Chess forum by Grandmasters

How to Deal with Negativity in Chess

Can anyone tell me on how to deal with negativity, fake friends, and betrayal? Especially those quotes before chess tournaments, saying, “Oh you're going to lose this game so badly?”

I cannot leave my chess society because I live in a small city and the people are just so negative there, please help me deal with negativity, thanks.

Replies

This is not a problem that is just about chess. Rather, this is a social issue that is a big problem in all our lives.

My advice is to first try to surround yourself with positive people. This may not be easy, especially in your chess group. But our lives are richer and easier when we have positive people around us.

And, if you can't escape the negative people, the train yourself to ignore the negative comments as much as possible. You might lose that game, but so what! Losing is part of playing chess. A reasonable goal is to try your best during each game. And when your are playing that opponent, in your mind you can answer the taunt with: “I may lose, but at least I am going to try my best on every move. Which is more than you are doing right now!”

And, when you win, you have a double victory. You won the game, and you also beat the other person who taunted you. A great feeling!

Dealing with negativity, fake friends, and betrayal can be tough, especially when you feel stuck in a situation. Here are some tips to help you cope:

Focus on yourself:

   Remember your goals: Remind yourself why you're playing chess and what you want to achieve. This will help you stay motivated and focused on your own progress.
   Practice self-care: Take time for activities you enjoy, whether it's reading, playing video games, or spending time with loved ones. This will help you stay positive and reduce stress.  

   Develop a positive mindset: Try to focus on the positive aspects of your life and your chess game. This can help you overcome negative thoughts and feelings.

Deal with negativity:

   Don't take it personally: Remember that people who are negative are often projecting their own insecurities.  

   Set boundaries: If someone is being consistently negative or disrespectful, it's okay to limit your interactions with them.
   Focus on your own game: Don't let negative comments distract you from your own performance.

Build genuine friendships:

   Find like-minded people: Look for people who share your interests and values. You can find these people online or in other chess clubs.
   Be yourself: Don't try to be someone you're not just to fit in.
   Be a good friend: Be supportive and encouraging to others, and they will be more likely to be supportive of you.

Remember, you're not alone:

Many people have experienced similar situations. Don't be afraid to reach out to friends, family, or a therapist for support.

Here are some additional resources that may be helpful:

   https://leadershipexcellencenow.com/blog/tips-for-dealing-with-negativity-in-your-life/
   https://www.wikihow.com/Deal-with-Fake-Friends
   https://www.oprah.com/inspiration/deepak-chopra-what-to-do-when-youve-been-betrayed

Remember, you have the power to create a positive environment for yourself, even if it's challenging. By focusing on yourself and building strong relationships, you can overcome negativity and thrive.

If we did a blunder we should keep the mood and freeze immedietely so the opponent doesnt notice from our face that we blundered .It would help you to be positive otherwise we all always get negitive

We should choose friend wisely usually being friend with positive people will help you

Thank you everyone for your advice!

Move order problem

Hi, I'm enjoying the starter repertoire for White but am confused about how to handle a certain move order. We want to play the Grand Prix against the Sicilian. However, after e4 e6 d4 c5, Black has tricked us into playing w/ 2d4 as we do against the French, and then taken us into a Sicilian where we would prefer the pawn to stay on d3. Any thoughts on how to handle this?

Replies

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-channel/e4-e6-d4-c5-977

Hi, it is discussed here for example.

So, 3.d5! is the way to go.

positional chess and middlegame roadmap

Dear Coach, I am thinking about subscribing to chessmood. I have heard of a lot of great things about chessmood. When will the “positional chess” and “middlegame roadmap” courses be posted on the website? And when will the advanced French and Dutch opening courses be posted on the website?  Thanks a lot,

Tony

Replies

Dear Tony,

Thanks for your interest but we never provide any release date. We take a lot of time in selecting the best examples and this course is going to be very important. We always try to do our best and we expect to publish it this year, but we cannot say the date.All the courses that you mentioned should be released this year.
 

😄Also in the Classical Commented Games and the Daily lessons there are many, many positional tips and tactics explained all the time, check them out too. 💪
May the Chessmood Force be with You!😁

Mistake in Endgame Roadmap Video

I noticed a small mistake in the Connected Passed Pawns video of the Endgame Roadmap.

