Chess forum by Grandmasters

My headche in chess

Hi Coach, I have too much doubt related to expansion on queenside in chess, like when to expand on queenside, when to exploit opponent lack in development and the most frustating is when is the right time to attack in chess. looking forward to get answer of these questions very curiously.

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Okay so of course each question largely depends on position.

For example, you should (almost) never focus on queenside expansion when you arent developed.

For exploiting lack in development, you should always try to aim and use this. In a closed position you may not be able to, but in a semi-open or open position, the best way is to create threats and dont let your opponents pieces come into play.

As for when to expand on the queenside this largely depends on the position. usually when you choose a plan based on the features of a position, you will know when and if you want to gain space on the queenside. Same thing for when to attack.

These things will mostly come as you get better and intuition develops.

How do I use MoodCoins

How do I use MoodCoins. I know it says that it can be used to buy courses but I can't find the option.

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Hi there,

Try this:

1. Go to the Courses page and pick your course
2. Select the option “Or get lifetime access”
3. Select the option “Buy the course”
4. In the right-hand section titled “Choose your payment method” the last option will be MoodCoin.

Remember that $1 = 1,000 MoodCoin.  So, if the course costs $300 that is 300,000 MoodCoin.

Need to earn some more?  Details are here: https://chessmood.com/moodcoin

How to play as black after 1d4 e6 2c4 ...

Dear students, could someone give me a hint, where I find the video for this opening in the French Opening Course. Thank you very much.

Joachim 

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The french only occurs after 1.e4 or 1.d4 2.e4. After 2.c4, the chessmood recommendation is 2…f5, the dutch defence. This is covered in sections 9-15 of the blackmood openings course.

hope this helps, Samuel

Daily puzzle multiple solutions

Today’s daily puzzle have more than 1 solution where Nf4+ Ke4 and white can also play Ne2 attacking the rook and also threatening Ng3+ if black tries Rh1. Black cannot stop h7 and h8(Q)

please correct me if I am wrong.

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Hi Ishaan!
You're right!
Thanks for letting us know. 

 

Double solution in Daily Puzzle

Hello.

I report a second solution (which was taken as wrong).

1. Ng4+ Ke4

2. Ne2 Rf1 / Rh1 loses due to Ng3+. Otherwise, h pawn promotes immediately.

Thank you so much.

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How to train calculation?

How do you train calculation. Besides doing puzzles.

ps I don't mean without puzzles but is there anything else I can do?

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I read somewhere on lichens that the one of the best types of puzzles you can do to improve calculation are actually pawn endgames. This is because instead of something like mate in 5 or so, it only takes 5 moves for checkmate, whereas pawn endgame puzzles take much more moves to solve and require a lot more foresight. (I haven't actually tested it, so don't quote me on it)

another good idea that I'm going to start doing is the woodpecker method (solving a series of puzzles, then doing them again in a couple days) with the chess mood test sections.

I stumbled across this website a few months back. It's a twist on normal puzzles, where a few provided moves must be visualized before the puzzles start. Whether this helps is entirely dependent on your abilities, but it may be worth a try to practice calculation.
https://listudy.org/en/blind-tactics

https://chessmood.com/chess-study-plans

There are tips for each level about what your calculation training should focus on (mainly tactics until a certain level, then a bit of calculation once you reach a certain one) with a list of books, courses to watch here, etc. 

Shout-out to Gabu!

Dear Gabuzyan,

I want to thank you for the thoughtfulness you showed for me during the event earlier today. You took a moment to tell me that you noticed that recently my comments in the chat during the events showed improvement.

Wow! It is really encouraging to get this feedback from you. I feel that I am getting stronger, but getting your assessment that this is true is just fantastic.

You and Avo are a wonderful team and make this a very special place for all of us. There are other people that are great at chess, but both of you are not only great chess players, but you deal with people with great respect and always have words of encouragement.

