Chess forum by Grandmasters

Delayed Alapin

Hi Chessmood team,

Thanks for the wonderful course on Alapin Variation also covering delayed Alapin. Today I played a game and got a new idea from white with a4 - a5 - a6. I got really restricted and luckily white made couple of mistakes and managed to win.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 d6 7.exd6 Qxd6 8.O-O Be6 9.Bxe6 Qxe6 10.a4 Qd7 11.a5 Nc4 12.a6 b6 13.Qe2 Nd6 14.d4 cxd4 15.cxd4 g6 16.d5 Nd8 17.Ne5 Qb5 18.Qd1 Bg7 19.Nc3 Qb4 20.Ra4 Qc5 21.Rc4 Nxc4 22.Qa4+ b5 23.Nxb5 O-O 24.Nxc4 Rb8 25.Nc3 Rb4 0-1

The course covers until move 9. Any idea on how to approach 10. a4?

Replies

Hello, a move like 10. Nd5 is a good follow-up due to it centralizing the knight, and he cant kick your knight with 11.c4 bcs it leaves a hole on b4! Any other pawn push is met with either blocking the position or taking if he pushes d4 to make a weak pawn which u can attack later.

Why is Two Bishop Advantage so Important in Chess?

Hello everyone, when I watch GM Avetik courses he again and again says about two bishop advantage but why is two bishop advantage so important?

Thanks!

Replies

Hello,

I had the same question too, but I think the answer is that if you know how to use the bishop pair it is really strong and can outplay a knight and a bishop or a rook in many positions. First of all they control a great deal of squares, both light and dark squares, so it is much harder to have dark or light squares weaknesses. That's one reason why it is better than having a bishop and a knight or two knights(most of the times of course). The other one is that they are long ranged pieces, so in open positions they are more dangerous than the knights(in closed positions the knights are far better of course). Briefly, I think that having the bishop pair is important because each bishop alone completes the other one if you understand what I mean (they have the power to control only one coloured squares alone so together they control both).

If you want more informations and better explanations on how to turn the bishop pair into an advantage read this article by GM Gabuzyan: https://chessmood.com/blog/how-to-use-bishop-pair

Also you can check out this course about the same subject: https://chessmood.com/course/bishop-pair-power

Pratik, when you have time, please watch the course “The Power of the Bishop Pair” 
https://chessmood.com/course/bishop-pair-power
Then you will understand and learn why is an advantage and how to use them…. 😀

If you reach the end of the game if you have two bishops + a king, and your opponent has only a king, it will be easier for you to win, than if at the end of the game you have a knight and a bishop.

Improvement Suggestions

Hello guys My Name is DharM
I am from India
I am 16 years old
I have a FIDE rating of 1647 (present) 1789(peak) 1 year ago
Chesscom rating of 2100(present) 2325 (Peak) Sometime in the pandemic
Now I can't focus myself well in online games
Joined as Pro Member recently
My White openings are Solid. Some of them are Chessmood recomended while some are not like Open Sicilian
WIth Black I play Najdorf and Gruenfeld And follow Chesmood recommendation For the English and other Sidelines
I started doing Blunderproof course as it was suggested by GM Avetik Sir in the Improvement plan
Planning on doing the SLP course next
I think my positional and endgame skills are good for my level
But I think that I don't feel the positions with initiative naturally
Like some positions with attack for a pawn
I prefer Concrete calculation over the positions with attack!
I am also doing Perfect Your Chess for Calculation
Now in my list are Opening repertoire for Black and improving my feel for initiative and attack
I am also trying to learn some classics
At present I have very less Knowledge about classics or Instructive ideas/plans played by the masters
Now I doing the Endgame U2000 course without the video Just thee Quizzes
If I get the Quiz Wrong then only I would watch the videos
Is it ok??
Looking for your suggestions to improve
Thank You
DharM

Replies

Dear Uma,

We think that you are in the right path. If you follow the plan and work consistenly you will improve your play and chess understanding a lot.
The book Perfect Your Chess is very good but very advanced too, it is targeted to FMs so maybe it will be very challenging. 

Other books for you can be found in this link: 
https://chessmood.com/recommendations
Of these books tactics related, if you find Perfect Your Chess too difficult, go for: Chess School 2 by Sergey Ivashchenko, easier at the beginning but increases the difficulty exponentially, simply one of the best!
You should watch one classical game from Avetik course every day and take some notes on the best moves to remember them.
Then Classical Endgames and Attacking games, your classic knowledge with grow very fast…

As for the system that you are working doing the quizzes first, it's ok if you alreday know the positions. You must be effective in your training, it's your mind that we need to entice to work and calculate.
Take it easy with the Repertoire, try to understand the ideas and check the mistakes in your games against your repertoire always, take notes too!
As for in doubt, go back to the Study Plan, everything is layed out for you to follow….
Keep working hard, I know it's not easy to work and improve in chess, but if it is what you like, no one can stop you from becoming the best possible version of yourself as a chess player!
😅🤩

Could we start learning simplication before SLP

dear chess mood family

i stuck mygame many times winning chance with highest rating all!!.

i lost and mistake because of less than opponent on how to winning 

Example more material , opponent just move to save game and make pressure.

SLP not directly mygame i analysis my games from record

 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 { B99 Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Main Line } 10. Kb1 b5 11. e5 Bb7 12. Qd3 dxe5 13. fxe5 Nxe5 14. Qg3 Rc8 15. Qf2 O-O 16. Nb3 Rfd8 17. Bd3 Nxd3 18. cxd3 b4 19. Na4 Qc6 20. Nb6 Rc7 21. Rhg1 Qb5 22. Nc4 Qxg5 23. h4 Qg6 24. Ne5 Qf5 25. Qe3 Nd5 26. Qg3 Bf6 27. Rge1 Bxe5 28. Rxe5 Qf6 29. Rxd5 Bxd5 30. Qxc7 Bxg2 31. Nc5 Qxh4 32. Nxa6 g6 33. Nc5 Bf3 34. Rc1 Rd4 35. Qb8+ Kg7 36. Qe5+ f6 37. Nxe6+ Kf7 38. Qxd4 Qg5 39. Nxg5+ { Black resigns. } 1-0

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The WWP (winning won positions) course goes through this. It's the opposite technique to SLP and SLP helps plus gives you warning on what your opponent might try.