In Section 1 video 11 at 1:19, Avetik shows capturing the e6 pawn first, but this will actually lead to a draw. Best is Ke5, then Kf6! capturing the g6 pawn first.

https://chessmood.com/course/chess-endgame-roadmap/episode/5005

Here's a lichess study showing the position and evaluations:

https://lichess.org/study/KSqDXhXE/NaM16uqS

Loving the videos and just wanted to point this out for him to add an update so others don't make this mistake :)

Replies

Need Guidance in tournament preperation

I have an important tournament ( youth finals ) in about december 27 , I have practiced alot of puzzles and finished the courses calcman , attack like a viking , 7q method , pawn endgames , Blunderproof , tactic ninja etc etc…but even after all this now only I noticed I don't have a proper opening..so I started practicing new  openings for white and black , is this a good decision or is this gonna affect badly on me? Simply said I'm afraid my lack of memorised opening lines will backfire on me badly..and I don't exactly know what to do in the final days of preperation..please help :")

Replies

🙂

It's great that you're putting in a lot of effort to prepare for your tournament. It's understandable that you're feeling a bit stressed about your lack of opening knowledge, but don't worry too much.

Here are a few things you can do to help you prepare for your tournament:

   Focus on the basics. Make sure you have a solid understanding of the fundamentals of chess, such as tactics, strategy, and endgame technique. These are the most important things to focus on in the final days before your tournament.
   Don't try to learn too many new openings. Instead, focus on learning a few simple and reliable openings that you can play both as White and Black.
   Play lots of games. The best way to improve your chess is to play lots of games. This will help you get a feel for the different openings and positions that can arise in the game.
   Relax and have fun. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just go out there and enjoy playing chess.

Here are some specific tips for preparing for your tournament:

   Review your games. Go over your recent games and see if you can identify any patterns in your play. Are there any openings that you're struggling with? Are there any tactical mistakes that you're making?
   Practice with a friend or online. Playing chess with someone else is a great way to improve your skills. You can also find online chess servers where you can play against other players of all levels.
   Get a good night's sleep. It's important to be well-rested before your tournament. This will help you to focus and play your best.

I hope these tips help you prepare for your tournament. Good luck!

Pawn structures, types of centers, etc

Hi there, Chessmood family!

I was wondering if there is any course about pawn structures, types of centers (open, close, fixed, mobile,…),Carslbad structures, minority/majority attacks, how to play against isolated pawn, how to play against a bad piece (such as the french bishop), all this type of important things that go beyond tactics.

Thank you very much for your comments  

Replies

Most of those things are covered in the Classical Games courses, although it might not be organised according to the specific themes you listed.  For example a classic Carslbad game is Bobotsov-Petrosian but you wouldn't guess it by glancing at the course where the description only says “Never Play Without a Plan”.

Actually, that's an idea for ChessMood: index the Classical Games courses according to different themes.  I think this could be a huge value-add and is a lot easier than creating a new course :-)

🙂

You may read books like, Pawn Structure Chess by Andrew Soltis,Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide by Mauricio Flores Rios,The Power of Pawns: Chess Structure Fundamentals for Post-Beginner Players by Jörg Hickl etc. Or you can refer to certain chessable courses covering them. Or the classical games given in here.

Alternative line for Scotch game

Hey Everyone !

Recent I played this line in blitz tournament and I am little confused about assesment this position.

I choosen this variantion because I like sometimes surprise my opponent in opening and whats more importent for me this was played few times by our Coach GM Gabuzyan. So I strongly believe it. 

I dont remember all my game but I wanna focus whats we have after opening for sacrifices our pawn.

I see pair of the bishops and very weak pawns in my oponnent side, but how to play positions like this ? 

Replies

I also look for an alternative for scotch opening. 

I score quit well with what we have in the courses but it cecomes a little bit boring.

The Ruy Lopez is a lot of theory, perhaps the Italian can be an add on? 

Or perhaps the Ponziani?

Is there a recommendation and / or course for that?

Best Regards, Kurt

Hey there, 

Can you post a position which line are you referring to please?

null error when important Whitemood pgn files into Lichess

Hello, I do have null error messages when importing the WhiteMood pgn files into lichess. When clicking through I miss several chapters including French and Caro-Kann. Am I the only one with this issue?

Replies

I believe this is due to Lichess interface because it does not support the introduction of null moves.

