Chess forum by Grandmasters

Reviewing a Game

How to review a game?

In a video, Avetik Sir has discussed that we have to create a PGN file of that Game and compare with the PGN file of the opening I have. We have to check this PGN file with the engine recomendations using Chessbase software.

My question is do we need Chessbase software or any other way is there for beginning level with rating lower than 1000?

Whether we can use the review the game feature in chess.com instead? 

Thanks

Replies

Dear Hari,

Here is an article on how to analyze your Blitz games https://chessmood.com/blog/analyze-blitz-chess-games

For that you will need an engine - you can use Chessbase, chesscom, or Licehess.

Dutch stonewall light square bishop

In the stone wall system after c4xd5 , exd , can the Bishop goes be6 give any extra results?

I'm not clear about the light bishop do what in the h5

And I mentioned above situationm (cxd,exd) I feel uncomfortable on pawn f5 so any time f4 reasonable or bishop have to protect the f5

If it happen in a stream explain 

Thanks

Replies

Hey there, 

It can be possible to transfer the Bishop to h5 via e6 - but depends what exactly the opponent plays.

Usually taking on d5 is not great for White, as they trade their c4 good pawn with backward pawn on e6.

Looking for chess partner

Hello everyone, happy Christmas 🎄 🎁. I am looking for someone who can do the practice of whitemood and blackmood opening with my daughter. Her rating is 1300.

Replies

Dear Priyanshi,

You can make a post here as well https://chessmood.com/forum/main-channel/studysparring-partner-1362

French attack!

 I Wonder about 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e5 Ng8 5 a3!? I have not seen any recomendation about this move. 

 I played c5

6 dxc5 Bxc5 7 Qg4 Bf8. I do not like that position difficult to defend.

 I Wonder if 5..b6 is better?

How do chessmood react after a3

Replies

You might find the following game instructive on how to defend with Black in the position you got. This game is in the chess.com Masters game database, and says that White is “Computer” and Black is Gregory Kaidanov (rated 2585), played in 1995. That game has an interesting transposition to arrive at the same position that you had after the 6th move.

Here is that game:

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/pgn/38iFzWxVEE?tab=explore"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Be7 5. e5 c5 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. Qg4 Bf8 8. Nf3
Nc6 9. Bd3 Nge7 10. Bg5 Qb6 11. Nb5 Ng6 12. Be3 Qd8 13. Bxg6 hxg6 14. O-O a6 15.
Nbd4 Bd7 16. Bg5 Be7 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. c3 Rc8 19. Rfd1 Na5 20. h3 Nc4 21. Ra2
Kf8 22. a4 Rh5 23. Qg3 Qd8 24. b3 Na5 25. Qf4 Kg8 26. g4 g5 27. Qe3 Rxh3 28. Kg2
Rh6 29. Nxg5 Nc6 30. Raa1 Qc7 31. Ndf3 Na5 32. Nd4 Nc6 33. Ndf3 Na5 34. Nd4 Nc6
1/2-1/2

Hi Erik,

Our Blackmood is for U2000 players and the 5.a3 is a super engine move - that might never really occur.
However, if it happens I would recommend playing the system with Ne7-b6. If a3 happens that often you can investigate the continuation I mentioned :-)

Thanks and Good luck :-) 

1.d4 Nf6

What to do after 1.d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3?

Replies

Hey there,

With the logic of our repertoire, we should play with 3…Bg7 followed by c5 ideas, which will transition to GM Avetik's course - about this position.

Even ChatGPT got the answer wrong!

Replies

Asking ChatGPT chess related questions is a blunder on its own…I once asked it whether it would capture the opponent's queen or give checkmate and it says ‘Depends on your overall strategy in the game’…definitely not stockfish level!

P.S. Assuming it's White to move, isn't it just Ng5?

Sparring partners

Hey guys, my name is priyanshi, I'm from the India, my lichess rating is 1350 I'm looking for a sparring partner to practice whitemood and blackmood opening

Replies

Hi Priyanshi,

I am also from India. My rating is 1068 in chess.com.

I am willing to be your sparring partner for practicing the openings.

Kindly revert back if you are ok.

Thanks,

Shrihari

Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack 1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Bg4

where can i learn more advanced stuff about this? this is a very interesting answer in the blackmood course.

Replies

Why different black oppenings ?

Hello community,

I wander why at lower level there are french and dutch with black and why at upper level there are dragon and benoni ? Is there because the french and the dutch are dubious ? Personnaly i play those openings succesfully. And what about english opening with black. Is the dutch that we should play against english under 2000 elo because they play d3 and e4 and in case they don't play d4 what should we play, the dutch ? Thanks for your reply

Replies

Here is what I know:

Dutch and French are reccomended for lower levels for a couple of reasons:

1.  It is simply easier to teach/learn. There is less theory to know, etc.
2.  It is more effective and practical at a lower level.
3.  It gives you some good positional and attacking skills early (bad bishops, rook lifts, etc.)

