puzzle for today

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Yes, 29-01-26 also. No new Daily Puzzle. It shows the one from 27th only

That’s true, but they’re still celebrating Avetik’s birthday, so let’s give them a break haha  😅🎉

Hi guys! The issue has been fixed, and you can now solve today’s daily puzzle 🙂

2 Answers in the Daily Puzzle

In today's Daily Puzzle there are 2 correct answers.

1.a8=N g5

2.Nb6 cxb6

3.c7 b5

4.c8=N b4

5.Nd6 exd6

6.e7 d5

7.e8=N d4

8.Ng7 (System accepts this) d3

9.Nf5#

8.Nd6 also mates.

Please fix the issue.

Replies

Your answer should be correct!

it would be great if ChessMood would make it multiple answers correct like on lichess. They probably will change it because so many people have had issues with this puzzle. either that or make the puzzles without other winning options

Does this checkmate have an own name?

The point is to move in with bishop, then move out and checkmate with queen. In my experience many people fall to this.

Check out this #chess game: peterbago vs Uruguay3 - https://www.chess.com/live/game/163938789058

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Scholar's mate

�🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣�

the “you fell for it” mate

Exchange Sacrifice - event PGN

Hi guys!
How are you doing?

Hope you enjoyed the lesson on Exchange Sacrifice on Saturday!
I’m attaching the PGN in case you’d like to revisit the positions or analyze them in more detail.

Replies

Thank you so much coach David!

Puzzle 05/09/2025

I think there is something wrong with the puzzle. no thinking are moves are forced and easy

Replies

Hi there :)
Thanks for letting us know.
We have fixed the issue!

Daily Puzzle Bug 27-1-2026

Hi All, In todays daily puzzle on the 2nd last movre both Nd6 and Ng7 lead to Nf5#. I think this is a bug, I kept Nd6 but It shows as wrong. Hope you give me 500 mood coins. Below is the bug position followed by the original one

Replies

Yes, that ist true…I got the Same “Problem”

Yes the reason is that daily puzzles never allow multiple solutions, so sadly many of use ‘guessed’ wrong.

i also guessed wrong with Nd6

😶

The same thing happened to me. Just when I reached that position, I thought about what the most natural move would be so as not to make a mistake, since it’s already common that when there are multiple solutions here, they only accept one 

Today, he shows the same puzzle. I don't see the puzzle for today

I also "made a mistake" with Cd6, but if a puzzle has double solutions it is a bad study.

How to come up with a plan?

Hello,

I was playing french attack Bxb5 variation and my opponent played in such a way where after 15.h3 in this position I had absolutely no idea what to do. Can I please have some recommendations on what I could have done differently?

By the way 26. rf8 was a misclick I didn't actually hang mate like that lol, either way the position got very bad as I wasn't sure what to do. 😃

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/148526890550/analysis?move=51

Replies

In the given position, there was g5 - a decent move, and trying to play with h5 and Kd7 - even Kd7 right away - our regular plan is possible.

daily puzzle

can't find the daily puzzle for today, please fix it

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Move order trick in 1. b3 - transposing to rare Sicilian line

Hi, ChessMood family.

My friends know that I am playing chessmood openings, and he found a bug in our move order, and I got a bit confused in our blitz encounter.

In 1. b3 line, we are playing 1. b3 c5 2.Bb2 Nc6, but here when they play 3. e4 which was not covered in the courses, it transposes to rare 2. b3 siclian line where it was recommended to continue with 1. e4 c5 2.b3 g6, but in 1.b3 line when they play 3.e4, we cannot play …g6 bc he already developed his B to b2.

Someone please let me know if continuing with our English setup like ….c5, …Nc6, ….d6, …e5, …g6, …Bg7, …Nge6 and …Be6 is the correct plan or is there something better.

 Also, when we play ….e5 and then …g6, do we need to worry about f4 by white? 

Replies

Indeed, this is a rare sequence, but out of my experience, the English setup can be fine. Also, you can try 3…Nf6 with some 4…d5 ideas, but you might need to investigate that type of options, as it's out of our repertoire. 

FixMood seems broken

Hi,

Fixmood seems to have stopped showing my chess.com games, starting from about May.  I pretty much play only chessmood openings, so it's very confusing.

Chess.com username : fuzzbeeq

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New article: What I Learned About Setting Goals From Monks

Most goals don’t fail because of lack of effort.
They fail because too much pressure is placed on the outcome.

Read about what allows progress without sacrificing peace in our new article 👇
https://chessmood.com/blog/goal-setting-lessons-from-monks

Replies

Hi Avo , great article ! as usually 

I'll do what I've always done :
“I will finish this course.”
“Then I will finish that one.”
“I will play X games per week.”
“I will analyze my games every Sunday.”
and so on ……..That's all 🤩

in life , instead , .....we are not even the controller of the hair we have on our heads……

do you know what I mean , dear friend (brother) Avo?

Avo what about the other functions of AI section ?

Have a great year Avo expecially for your business 

Riccardo

 

I will finish the Chess Mood course.

Since this will take me more then a year (so much content) I will spread it over two or more years.

I will play 1 or 2 games otb per week, if I cant play otb I will play 1 or 2 games online.

I will analyse my games every monday.