With Chessbase there is no problem to open the file.

The only thing that you can do is to delete the part with null move(s) and then upload it again.😀

Importing pgns to lichess sometimes is not so easy as it seems…😀

I am on iPad and chessbase is not supported on it , but the app chess studio is doing almost the same for me and you can access it offline ( lichess online only ) . Lite version is ok but full version was only 5$ last year . 

My disastrous game!

I was black pieces and lost in the opening. I've watched the BlackMood starter course but my opponent played something different:

1. Nf3 e6 2. d4 f5 3. Bg5 Nf6 4. Nbd2 b6 5. e4 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. exf5 Qxf5 8. Bd3 … After 13 moves, my queen got trapped.

Any ideas for what I could/should have played to be more stable and reach a decent middlegame? Thanks, Anthony

Replies

I think i got it
1. Even if it is your good bishop you should have exchanged it instead of moving the knight because their bad bishop was starting to get better and better
2. Do not develop your queen early without a powerful base or working opening. in the one GM Avetik Grigoryan sir was showing the base was so powerfully done(base i meant opening and variation attacks defenses)
3. something a pawn can do you did with a queen. If you captured with a pawn they could not put bishop there to attack
You send the rest of the moves and i'll give the rest answers if i can do so

how to buy courses

Hi, i don't know if i'm in the correct section, if not i'm sorry.
how can i spend moodcoins to buy a course? i read that i can buy a course, but in the course page i can't find a way to do it.
Can you help me please?

Replies

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

The Legal Doping in Chess

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thats smart

Yes, I am 61 and in pills, so after 2h of play OTB I begin to sense tiredness and energy slipping through my fingers. After 3h of play I am so tired I can't even calculate two moves ahead. So I invented my own legal doping. Before the game I go and buy a big bottle of Coke. I like it and has caffeine. Some players do the same with coffee or tea. I carry the bottle in my bag and when I begin to sense tiredness I drink it in small sipps. 😅

It helped a lot but getting that “mood” is hard. 

I have pain which can be very distracting, but have found meditating does help - another reason to meditate a little before a game. I do play better when I'm in the moment and not fretting about anything, including results. Just hard to get there - I suppose, like everything, consistency is the key. 

I tried it and i lost but no blunders! or bad moves! Just gave the best fight after losing i felt so good. I never felt the good even when i win. I believe that loss is a great victory for me. Just a few problems when i got out of the good mood when i was bishop down probably why i lost

French attack vs Schlecter after 4.c3 e5!

Hi ChessMood Family

I have a question on plans after 1. e4 e6  2. d4 d5  3. Bd3 (Schlechter) Nc6  4. c3 e5.

If White develops the knight (5.Nf3 or 5.Ne2, I believe it does not matter for the question), and we then play …exd5, let’s say White declines to gambit and enters the IQP structure with 6.cxd5. 
 

Is the following a consistent plan for Blackmood?  6…dxe4  7. Bxe4. Then get our bishop to b4 with check, to accelerate development and allow Nge7 protecting the other knight, castle and off we go against IQP?

Or is there anything else to consider at U2000 level? And does White’s knight position make any difference to this idea?,  as I am seeing both Nf3 and Ne2 in my games. 
 

Thank you very much in advance for your expert input!

Ben

Replies

Hi Ben,

The difference in the Knight's development to e2 or f3 is not super affecting the position, I would just mention that if the Knight is on f3 sometimes The g3 pin is reasonable. U2000 level you will hardly ever get deep theoretical complications, and the goal here is to develop - locate pieces well in the center, Blockade or attack the IQP.

Good luck :-) 

Puzzles Standardization

Hello,

Why are the puzzles not standardized? For example, the Skewer section of Tactic Ninja. On some puzzles you check the king then the king moves away and you capture the piece behind it (3 ply). On other puzzles you give a check and the puzzle ends (1 ply).

This is not only for tactic ninja, but across the board for all courses I've done so far. It would be nice if the ChessMood team could work on puzzle standardization and let it play out until the end (3 or 4 ply) instead of finishing it with just 1 ply. Or the other way around.

Replies

Would you sacrifice your queen in this position?

Hi all,

It's white's move in the game below.  White is well ahead in material having a queen vs black's rook, and having extra pawns.  Note that white's king is currently trapped by black's h3 bishop, making a rook back-rank mate a distinct target for black.

