1200 blitz woohoo!

Just broke the barrier!

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👏

Congratulations! 

What do you put your success down to?

ayyy congrats Voran!

Congratulations dear Jessica!

Whoop whoop! Soon you'll be 1500 <3 (enjoy the journey!)

🎶if it's a 7 hour flight or 45 minute drive🎶

Why did my opponent resign? They had options

I blundered overcommitting and not realizing they could connect pieces while my rook was actually pinned

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/128550165003?tab=review

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Your opponent probably resigned because they realized the position was lost. Even though you made a mistake and overcommitted, he or she saw that your pieces were too powerful, and there wasn’t a good way to continue without losing material or getting checkmated soon. Even with your pinned rook, your opponent felt there was no way out of the situation.

Your opponent resigned on move 31, despite having possible continuations. 

Possible reasons for resignation:                                                          

Pinned Rook: As you mentioned, your rook on a8 is pinned against the king. This limits its mobility and creates a weakness.

Weakened King: White's king is somewhat exposed, with the g-file open and the pawn on g4 creating a potential weakness.
Black's Active Pieces: Your queen, bishop, and rook are well-placed and exerting pressure on White's position.
Lack of Counterplay: White's pieces are not well-coordinated, and there's no clear counterplay to challenge Black's position.

Possible continuations:

32.Qg5+: This move attacks your king and prepares to potentially create counterplay.
32.Bg2: This move aims to neutralize your bishop on e3 and prepare for potential pawn breaks.

However, considering the overall position, it's likely that your opponent felt overwhelmed by the pressure and weaknesses in their position, leading them to resign. 

Your opponent likely resigned because their position was significantly better, and there wasn't much hope for you to recover. Here's a breakdown of the key factors:

Your Disadvantages:

Pinned Rook: Your rook on h8 is pinned by the black bishop on d2. This means you can't move it without losing the rook.
Disconnected Pieces: Your pieces are scattered and disconnected. Your king is on g2, far from the action, and your bishop on f3 is also isolated.
Black King's Safety: Black's king is safe on e7, well protected by pawns and the rook on g8.

Black's Advantages:

Connected Pieces: Black's pieces are well-coordinated and working together. The knight on c2 and bishop on d2 put pressure on your king.
Active Rooks: Black's rooks on e8 and g8 control key squares and threaten further attacks.
Passed Pawn: Black's pawn on h6 is a passed pawn, which can be promoted to a queen with good chances of winning the game.

Resignation Justification:

While you still have some pieces on the board, any attempt to activate them or defend your king would likely lead to further material loss. Black's threats are too numerous, and their connected pieces and active rooks make it very difficult for you to mount a defense.

Analyzing the Game:

It's important to go beyond the final move and analyze critical moments earlier in the game where you might have missed opportunities or made stronger choices.  Here are some points to consider:

Move 14 (fxe5): This exchange might have weakened your king's position and opened lines for Black's pieces.
Move 21 (Rh4): This might not have been the best use of your rook. Perhaps focusing on defending your king or activating other pieces would have been more beneficial.

By reviewing the game with a chess engine or stronger player, you can identify critical mistakes and areas for improvement.

By focusing on these aspects, you'll be better equipped to handle complex situations in future games. 

NEW ARTICLE: Chess Time Controls: Which is Best Suited to You?

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coach loved it. I will make a new account on lichess so i will play only training games like this and for the main account I keep my ratings. I am a player who wanna keep both ratings and game. so I will use new account for training 5 min + 3 sec increment time control and old account is just for rating and rare games. Another point is that I can't play freely when i play with my normal account. I feel worried about rating and losing so for that Dummy Account is best and useful for my chess skills.

thanks for the lesson. 

I prefer 15+10

yes, i like g5/3 as you recommended in the article much better than g3.

Can we change chessmood Sunday tournaments from g3 to g5/3? 

Before reading this article, I had no idea which time control suited to me. I used to play mostly blitz and rapid 3 to 15 minutes but without increment. Now I will switch to 3+2, 5+3, and 15+10. 

Thanks for sharing excellent article !!.I learned a lot.  

Very helpful article, thank you coach. The most important part was Dr. Grigoryan's advice, "concentrate on becoming a better chess player, and your rating will follow". It sets the focus on the right thing.

(As for me, I play 15+10, but even that's fast for me.)