And all the ChessMood members who show up for the events are rooting for each other. Just fantastic!

Thanks again.

Looking forward to avoiding squats,

Jeff

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Dear Jeff,

Thank you so much for your kindest words!
I appreciate it a lot, this is the best way to end my day - decided to check the forum before going to sleep!

Good luck, my friend :-)

stone wall advice

[Event "2025 1st National Qualifier: Mario Merritt vs Druva Sookraj NQ1 2025"]
[Result "*"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "A13"]
[Opening "English Opening: Agincourt Defense"]
[StudyName "2025 1st National Qualifier"]
[ChapterName "Mario Merritt vs Druva Sookraj NQ1 2025"]
[UTCDate "2025.05.05"]
[UTCTime "08:20:20"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Druveonecanobe"]
[ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/gum1PeBN/Vo8hTz2D"]

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 f5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 d5 5. O-O Bd6 6. Nc3 c6 7. d3 O-O 8. Qc2 Bd7 9. e4 e5 10. exd5 cxd5 11. cxd5 Na6 12. a3 Rc8 13. Nd2 b5 14. b4 Qb6 15. Bb2 Rc7 16. Rac1 Rfc8 17. Qb1 g5 18. Ne2 g4 19. Qa1 Rc2 20. Rcd1 Qc7 21. Nc1 h6 22. Rfe1 Kf7 23. Ncb3 Rxb2 24. Qxb2 Qb8 25. Na5 f4 26. Be4 f3 27. Nc6 Bxc6 28. dxc6 Rc7 29. Qb3+ Kg7 30. Qe6 Re7 31. Qf5 Nxe4 32. Nxe4 Rf7 33. Qxg4+ Kh8 34. Qe6 *

played a strong positional player. I would appreciate any advice on the best approach here.

Replies

Dear Druva,

We are not analyzing student's games in the forum, however if you have a question about any particular position happened from the opening - may be middlegame setup, I would love to help - please just put the position and the question :-) 

Daily Puzzle

Todays daily puzzle has a mistake. There is also a second solution at the second move whether you can play Kb7 before Ne7 on the third move.

Replies

Thanks for letting us know!

struggling in Blitz Seeking Advice!

I'm hoping some of you experienced blitz players can offer some insights. I'm currently around 2200 on Chess.com in rapid, but my blitz rating is stuck around 1800. I know a rating difference exists for most players, but a 400-point gap feels quite large.
I'm not the biggest fan of blitz, to be honest, but I recognize its importance, especially for tournament play. I'm looking for advice on how to  improve my blitz skills.
Is this a common experience for players with a decent rapid rating?
I'm also wondering about the best approach to improve. Should I focus on playing more solid and avoiding risky lines in blitz? Or should I dedicate more time to tactical training specifically for faster time controls? Any specific drills or resources you've found helpful for blitz would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

Replies

Hello!

I am currently 2200 in blitz, so here are some tips for you:

First, I find that playing tactical during blitz is far more effective than positional play. If you struggle playing tactically, I would recommend you go play some 1+0 games for a half or full hour a couple times this week. Just sacrifice whenever, and play only for tactics! And of course ignore rating completely (drop 100 points if you must, you know youve gotten better when you start to easily regain them).This helped me a lot when I started more positional.

Second, try to keep the initiative in blitz. Make threats, put pressure, etc. Attacking openings would go great with this.

Other than that, I would reccomend the bullet thing again if you feel like you play too slow (ideally you would also want to put time pressure on your opponent: even if there Is increment!) and just playing blitz. Only you can find out what works best for you!

Hope this helps!

BIG MISTAKE IN CHESSMOOD SCANDINAVIAN COURSE?

Hello dear friends and Chessmood Grandmaster Team, the following line is given in the Scandinavian course under “3. Bg4” section.