Do you:

a) Take the rook (black will take the queen) and look to promote a pawn, or

b) Keep the queen and look to win with what you have, or

c) Keep the queen and look to promote, or

d) Something else

Thanks :)

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/daily/731104831?tab=review&move=55

Replies

I would have done exactly what you did, which is defend the bishop with the queen and keep pieces on the board. You probably could have been slightly more precise by playing Qa5-b4-xd4 instead of Qd3, to be ahead as many pawns as possible, but that's being picky.

Even though opposite colored bishop endgames tend to be drawish, I am confident that there would be enough pawns that I could win with the queen sac. But I feel planting the bishop and queen and sending the a- and b-pawns is the simplest. 

Good question, and nice game! Have you been playing the Jobava London a lot?

Sacrifice...

Hi everyone i am studying and randomly see this…

https://chessmood.com/course/calculation/episode/6854

This is very cool sacrifice and this destroy my mind(about caculate)

How about you?😊

Replies

Haha i found a song in a course

Look,this is a video in the course:

Calclman - Calculate Like a SuperHero

And if you watch this video:

https://chessmood.com/course/calculation/episode/6853

At 0:48,he said:concept

Yo it is a concept

Ono,Two,Three,Yeah, she's in love with the concept
As if we're all just how she imagined
'Cause we're in love but just don't know it yet
Well, tell me how I'm supposed to see the magic…

This is a part of XO by Eden

Haha…(idk why i am laughing)…😑

Replies

New article: Legal cheating and my top secret

Hey friends! 

I was afraid to talk about this. 
I’m still afraid. 
But I drank lion’s milk today. 

Many will not understand. 

Many will laugh. 
Hopefully, not you. 

This is my biggest secret of productivity, high focus and achievements.
I use this when I’m low. When I need creativity. When I need to win. 
When I need to perform my A-game.  

Whenever I’m stuck, I do this. 
I cheat.   

I cheat at GYM, at chess, I rob airlines. And I do it E.V.E.R.Y D.A.Y. 

LEGALLY! 

Call the police or click the link below: 
https://chessmood.com/blog/legal-cheating

For your growth and fun life, 
Always honest with you, 
Avetik “cheater” Grigoryan 

Replies

The art of visualizing an outcome or situation is excellent sports psychology. Back when I was running competitively at university, our coach would have us close our eyes and "run" the course in our brains before the race. We knew the turns, hills, straightaways, and more inside and out so that when we were "visualizing," we would dream/see ourselves performing with the best possible outcomes. The art of "visualizing" is way more than "fake it till you make it"... it is a tried and true method of preparing our mindsets for positive outcomes with confidence and focus.

Great read. I hear your voice alot when contemplating moves. I find the timing of this article ironic, just this morning I was thinking of your motto of constant growth and my own thoughts invaded with "If youre not improving youre regressing " I think this is true of alot of things, especially chess. Anyway I starting thinking of approaching and overcoming plateaus while working to improve and a Naval quote came mind. Something along the lines of success or improvement being related to scaling a mountain and getting 2/3 of the way up only to find youre on a dead end path and you must go back down and find a new path to the top. I thought Avetik would enjoy Navals thoughts, no surprise you talk to him regularly! Anyway thanks for the article and all you and your teams hardwork. Keep it up!

What a wonderful, creative use of imagination! This is very inspiring and I'll play with this in my own thinking. Thanks so much for writing this beautiful article, Coach Avetik!

Great article! It was rather an unexpected reading for me because, believe me or not, I do the same in chess, but with your voice. It doesn't matter whether I play on Lichess or OTB, I start commenting and thinking in English (even though it's my 3rd language) with your accent intonation and phrases. It's funny and helpful at the same time! I showed Chessmood to some of my friends, and now when I play against them and they make a mistake, I immediately start mocking them by saying "and this was a BLUNDER. Black's position is COLLAPSING now!" Also when they a bad piece (e. g. a knight in the corner of the board), I say (in English and with your intonation) "look at this knight! It is very UNHAPPY!" Or when I get a really strong bishop, I say "now the bishop on g7 is a MONSTER!" All of that irritates them so much and helps me to win 😀 (sorry, I'm a bad friend) And I also speak with Gabuzyan's voice in my head (in my 3rd language, once again) when I calculate complex lines, and it helps me as well! Or sometimes when I get tired of translating the thoughts in my head to English, I imagine I'm my favourite chess caster GM Sergey Shipov and just start calculating and estimating the position like he does I don't know how it works, I thought there's something wrong with me and I should visit a doctor, but now after reading this, I'm calm already 😀 Thank you for the article once again!