Dragon and Benko are meant as a follow-up repreitoire. It is also more practical for this level, and teaches good skills that may not be picked up by lower level players. 
 

In Blackmood, if opponent plays 1. Or 2. E4, you play a French. Anything else (no e4) a Dutch.

Note that this is the bare-basics.

Hope this helps!

I've heard that they are making an advanced french and Dutch cours

Video Issues

Hi

I am watching videos on the courses on my Android phone. For some reason it is no longer possible to maximise the video, so I have to watch it as a small picture. Can someone please investigate this? 

Many thanks 

Norbert 

Replies

Hi I noticed Chessmood's video format have changed to this recently. When the video starts it will only appear on half of your phone's screen, right? On the bottom right of the video there should be a “<” icon. Press on that then options will appear including one to maximize the video. This works for me with my phone rotated to landscape (horizontal).

Hope this helps,

Alex

Some fun tactics I was quite proud of here. Definitely a 'no u' dynamic going on with that rook

https://lichess.org/IZQM0u18/white#85

Replies

Brilliants are like buses ...

… you wait ages for one and then two come along at once!

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/daily/744160149?tab=review

I was amazed at my opponent's restraint when he didn't accept the first knight sacrifice (the second was obviously more tempting!).

I think I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of ‘Brilliants’ that I've had in my games so I was amazed to get two in one game!  Out of curiosity, does such a move always require a sacrifice of some sort?

Merry Christmas everybody!!

Replies

Chesscoms method of brilliant move is simply a sacrifice that will earn material.

Back in the days (it feels wrong to say this as I’m only 13!) a brilliant move was one that was underestimated by the engine. Basically it was the only good move, that the engine couldn’t find in 3 seconds.

I had only gotten 1 of these, a beautiful positional move where I ruined my structure but put my opponent in an enternal pin. Sadly I can’t find the game now (it was too far back) and I’m a bit upset they changed it. Obviously so more people get it, which will lead to more activity, more sales, etc. But back then you basically had to play better than a (low depth, few seconds thinking time) engine. Pretty impressive.

Enough talking about that!

You played an very Nice game, took me a minute to understand all the point, especially of Nf4.

I reccomend submitting it to the best games contest!

Merry Christmas!

Small edit: Here is a forum talking about how old brilliant moves work: https://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-analysis/brilliant-moves-in-new-game-analysis-report

And here is one talking about new ones: https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-play-a-brilliant-move

As you can see, they have completely downgraded it, to the point where I am more excited by a great move (simply because it is the only move) rather than a brilliant move.

However your Nf4 would likely get classified as brilliant even back then. Much Congratulations again!

Looking for a mentor

I managed to get my rating to 1000 with study on my own and then was able to raise it to 1139 using these courses and some others over the last couple months. I feel what I need now is a coach. Some of the prices I have seen online were cost prohibitive. I'm also looking for someone who will play games with me and explain where I'm going wrong and how to take advantage of positions (recognizing the weaknesses and predicting what the opponent is trying to do) and not just analyze my games - the engine does a pretty good job of that. 

Replies

Hello!

There are two things I can suggest:

First, Chessmood has an article on Finding the Right Coach. At the end, there is a google survey where they can help connect you with one.

Second, I myself am looking to get some teaching experience. So if you (or anyone else reading this below 1800) would like someone to give some advice, play some games, and analyze together, I am willing to help. I am a stable 2100 player blitz on chess.com, and I have no other credentials ;)

On the whole, contact me if you want (Lichess ARMANDAS_130), but I do highly reccomend doing the survey. It brought me to meet my current coach!

Good luck on finding somebody!

Book recommendations

Hi everyone! My rapid rating (Lichess) is around 1700 and I have reached a plateau and have nothing else to digest. My goal is to reach 2000 next December (or before that). I have around 9 hours on chess weekly. My weakest part is positional play. What are the best books which you would recommend?

Replies

I have two clear favorite books on this topic.

 Silman’s How To Reassess Your Chess. This book is great for people around your level. Will give you a great introduction and give you a good thinking system for positional play.

After that, a harder book is Grooten’s Chess Strategy for Club Players. I think once you reach about 1900-2000 this would be a great fit, but you can also start it right away. The ideas are well communicated, etc. I still find great use of it myself.

Hope this helps!

You can see the books chessmood recommends here: https://chessmood.com/recommendations 

You can find many good books at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/texts?tab=collection&query=chess. 
 

New article: The #1 Lesson I Learned from My Monk Friends

Monks might not teach us chess, but they do have plenty of wisdom on life to share.

This surprising lesson from them might change the way you view life, yourself, and what you do next. 