Before reading this article I preferred 10+0 time control. Now I am going to try 5+3. I am more concerned about improving my game than I am about just having fun 

I like 5+3 too! 

Can we have this time on our Sunday tournaments?

Okay, it seems many want 5+3 control on Sunday tournaments. 
Let us think about it :) 

Hi Maestro, great article. I've been playing some 5+3 games as you recommend, and I will keep doing that, especially for practicing the chessmood openings. That said, I also quite like 10+0, which I've always believed might help me in OTB rapid tournaments, of which there used to be a lot in my region (i.e. before the coronavirus), usually 30+0, so no increment, meaning that time management becomes more important. What do you think of online 10+0 games? OK or too slow?

Following GM Avetik advice, I have stopped playing 10+0 and 30+0 games. Now I play 5+3 for blitz games and 15+10 for rapid games. I am happy with the change as it allows me to train and improve in winning "winning position" as he recommends

Sir, if our purpose is both improving your game and practicing the new opening reportoire, is it good to play 60+0. 

Is there just one suitable one time control?

I can't play faster than 5 0 and I lose a number of games with 0 inc, so 5 3 is about as slow as I like to play. If people didn't play nonsense at 1 0 I'd play that just to get through a lot of opening lines. Blitz I'm generally looking to practice openings rather than anything too serious and fills odd moments. I will blunder quite a bit at this speed as I'm relying on instant judgements and not always aware of lurking problems. I think Chessmood puts far too much emphasis on blitz.

15 0 is a good speed to practice a bit of thinking, but the game itself doesn't last too long so it can be played once a day (when time allows).

30 0 I don't play online, but is good over the board for a tournament that lasts one day.

45 15, 60 15 are good online time controls for long play

My preference for over the board chess though is 40 moves in 2 hrs, 1 hr finish. I think league speed of 35 moves in 1 hr 15, 15 minutes finish, or 60 10 means players become weak in their endgames.

Hi! 5+3 is not one of the default time controls available on chess.com, so should I switch to 3+2? Or maybe 5+5?

Hi there! Here's my preferred time controls Online play - chess_com or lichess If have 1-1.5 hour for playing session, then I usually go for one 15+10 game to warm up and train my calculation and then the rest 3+2 for opening improvement and just for fun. I analyse after each game what I did wrong in the opening and mostly run built in analysis of chess_com for blunder check. I don't like bullet (completely agree that it harms improvement) and games without increment as it's really annoying to lose on time in completely winning positions (I'm not a fast player :)) and also when low on time it turns into premove scramble which I dont like as well For live OTB play I like both classical 1h30mins+30s with or without added 30mins after 40moves and also rapid play (12+5, 10+5). Though I prefer classical for improvement purpose.

Is 3+0 a good substitute to 5+3 if I don't have much time to spare?It is because I would usually play 10+0 when I have time.

As always, very helpful article. Thank you, Avetik!

Thanks to this article, I learned new things and saw some of my own ideas confirmed. I have been using Classical tempo and I think I will continue this way for a long time from now on. Maybe when I get a little stronger I'll switch to Rapid, but I think it's too early.

I love playing classical, with the time to think and make calculations (and, of course, I still lose! ) But the suggestion of playing lots of blitz/rapid games with the aim of e.g. practising new openings, not worrying about the end result or ratings, is a very good idea. I'll try it!

I don't even know what 5+3 or 3+2 means. Is it 3 minutes for the whole game, plus 2 minutes per move , or what?

And why do the recommended time controls seem to be so fast? I'm used to 40 moves per 2 hours myself.

I want to improve my middlegame, tactics, and stop blundering. I still don''t know what the best time control to play is.

😃

i thouhot online 15+5 no 5+3

😀

I like playing rapid 10+0 the most.

Because my rating is already 1760.

Thanks to Chessmood

I prefer 15=10 but I'll try. 15+5 now hanks to chessmood

one-on-one GM call

I have a one-on-one GM call booked for tomorrow. I forgot to add a link to my LiChess study with my OTB games. Can I get the link to the GM doing the call?

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Hi Dear Michael,

I will be doing the call - you can post the study under this thread, or send it to my lichess Gabuzyan_ChessMood.

See you tomorrow :-)

KFmood

Keep fighting mood (as a variant of slp)

Dear Cm family, i would name this one as “ keep fighting” even not in a good position the whole game; i succeed (or does my opponent help me) to fight back to slight inferior position, activate my bishop, and finally push my opponent to fault. https://lichess.org/g8P10VZ8/black#0

wish you all good end of year celebrations.