This is extremely powerful! You're literally giving away life secrets 😀

Respected GM It is true!. Once I read the book called" Art of Chess by Madison"', and felt as if he was teaching me the opening lines and won a territory Championship in 2008. Kudos R Raman

Hello GM Avetik . I found very interesting this article ( like all the others ) . I was doing an inferior version of it , a little bit unconsciously but now I will try it more seriously to see if I can use it to perform better . I did call the French bishop a monster after the c4 dxc4 variation recently in a post analysis online .. I will try with you and GM Gabuzyan as a start ! I have otb tournaments coming up and I m not fully prepared as learning new material take some time to digest but with my 2 new GM friends in my head , I can only do well ! 🤫

Awesome. Thanks for sharing Avetik, appreciate it!

Nice blog

I do this. I let the ‘reptile’ in me take over when playing blitz. I have learned the hard way that if the blue insularis viper in me doesn't want to play…there will be tilt.

Just read this and laughed at Elliott Bisnow. I know Elliott and was previously the Managing Editor of the publication :)

i do imagine you giving me advices Avo when i need to play my A game. i don't have a coach but you are one to me. especially after i watched 365 dailly lessons and 100 classical games with you ( and others gms)

WCC Championship!

The World Chess Championship has been in progress for two weeks. Ding Liren of China just struck back against 18yo D. Gukesh from India to tie the score up 6-6. If they split the last two classical games, they will play a tiebreaker of increasingly faster rapid games.

Any thoughts on the match so far? Is the score what you expected? Who do you predict is the favorite to win the match, at this moment?

Replies

Funny story:

Originally I sided with Gukesh.

However, my heart rooted for Ding, as became apparant in game 1.

Anyways, I predicted (after game 1) a 7.5-6.5 score I'm favor of Ding.

I may still be proven right, but I doubt it.

Game 5 Gukesh-Ding French exchange transpo to CM theory?

https://lichess.org/study/LF4x850G/IAPVNb4a

What do you think guys? 

After 6.c3 we're definitely back into what chessmood recommends, but in OTB/online I had this position many time and 6..c4!? is also played by stronger players, esp before white 0-0, so we dont have Re1+Bf1 idea

In my pgn I have some analysis like 8.Qe2+ like it was played in the game or 8.0-0 + b3 ideas, 

but can someone from chessmood GMs explain how would they play next, what's white's plan, cause I often get very dry and even worse positions as white from here. Thanks

Replies

Anyone?

I also noticed that, I think most people missed your post however (me included.)

I do hope you get a response!

The best games of November, 2024, and the prizes

Hello ChessMood family, hello champions and future champions! 
Welcome to the "Best games of November, 2024" competition.
Under this post, we invite you to post the best games that you will play this month. 

The Prize fund is 350K MoodCoins which is equal to 350$.  

The 1st prize  - 150K
The 2nd prize - 100K
The 3rd prize-  50K
The 4th prize- 30k
The 5th prize- 20k

Good luck with your games and keep the Right Mood! 
#ChessMood
#Right Mood - Right Move 

P. S.
Here are the winners of October, 2024:

Thomas Maes
Chips Ahoy
Aron Bekesi
Wendy Woodward
Gáspár Veress

Replies

a good ruy lopez. https://lichess.org/eq9ztRIH/white#0

https://lichess.org/8iyhA7n4/white
 

Insane Comback

https://lichess.org/HMoVQwcs

 Nice Dutch Attack! 

A complicated Sicilian Taimanov game, transposed from Grand Prix.

18. f5 was a strong intuitive break, as it was a blitz game and I wasn't even close to calculate all the possible lines. I didn't play the most precise moves after that, but the position was good enough to win comfortably anyway. The mate at the end is pretty, too.

https://www.chess.com/game/live/124310988931

Slaughter in the Vienna Game

https://lichess.org/bp0VYsKU/white#0

https://www.chess.com/live/game/124384750775
 

KIA

https://www.chess.com/live/game/124385336897

https://lichess.org/LYF6Q0rj

a game where i managed to defeat an IM whos an expert in caro cann.