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Be2 Nc6 5. h3 Bh5 6. d4 O-O-O 7. c4 Qd7 8. d5

However, stockfish thinks that 8.d5? is a mistake/inaccuracy which only gives +0.5 for white, and the right move is 8.g4!(not given in the course) which gives +1.2 for white and gives the line 8.g4 Bg6 9.d5

Could one of the Grandmasters please explain why 8.d5 was given in the course and not 8.g4 

Thank you very much!

Replies

 A big mistake would be to recommend a bad/very poor move. Here, you have a stable advantage after 8. d5 which scores around 60% in the online database without weakening your king's safety and the need to be accurate for the whole game.

Choosing the second-best move which is more practical is often a better option than going for the first engine line which will require strong play until the last move by the human player. 

I hope one of the GM will provide you with an answer, but I wanted to help based on what I know about Chessmood's philosophy in the opening! :)

Did we really need a title that is all in capital letters and says “Big mistake”?!

Could you not simply have said “Seeking understanding of move 8 in the Scandanavian course”?  That way, if somebody else has a similar query they can do a search and your post will come up 🙂  Just a thought …

Query about Endgame Roadmap Course

Hello chessmoodians , 

I am a fide 1600 rated player .Is the endgame roadmap course going to help me with endgame strategy? 

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I saw the course rating is 2100 .but my online rating is more than that .so I am confused if I should go with the course or not .

Dear Ar Ray,

The endgame roadmap is a decent step-by-step explanation of general strategies in the endgame.
Apart from rating, it also matters how good or bad your endgame skills are.
For a 1600-rated FIDE player, I think it will be a good idea to strengthen your endgame foundation.

OTB Norm and ELO tournament

Hi guys, for anyone interested, there are 2 tournaments (GM/IM/FM groups) in Ha Long and Hanoi, Vietnam this June. There are a few spots available left in each groups. 
It's a great tournament for norm seekers/people who wants to improve their rating in Asia, as not many norm tournaments are available there.
Registered players: (all groups): https://chess-results.com/tnr1135384.aspx?lan=1
(Regulations below)
Thank you!
P.S: There are also an GM/IM norm tournament in Hanoi after this tournament. Same organizer, you could ask the organizers for more details.

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Too Expensive! ! ! !

I have only ONE question?…WHY IS IT SO EXPENSIVE??

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Uptick in spam :/

I’ve noticed some annoying spam lately (porn, betting, some poe2-like nonsense, …).

I’m wondering if there is anything we can do to help to target quickly and remove these people.

Is there a way to flag spam?

thx.

Replies

You can use Duckduckgo to block tracking/cookies

The Golden Method

Hey Champions!
When you play online chess how many games do you play during one session?

On Tuesday will share you in our ChessMood Blog my Golden Method, but before that, I would love to hear your thoughts. 
 

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Hi all! Good morning! In my recent online games since joining Chessmood 3 weeks I played an average of 14 games (3min+2sec) whenever I can. In the last 3 weeks I had 6 sessions and my rating went up 80 points at the moment in lichess. Before I used to stop after winning 2 or 3 games. Now I try to play longer when real life allows me.

I used to play very long sessions of 20 games or more almost everyday. After joining ChessMood, I found that I wasnt focused and lost concentration after about 10 games, and would lose my mood, and then loss my rating LOL. I now only play 2-3 games at a time, 3-4 times a day, so I can make sure I can concentrate more consistently.

Due to time issues I play only one or two games of 15/10 on chess.com. My motto is to play good moves instead of playing a lot games. I play daily one or two games. After every game I check following things.

1. Blunders

2. Tactics which I completely missed.

3. Candidates which I considered but I was failed to see the whole line.

4. Opening move orders and ideas. Now a days due to lack of time I mix up plans in openings but soon I hope to find more time then this problem will be solved I know.

5. I also try to focus and control excitement level when  I realise that position is winning for me or i have an advantage.

6. Now a days bec of chessmood I am trying to play with right mood even if I get minus positions and I saved many with rightmood concept.