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Very nice one!

Opposite-colored bishop endgames are tricky sometimes, pawn quality is more important than the quantity in some occasions.

Happy new year :-)
 

How do I deal with the KIA

I have been playing against the KIA a lot lately and want to know how to play against it 1. Nf3 c5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 g6 4.d3

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I don't know terribly much about the KIA, but whenever I face something unknown, especially when White goes for Bg2, I will wait for E4, and play the closes Sicilian setup with e5 and Nge7.
I find it works well, we already know the ideas, etc.

The King's Indian Attack (KIA) can be tricky to face if you're not used to it. Here's a breakdown of how to approach it, focusing on the early moves you provided (1. Nf3 c5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 g6 4. d3):

Understanding the KIA:

White's idea in the KIA is to develop their pieces harmoniously, castle quickly, and then try to launch an attack on the kingside. They often aim for a central pawn break with e4 later on.  

Your Options as Black:

There are several good ways to play against the KIA. Here are a few common approaches:

   Classical Setup (…Bg7, …Nf6, …O-O, …d6, …e5): This is a solid and principled approach. Black develops naturally, controls the center, and prepares to challenge White's central control.
   Modern Setup (…Bg7, …Nf6, …O-O, …d6, …Nc6): Similar to the Classical setup, but Black keeps the option of playing ...e5 or ...e6 later, depending on White's moves.
   Early …d5: This immediately challenges White's control of the center. It can lead to sharp and tactical positions.

Specific Responses to 1. Nf3 c5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 g6 4. d3:

In this specific position, here's what you can consider:

   4...Bg7: This is a very common and solid move. Black develops their dark-squared bishop and prepares to castle.
   4...d6: This is also a good option. Black supports the center and prepares to develop their pieces further.

General Tips for Playing Against the KIA:

   Control the center: Don't let White dominate the center of the board. Try to establish your own presence there.
   Develop your pieces actively: Bring your pieces out to good squares where they can control important areas of the board.
   Be aware of White's kingside attack: White will often try to attack on the kingside, so make sure your king is safe and you have defensive resources.  

   Don't be afraid to play actively: Don't just passively defend. Look for opportunities to create counterplay and put pressure on White.

Example Line (Classical Setup):

   Nf3 c5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 g6 4. d3 Bg7 5. O-O Nf6 6. e4 O-O 7. Nc3 d6 8. a3 e5

This is a typical position arising from the KIA. Black has a solid setup and is ready to fight for the center.

Remember, the most important thing is to understand the basic ideas behind the KIA and choose a setup that you're comfortable with. Practice playing against it, and you'll become more confident in handling it.

How to Analyse Longer Games

Hi,

I was wondering if there would be an update as to how to analyse longer games - in https://chessmood.com/chess-study-plans/for-above-2000 section 4. Fixing it says that a future article will be written for analysing classical games. While the article is still yet to come, how what would you say is the best way to analyse slower games?

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H,mmmmmm just analyze it 

Analyzing longer games requires a structured approach to extract valuable insights. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you analyze classical games:
1. Preparation

   Choose a game that interests you, ideally with a similar opening or pawn structure to your own games.
   Set aside dedicated time for analysis, free from distractions.

2. Initial Review (10-15 minutes)

   Quickly review the game to get a sense of the overall flow and outcome.
   Take note of:
       Opening choices and pawn structures
       Key moments, such as attacks, counter-attacks, or transitions
       Endgame strategies

3. In-Depth Analysis (30-60 minutes)

   Focus on specific sections of the game, such as:
       Opening: Analyze move choices, pawn structures, and development.
       Middlegame: Examine strategic decisions, tactical opportunities, and pawn breaks.
       Endgame: Study the conversion of advantages, pawn promotion, and king activity.
   Use chess analysis tools, like engines or tablebases, to:
       Evaluate positions and moves
       Suggest alternative moves or plans
       Provide insight into strategic decisions

4. Pattern Recognition and Connection-Making

   Identify recurring patterns, such as:
       Pawn structures and associated plans
       Piece development and coordination
       Tactical motifs and combinations
   Connect the dots between different parts of the game, recognizing how decisions in one phase impact others.

5. Reflection and Application

   Reflect on what you've learned and how you can apply it to your own games.
   Update your chess knowledge and strategies accordingly.