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/124547335223?tab=review&move=50

I was worse in this game and suddenly out of nowhere I managed to uncork a brilliant combination which made me 13 points down in material but it gave me a mating attack. 

https://lichess.org/UIQtupxP

collateral damage in the french

https://lichess.org/RBL2D2Y6

a clean game against scandinavian

Model game in the Nc6 anti-Sicilian - e6 Bxc6 line with the advanced Qd2 idea (from the e6 course) - opponent lets me punish with a tactic - thanks for the prep.

https://lichess.org/fdxFD7nE/white

Destroying a 2170 opponent, brilliant game https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/124643365599?tab=review&move=19

https://lichess.org/N8Xlbtyp/white#0

nice GPA game with bishop sac

https://www.chess.com/live/game/124711723073
glad I found Bc1!

https://lichess.org/B1BcZY5m/black#0

nice accelerated dragon game

a caro-kan with the g6, Bf5 move where i got the upper hand.

https://lichess.org/Om3Odis8

Missed a few opportunities to win faster, but good attack, still

https://www.chess.com/live/game/124795178453

This is a game in the spirit of Gabuzyan:

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/124840205147?tab=review

The game itself is not a big deal, I just show it for the beautiful checkmate

https://www.chess.com/game/live/124909163559

https://lichess.org/x0Ik1jEQ/white#0

That was a lucky win!

https://lichess.org/sRv4YFRS/black

https://www.chess.com/live/game/125014142893
 

love the en passa gambit my best game in it 

https://www.chess.com/game/live/125092707329

trying to play like tal

Quick checkmate in the scotch, i just finished happy piece and I was glad to apply the rook lift concept to follow the Bishop sac on g6 

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/125118546267?tab=review&move=30

French, opposite side castling

https://www.chess.com/live/game/125138954205

Attack like a viking.

Nice mate!

https://lichess.org/Kyz0i9Wc74UO

A nice short 18-move mate in the opening. 

Play Chess Online for Free with Friends & Family - Chess.com

Elephant Gambit Nf6  😎 ♟️
https://lichess.org/Fy0A9xeF#6

French attack OTB 

https://lichess.org/PnBtCBHo

https://www.chess.com/game/live/124532325563

https://www.chess.com/game/live/124181360615

https://www.chess.com/game/live/125628526925

https://www.chess.com/game/live/126414544407

https://www.chess.com/game/live/126726566401

https://www.chess.com/game/live/124255142503

Also, maybe not a “best” game; I misclicked and played Kf1 instead of 0-0. But I kept the RightMood):

https://www.chess.com/game/live/125645943521

with this gran prix vs a pirc, i really got a clean game, due to a handfree monster on c4.

https://lichess.org/EVL8HzQS

😄

https://chess-results.com/PartieSuche.aspx?art=36&id=5561869

A game played in the Faroese league against a higher rated player with sacrificing the exchange in Dutch.

https://lichess.org/OlbGcCeq/white#45

A nice win in the Sicilian, lots of tactics

Scotch OTB:  https://lichess.org/study/xejALumO/5VuIxHHz

Caro-Kann:  https://lichess.org/WGbuULhdTcaL

Good evening,

I played 2 very nice games, one OTB Scotch game (extremely precise) and 1 Caro-Kann as white.

Please enjoy!

https://lichess.org/study/AfepVYJA/DhOz1tVO

https://lichess.org/study/LXW0GVFA/XtdAV6Xn

Windmills are rare and really demoralizing when they happen to us. This time it was the opponent suffering….

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/125591301799?tab=review

https://lichess.org/l4dTX3YJgCzy

Good evening,

I played very instructive game as black in Queens gambit declined.