You are playing openings very difficult for your level, that require lots of understanding and memorization. That's why you spend so time because you do not feel the position in my opinion. Also you need to work a lot in your tactics and visualization because you miss lots of chances and get in worst positions.
Are you following Avetik's study plan? No matter how many times I will write this, but Chessmood study plan works if you follow it… 
💪I wish you good study!😁

I checked the other game you posted and what I m seeing is a tactical problem . After winning a queen you gave a piece for no reason . Blunder proof course could help you probably as psychology of why we blunder will make you understand why and when it s happening to you. After that , you can check SLP , WWP or simplification if they ever do a course only for this ( it s section of WWP ) . But ninja tactic course , whatever your rating,  is probably the best to do first . When I joined in march 2023, I checked quickly many of the final quizzes and felt I was ok but came back to it after 6 months and did it from the beginning . I m impress how much impact it seem it made for me so far ! 

Question on White plans in Owen Defence

Hi - I lost a game this week from a good opening position, because I played a bad mistake (9.e5?) in the linked game, and followed up by missing a fairly simple tactic.  These problems came from my mindset being frazzled by earlier confusion in the opening, when I couldn't find a satisfactory plan.

Could anyone comment on White's good plans for moves 7/8/9 in the attached? I played this game before studying Owen Defence in Whitemood (working my way through course), and didn't get f4 on the board.  But still, I feel the position was very dominant.  I have put some annotations in - don't worry about the rest of the game, but moves 7/8/9 would be very helpful for thoughts on what White should be aiming for please! 🙂

https://lichess.org/study/oLUgXvvR/Y8k3ALfK

Replies

Against the Owens I generally like to go with a compact pawn centre by default, so I tend to avoid c4 unless it looks really good.

In that particular game, 7.Re1 is one move that appeals to me.  There's no real master plan other than reenforcing our strong centre and completing development, although experience has taught me that e5 is often powerful at some point in such positions and Re1 helps with that possibility.

The other thing about Re1 is it's quite flexible and a bit of a waiting move because we're not committing our pawn to c3 yet.  If black plays c5 next then it makes more sense for us to play c3 to keep our centre intact (although there's the d5 option too).  But in the meantime it could be useful to keep the option of c4 open.

A downside of Re1 is that black can answer with e5.  Now we have two heavy pieces lined up on the e-file but with no immediate prospects of playing e5. However our position is still good.  I'd probably meet e5 with c3 and play the position like a Ruy Lopez, following up with Nbd2-f1-g3 with a slow buildup on the kingside.

Another option I like is 7.Bf4 because it prevents black from playing e5.  Again, my focus here is mainly on developing and keeping my centre intact.    If they play Nf6 I'd be tempted to spend a tempo on h3 just so my bishop has a good spot to drop back to if need be.

Anyway, that's a couple of ideas for you.  For sure there are a number of good approaches here!

Hi Ben,

We at Chessmood, checked your game and the other games in your lichess study a bit. Very impressive with so many comments, I guess that you are a member of the Chess dojo and you are commenting the classical games so detailed because of that. (Although maybe you don't need to write so many details because we believe that during your game you are even thinking in the narrative of the game)…

In this game in particular, I would suggest you to watch the section on the Owen, 15 min explaining the opening that we will play with White and why. You obviously did not have the ideas clear at all in the game, we do not play Nf3 so soon, we play first f4, etc.
Watch it again, please, take notes (short notes) and understand why we recommend one move instead of another one…

https://chessmood.com/course/whitemood-openings/episode/3821

Also since I saw your games, I would recommend to stop talking to yourself so much during the games (I hope this makes sense), you need to calculate more and base your decisions in calculated moves. You need to work on tactics too, I hope that you are doing the Tactics Ninja and continue with all the Rating booster courses, one by one if you really want to improve.
😍Follow the plan laid out by Avetik and you will improve for sure. Good luck and study hard! 💪

https://youtu.be/zt57XxVccDc

Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss the world of chess and biohacking under this forum thread.

Replies

Question on e6 Sicilian line

In the e6 course Avetik suggests the idea of going Ne5 in order to stop black from pushing d3 but I ran into the problem after f6. If the Ne5 just goes back then there will be d3. I'm not sure what to do then?

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. f4 d5 4. Nf3 d4 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. Bxd7+ Qxd7 7. Ne5 Qd8 8. Ne2 f6 *

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CT-ART 6.0 ?

Dear All,

GM Aventik talks about CT-ART 6.0 but searching for it I do not really find an easy website where to find a downloadable version (paying, of course) for mac. Actually, was it substituted by Chess King 10, or a similar name? In some websites it seems they propose to send you a cd, old style..??

Does someone have a link/advice where one can pay and download the CT-ART 6.0 or (if there is something more recent that sustituted it) the newer version? For mac computer.

Thanks a lot, any hint would be of help,

Replies

I was trying to figure out the same thing a couple days ago. I believe this is the course here: https://learn.chessking.com/learning/course/5. But, I have not bought it or tried it out yet.

Edit: If you “purchase for all platforms” that appears to include access to a web version which should work on any device with a web browser.

Here is CT-ART 10, a superset of CT-ART 6: https://chesskingtraining.com/ct-art/