A two-minute read, that could leave a lasting impact:
https://chessmood.com/blog/the-1-lesson-from-monks

Replies

it means that monks cannot teach chess but they have plenty of wisdom to share

A wise man once told me you could always measure someone's self worth by seeing how many books are on their shelf :)

Well, I guess I'll sit back and buy some toy dinos (no, I'm not a 3 year old, don't worry), and maybe just a few more books of Jacob Aagaard…haha…

I would literally rather smear dog poop in my mohawk than spend an hour on gratitude meditation.

Mistake in PGN? AntiSicilian Part1: Bb5 move

If we compare video course Anti-Sicilian with 2.Nc3 d6 (Part 1) with PGN we download, there is a mistake (is it a mistake)?

In the PGN: 

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 Nc6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc7 Bg7 6.0-0 Nf6 7.d3 0-0 8.Qe1 e6 9.e5! Ne8 10.Bb5! 

While in Video course Bb5! is played only after 10.Be3 d6:
10.Be3 b6 11.Bb5!

Is it a mistake or was it done intentionally?

Replies

The Rise of Champions

Greetings ChessMood Family,

Re: The Rise of Champions Course

Congratulations to the team on producing yet another excellent and entertaining course for beginners.

I would just like to bring to your attention the following minor issues:

A - Section 2 Video 8 (The rating and the shadow) seems to be broken
B - Section 4 Video 7 (1...c6: Caro-Kann) also seems to be broken

Take Care and keep up the great work.

Replies

👍

Hi Kevin!
Thank you very much for letting us know 😊
 

The issues have been solved.
Thanks again!

LOL this was some very sloppy annihilation technique by me. My opponent had options

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2024.12.23"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Simonyetpurba"]
[Black "piedraven"]
[Result "0-1"]
[TimeControl "180"]
[WhiteElo "1175"]
[BlackElo "1171"]
[Termination "piedraven won by resignation"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/128735586241"]

1. e4 e5 2. d3 Nc6 3. Nf3 h6 4. Be2 Bc5 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bd2 a6 7. Nd5 Nf6 8. c4
Nxd5 9. exd5 Nd4 10. Nxd4 Bxd4 11. O-O Bd7 12. Bc3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Qe7 14. d4
O-O-O 15. c5 Qg5 16. cxd6 Bh3 17. Bf3 Rde8 18. dxc7 e4 19. d6 exf3 0-1

Replies

New course: In GM Amin's Mind

The legend of African chess, GM Bassem Amin, commentates on his best chess games!

He takes you on a journey through some of his finest victories, sharing his decision-making process and tons of valuable advice to help you level up your game.
https://chessmood.com/course/bassem-amin-best-games

Replies

New article: How I Raised 400 Rating Points with ChessMood Method

You set a goal. You have a plan. You’re ready for action.

And then, boom! A reality check that hit hard.

This is exactly what happened to Avo.

He decided to experience the grind that most adult improvers face—limited time, limited energy, and big dreams.

His goal? To raise 400 rating points in a chess variant, using the ChessMood Method for improvement.

But this story isn’t just about how he achieved it. It’s about the challenges he faced, the ups and downs, and a few confessions along the way.

We hope you’ll find lessons in his journey to help speed up your own chess growth.

Here’s the link to the article:
https://chessmood.com/blog/raising-400-points-chessmood-method

Replies

Great result GM Avetik. Good Job. You are my ispiration!

It was an amazing story, glad to see. Mine is little bit normal, I am really kind of a person who sees the chess like life. When I was thinking about myself and my relationship, I just wanted to test myself to see how confident I am, so I defided to play chess where I can descrlbe myself as confident. Here is why, my rating is like 1800-1900, but after some long and painfully months, I am hanging out in 1600's now. So, I was the one who should be confident because my normal rating was much higher than my opponents, nothing could surprise me at this level. The plan was simple, I'd beat some opponents, so ensure that when I'm confident, I can be succesful. I have just played 3 games in a row, 3 defeats in the most humiliating ways. I was about to sulk to chess, then I saw your article. I have amazed when I see the advice “dont resign easily and dont hurry up to find a new game, try to learn”. In fact, I can be insecure, but at least I know what I should not do when I am trying to be confident. Thanks for your journey, hugs from Turkey. 

wow avo…that was a lot of hard work! you need some milk & cookies 👉🍪🥛

but seriously. that's a really amazing story…on stop doing so much work for chessmood, you also managed to become, 2200 at bughouse? that's insane. you should chill for a day (vroom vroom around town on your motorcycle?)

well, i've also finally managed to hit a high of 2400 rapid (yay!) and 2300 blitz (i'm not that great at faster time controls haha, so i'm quite proud of myself), and it's really helpful to know that really strong GM's such as yourself also have bad days. that'll help me be less harsh on myself and keep the mood from now on! tysm!

best of luck for whatever crazy stuff you and the chessmood gang decide to do next haha <3