Please enjoy!

https://lichess.org/study/SnHlWENo/70YIf4Zu

It feels like it has been a while since I had a clean miniature. Enjoy!

https://lichess.org/TPidAmA5/white#0

Crazy endgame

https://lichess.org/Km5N0Hag/white#0 

Discovery checks are Overpowered

https://lichess.org/dJIRehou/black#0

My opponent sacrificed his queen and almost checkmated me but lost on time

Mate in the Modern:  

https://chessdrop.com/games/b62ad3f9-cdab-436f-b0a8-03349d4e0ff2

French counterattack

https://www.chess.com/live/game/125683133197

https://lichess.org/GFC73INsL9m6

Tactics flow from a superior position🤝

I played a similar position vs the Caro-Kann at our local market last weekend, and my opponent (from our Chess Club), chastised me for chickening out of the g6 sac..  So I started drooling in this game when ..g6 was played :-D

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/125686181321?tab=analysis

No flashy tactics but a good positional effort in the Caro Kann using the ideas from the repertoire

https://www.chess.com/live/game/125742514731

https://lichess.org/NxlemZOL/white#28

Black gets into a lot of trouble in a sicilian 2..Nc6

Dutch

https://www.chess.com/live/game/125834354865

Bishop pair dominating the knight pair in this endgame struggle

https://lichess.org/S0ejHKHU/black#0

This was a crazy Dutch Attack !!

https://lichess.org/W09vdinmRAHa

MacCutcheon gambit surprises White:

https://lichess.org/eysOsiiqQW1u

I checkmated with a pawn :)

https://www.chess.com/game/live/125836157903

😀

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/daily/705495619?tab=review

such a good stafford gambit trap

:)

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/126042567167?tab=review

Nice Benko!

Crazy French with a nice Qg6! To force exchange of queens (refused…)

https://www.chess.com/live/game/126046809575

https://lichess.org/study/SnHlWENo/6sIcKKiC
A funny opening with a cute finish

Some lessons here:

1. When your opponent hangs a knight in response to e5, and you capture that knight, don't get so overjoyed as to blunder your queen on the next move.
2. If you can't follow that advice, as I apparently couldn't, get back in the right mindset after the blunder.
3. SLP doesn't always work, but sometimes it does, and this time, it did.
   
   Not my finest work, I'll admit, but a win nonetheless…
   
   https://lichess.org/TqzIufw8/white#12
    

Aggressive counterattack, not the cleanest though

https://www.chess.com/game/live/126178757529

https://lichess.org/Yr2Gdhy4/black#0

An insane endgame

https://lichess.org/LEz7W3PY/black#0

I sacrificed my knight twice

https://lichess.org/tWiY1smA/black#0

Insane knight sacrifise

https://lichess.org/npchBCJX/white#0

From losing,to drawing,to winning

https://lichess.org/h70RvpOl/white#0

Crazy Game

https://lichess.org/naxtXhlH/black#0

Tactics forever

https://lichess.org/nnDOuKLr/black

Nice example of Modern Maroczy Bind.

https://lichess.org/xqH99ymzEwnW

Good evening,

I played very nice Caro-Kann game as white!

Please enjoy!

https://www.chess.com/game/live/126316202361

https://lichess.org/zGgURVfd/black#0

97% Accuracy !?

https://lichess.org/aUIZGsvl/white

Attack!Attack!Attack!

I was really inspired by Coach Avetik’s interview on Perpetual Chess.  Fun is something that maybe I have been missing out on.

I have been with Chessmood but I do not think that I have fully been a part of the community.  I am very grateful for everyone at Chessmood and I am going to try to have fun in 2025.

I have a lot of learn but am enjoying the process.

A recent blitz game where I can see I have room to improve but have made a lot of progress from where I started.  I am going to learn how to share games as well.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2024.11.26"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Pencil_and_Ink"]
[Black "chip_b88"]
[Result "1-0"]
[CurrentPosition "3q4/r4pk1/p3N1pr/1p3n2/3PpNQ1/2P3P1/PP3P2/5RK1 b - -"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "B13"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Caro-Kann-Defense-Exchange-Rubinstein-Variation-6...g6"]
[UTCDate "2024.11.26"]
[UTCTime "14:32:20"]
[WhiteElo "1494"]
[BlackElo "1541"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
[Termination "Pencil_and_Ink won by resignation"]
[StartTime "14:32:20"]
[EndDate "2024.11.26"]
[EndTime "14:37:26"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/126370724807?tab=review&move=46&tab=review&classification=brilliant&autorun=true"]
[WhiteUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[WhiteCountry "2"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/25197534.124b34eb.50x50o.0ed869b53d8f.gif"]
[BlackCountry "17"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4 g6 7. Ne2 Bf5 8. O-O
Bxd3 9. Qxd3 a6 10. Nd2 e6 11. Rae1 Bg7 12. Qh3 Ne7 $6 13. Bh6 O-O 14. Bxg7 Kxg7
15. Nf3 Ne4 16. Nf4 Nf5 17. Qg4 $6 b5 18. h4 Rh8 19. h5 $4 Ra7 20. hxg6 hxg6 21.
g3 Rh7 $2 22. Rxe4 $3 dxe4 23. Ng5 Rh6 $4 24. Ngxe6+ $3 1-0