I write my goal(s) here so tat I am acountable for them, since goal settings at the beginning of the year (hidden new year resolution ) one is always in danger of stopping with them in a few weeks, months, like I have been doing many years.

I wish you and your Chess Mood crew all the best for the upcoming year(s).

My plans: To be checked in one year from now 😁

a) Daily

1. Two rapid games on chess.com or Lichess with analysis
2. Ten minutes review my openings
3. Ten minutes tactics puzzle from books (writing down the answers and variations)

b) Weekly

1. One endgame from the book : 100 endgames you should know (Gift from my wife)
2. One hour in depth calculation puzzles from books, advanced level, writing down all analysis
3. One game guess your move, game from books like Botvinnik, Capablanca, Alekhine games
4. One game from Chessmood classical games

c) for 2026

1.Chessmood courses study:

    a) Scale Method

    b) Navigating won position to victory

    c) Mating Matador

    d) Silent Strategy

    e) Fearless warrior

    f) Saving lost positions

2. Chess Mood openings with white

3. Play thirty OTB games in open tournaments

I put theses tasks on my ePlanner…. so I've got a reminder !

Happy 2026 and thanks to the chessmood team who has bulid the courses and keep our morale high thru smart advices, mails and events.

My goal in 2026: 
2800 Chesscom and 2300 FIDE 
Plan? Finish the Mastering Middlegames book, Ramesh RB Calculation, Shankland Calculation, and Dynamic Decision making, My 60 Memorable games once I am done with this and tons of Blitz + Analysis, I WILL Be at the 2300 FIDE Level  and once 2026 ends I will send a message on this forum. 

Good afternoon!

I said to my teammates that I will cross 2100 FIDE classical (current elo 2013) 31.12.2027. They gave me 50:50% chance 😑😑😑😑

My plan is to train 3 times per week for 2h + playing and analyzing league games once per week + some light fitness training 2 times per week for 35 minutes. I will also play 2-3 Swiss classical tournaments per year and a lot of rapid Swiss tournaments with my friends and in the free time I will mainly focus on top quality sleep and relaxation and I will just enjoy being in the chess community because I think it is privilege, that most people dont have.

Petrosian64

After one month

Hello all, hello Avetik,

I'm french living in France and CEO of Automotive company.

I started playing chess in January 2025 (one year ago) and I used to buy courses on chessable and to be honest it helps me a lot moving from 600 chess.com rapid (I play only 15'+10) to 1110 and then in November/December big tilt and back to 900 !!

is it the openings, the pawn play, the endgame, the tactics, difficult to know and difficult to find a path in all the products in chessable marketplace! 

By chance, I looked at Noel Studer videos on youtube and his nextlevelchess channel and he presented chessmood and then decided to make a try.

two first weeks on rise of champions (I like a lot the fun, thanks Avo) and then now on tactics Ninja, blunder blunderproof and in just 3 weeks I rise again to 1022 elo.

Still a lot of work to do to achieve my willing to be 2000 with a milestone at 1500 and also still difficult to understand my weaknesses but I will continue with the tactics, the blunderproof and certainly with the endgame roadmap and let's see. 

I will come back end of February to let you know how will be the second month

Everybody around me (speaking English!) will be alerted by me about this so nice and useful progress plateforme that is ChessMood!

Kind regards, cheers

Raynald the woodpusher

Replies

Rossolimo doubt in Bxc6 line.

I recently faced a tricky a4 move in a game.

The game continued as follows: 

1. e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bg7 6. 0-0 Nf6 7.h3 Nd7 - In the course it was mentioned that now we are going to transpose to our main line with ...Nd7, ...e5 followed by ...b6 and ...Nf8-e6. 

But my opponent played 8.a4

This move order confused me initially bc in the course, under the early 0-0 chapter, we planned to play 0-0, Ne8, Nc7, Ne6 (or Bg4 then Ne6, or e5 then Ne6).  But in my game after 7. …Nge7 8.a4, our N is on d7. So are we supposed to go …Rfe8, …Nf8, …e5 and then …Ne6 or was there something better?

Can someone please clarify the plans for us in this line.

Replies

Thank you “Little Bobby” for this line and it is a very intresting option with a4 for white.

I can only give a few answer but here we need GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan expertis or GM Avetik or chessmood team.

For the specific moves against 8 a4 play a5 a give sample line but we need to analyse it after 9 Na3  Qc7 (I think before we try to with our setup with Nf8 e5 Ne6 ideas before we play Nf8 we need to control e5 square also we need to close the center before make slow maneuvering play). It is also important prevent white open up the position10 Nc4 ( 10 c3 is intresting also) e5 11 Be3 b6 12 Qd2 h6 ( important to stop Bh6 ideas for white) Ba6 ( with the idea of 0-0-0 Avetik explains in a video about a4 and a5 that gives idea of 0-0-0 cause in other line white can play a3 with b4 ideas.

So what do GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan say? if this is a okey line?

It is intresting to analyse 10 c3 cause it is difficult and white gets easier positon so maybe im wrong? 10 c3 e5 11 Be3 b6 12 Qd2 h6 13 Nh2 (Maybe with idea of f4 but im not sure) Nf8. So it is important to understand positions better.