My conclusion of recent games shows bad tactical skills and positional skills are superb and improving day by day. So, I think with classics in future I will consider tactical training and combinative training. 

I usually play 2 games. I take my games very seriously and make sure that I am in the best conditions to play my best games. I need to try and extended my duration of focus so that I can play more games of good quality

hello

Lichess rating of game 1704

👍

The method worked!And I usually play 8 games.

Help Me!

When looking back I can see i have made huge progress looking from back 1200 but when winning does nothing and losing takes everything. Few days ago I was 1481, few months ago i was 1444, today im again 1444! people less rated destroy me. after so long, changed from 5 openings, new tactics giving up my favourites i improved. But playing with my friend who uses my same opening, i lose, or draw. good opening principles vs ok opening principled, quick and strong vs passive and slow.
Im at another plateau. everyone has thos but why do i have it every 50 points?!
Hope for help!

Replies

Hi there,

Have you read the ChessMood article on plateaus?

https://chessmood.com/blog/enjoy-your-plateaus

Good luck!

YOU SHOULD TRAIN PAWN STRUCTURE

This is on lichess right? If so then maybe try turning ratings off for a while in your display settings. This can help to focus only on the chess.

Guidance in using moodcoins.

How can I purchase courses with mood coins? , There is no option to get the course using mood coins.

Replies

Go to the course you wish to purchase. On the right, there should be an orange button to get a monthly/yearly plan, but underneath there should be a link that says “buy this course for $x” (see first screenshot). if you click this link it should take you to the payment page. On the right of this page there is a section titled “choose your payment method”(see second screenshot). select moodcoin and hit the purchase button, and the course is yours. if you need some more moodcoin, you can solve the daily puzzles or submit games for game of the month. Also, note that some courses cannot be purchased in this way if they are incomplete.

hope this helps, Samuel

New article: ALFAVE: The Practice That Helped Me Rise Again

What if 10 minutes could shift your entire day?
Your entire chess journey, and your entire life?

GM Avetik shares the practice that helped him rise again.

ALFAVE. 6 letters. 6 stages.
It might be exactly what your next breakthrough needs.

Discover the Practice here: 
https://chessmood.com/blog/alfave

Replies

….only changed few words

That’s why this matters, for life.
And chess journey, too.

With best wishes and love,
For your growth and life journey,

THANK YOU (Avo for sharing ALFAVE)

… F … not easy, hard work to do for me

Avo, your life journey is amazing!

A wonderful, unique website for becoming the best chess player one can be.

Lately, the next, higher tier in this lifelong project: becoming a better person and thus , making this world better by sharing our own ALFAVE with those around us.

It's just a natural progression from ChesMood, isn't it?

Thank you and please…keep sharing your life experiences , the lessons you learn and your joy with us!

Sincerely

Ovi

Hi Avo

I've been a member of ChessMood for a while, and I first wanna thank you for this AMAZING website and community you have built. It's truly amazing, and all your content is really helpful.

But THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing ALFAVE with me and everyone in ChessMood. After all, everyone wants to become a better person, and I've been going through some of my worst periods in life too and this just really helped me clarify my thoughts and my chess. You have no idea how much this changed my life right now :D

Thanks again for sharing this and continue doing everything you are doing. Thanks to you, all the GMs in ChessMood, and everyone in the ChessMood team for providing this amazing community and website. 

Have an amazing day :D

Czech Pirc

Hi Champions,

I just finished the Czech Pirc course and I am looking for some model games in case the black side chooses the “Normal” Pirc set up. I just learned the theory on the Pirc but there the variation thaught is without the white pawn on f4. Any reference is welcome.

Keep up the good work. Edger

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I guess you are right. I normally try to get some model games for the variations which I study but it's not show stopper. Thanks anyway! Cheers

Dear Edger, 

Thanks for your post, I little bit got confused if you still have any question - please clarify and I would love to help :-)