Trapping the queen in a Vienna Gambit played earlier this month - if 12…Qg4, then 13.Nd6+ Kd7 and the black queen is lost anyway

https://lichess.org/NbDrCHSQ/white#0

Attack like a viking:

https://lichess.org/IirnqLIPsc2Z

Being inspired by GM Avetik's course, I just started to play the French Schlechter a few days ago. Good choice, as the opening usually gives white a pleasant middlegame with many dynamic options.

In the following game, my opponent made a huge positional mistake by playing 12…b6 and weakening the long diagonal. There I missed the beautiful 13.Nb5, winning at least an exchange, but after another blunder I managed to find the best line, in which black's best option is giving up the queen for two minor pieces. 

https://lichess.org/iwYWOTVX/white#0

A very nice SLP in this game, I almost quit after I blundered, but i continued to play, regained my composure, and won the game! https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/126682749113?tab=analysis&move=135

https://www.chess.com/live/game/126706153151

https://www.chess.com/game/live/126706810363

https://www.chess.com/game/live/126710436205

thought this was a little nice blitz game with blocking the queenside idea and mating .. probably could have done faster but was nice to have my opponent blocked ..

a nice french attack (advance) where at move 15… i used an exchange concept: trading the attacking piece and got an equal or -+ position.

(got lucky though, and the short castle was a bad move)

https://lichess.org/STXmRAm9/black

Check out this #chess game: DaveF1990 vs MTineer - https://www.chess.com/live/game/126587930503

Check out this #chess game: MTineer vs AliAz1369 - https://www.chess.com/daily/game/709206037

not as good as others but i feel this was my best game in the month of September https://www.chess.com/game/live/121188747586 MEMMES vs MasterZaheem
 

Who won?

https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/waco-november-swiss-2024#comment-108374899 Please see round 2 game from this OTB tournament:  Jayden Jin v. rkd1 (me)

https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/dog-hair-dont-care-swiss-19#comment-108552577

Please see round 2 game from this OTB tournament:  Brian Collins v. rkd1 (me)

Thanks

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/126905990899?tab=analysis

Black played an early g5 and wanted to 0-0-0.

I stopped that, and it saw that Black was uncomfortable with his king in the center.

I had super centrilized pieces, a safer king, and better development!

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/126912630307?tab=review&move=40

Wish every Sicilian went like this

Hello, champions!
How are you? Thank you for sharing your games—they had so many instructive moments and gave us some beautiful moves to enjoy. We truly appreciate it!

Now, onto the prizes:

1st Prize: Aron Bekesi. You just crushed the Alekhine Defense! It’s impressive how you made the most of your space advantage. The way you dismantled the Black kingside was effortless and clinical. Well done!
https://www.chess.com/game/live/126706153151

2nd Prize: James L. One brave Knight jump, and Black’s entire position collapsed. Great job finding the super courageous and only move to destroy Black’s position with 13.Ne6!! Your conversion after winning so much material was smooth as well. Nicely done!
https://www.chess.com/game/live/125628526925

3rd Prize: Tomas Hanak. You showed a very nice idea with Nd3, followed by a Kingside attack. A beautiful example of attacking in the Caro-kann exchange. Well done!
https://lichess.org/xqH99ymz#65

4th Prize: Jake E. The h4-h5 plan was indeed very ambitious. And then the Rook and Knight sacrifice before move 15 was amazing! Beautiful! 16.Kd2 was a nice little finishing touch to a perfect game. Well played! And thank you for the annotations 😊
https://lichess.org/study/SnHlWENo/70YIf4Zu

5th Prize: Ben TheFury. Your Bb3 was a monster staring down that long diagonal! With f4-f5, you opened the gate for attack, after which the entire army joined and crushed Black’s position. Well done!
https://www.chessdrop.com/games/b62ad3f9-cdab-436f-b0a8-03349d4e0ff2

Congratulations to all of you!

Thank you once again to everyone for sharing your games.
All the best for next month’s contest!