6. Review and Iteration

   Periodically review the game to reinforce your understanding and identify new insights.
   Iterate on your analysis, refining your thoughts and incorporating new knowledge.

By following this structured approach, you'll be able to effectively analyze longer games and extract valuable lessons to improve your chess skills.

IMPROVE!!

how do i improve this?

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Well, you could start by making your query less vague!  :-p

Seriously though, what is your question?  Did you mean to post a link to a game?

I don't know, but the answer is probably to practice tactics haha

Improvement Strategies
To enhance your chess skills and avoid similar mistakes, focus on the following areas:
1. Analyze Your Games

   Review your games, especially losses, to identify mistakes and patterns.
   Use chess analysis tools or work with a coach to gain deeper insights.

2. Endgame Skills

   Study basic endgames, such as king and pawn versus king and pawn.
   Practice converting advantages into wins.

3. Strategic Understanding

   Learn about pawn structures, piece placement, and controlling key squares.
   Study master games to develop your strategic thinking.

4. Tactical Awareness

   Practice tactics regularly using tools like (link unavailable), Lichess, or Tactics Arena.
   Focus on common motifs, such as pins, forks, and skewers.

5. Time Management

   Practice playing with a clock to improve your time management skills.
   Focus on making efficient decisions during the game.

6. Study Chess Fundamentals

   Review chess basics, such as openings, middlegame strategies, and endgames.
   Study chess books, videos, or online courses to deepen your understanding.

7.Join a Chess Community

Participate in online chess forums, social media groups, or local chess clubs.

Engage with other players to learn from their experiences and gain new insights.

8.Set Goals and Track Progress

Set specific, achievable goals, such as improving your rating or mastering a particular opening.
Track your progress, celebrate your successes, and adjust your strategy as needed.

By focusing on these areas, you'll be well on your way to improving your chess skills and becoming a more formidable opponent.

Revise

Hi  im going through ur course   but i am not able to revise as ur video is good but it has not pdf, so that i can review it latter, this leads to loss of tactical idea which u thaught.   What should i do

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French Attack vs Bishop's Opening

1.e4 e6
2. Bc4  ….?
 

is there a section on this variation in Blackmood openings ?

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Help! how and where import pgn

hi guys, I really want to do my homework about chessmood openings with black, i downloaded the pgn but if i try tu upload it on lichess it upload only the first “game” and without any annotations, what can i do? help me please

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Try using Chessbase

Copy and paste it somewhere else. Then, copy each PGN individually and paste it into Lichess. I had a similar issue with something else, and I discovered that Lichess only imports the first PGN. Hope that helped.

1. You can use ChessBase Reader that is for free, however, you cannot edit files there, only see existing PGNs.

2. ChessBase is actually standart, thou it is not free

3. There exists some free sources also, but not so nice as chessbase - Arena for instance.

4. I also use Lichess. Sometimes it doesn't upload full PGN, sometimes it does. Probably, if PGN is with many comments, then it sometimes fail. In this case I do it manually - I open PGN in some text editor and upload games manually.

This programm could help.

https://encroissant.org/

New article: Why Being Amateur Might Be Better Than Being Grandmaster

Did you know being an amateur chess player has its perks? 
While pros face enormous stress, you can play for pure joy, experiment freely, and avoid the pressure of results. 💪

Learn how to embrace your journey, use your hidden advantages, and enjoy the game without limits. 🏆

Read the full article here:
https://chessmood.com/blog/benefits-amateur-vs-professional-chess

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The future of chess courses

I think it will be useless to record videos, because AI will generate them (maybe using Avetik's face and voice, or anyone else, i would try to take lesson from AI generated version of Mia Wallace).

The interface of the courses will include a tool that works with a device that measures brain waves (everybody will have one). This way the digital teacher will receive a feedback and constantly adapt his teaching technique and pace to achieve the brain waves that are are optimal for learning.

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If by “future” you mean 50 years from now, I agree with you that it would be great. 

I suspect a more likely change in the next 5-10 years will be you just provide the text (and some extension for displaying moves on a chess board). AI can then render Avetik teaching you it as if he recorded himself, on your machine so no big downloads. Or maybe you'd want some model presenting it instead at the flip of config - yeah nice course, but I wasn't paying attention to the moves!

Regarding Benko and Countering the English

I have watched the "countering the english" course and the benko gambit course. And in the benko after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4.Nxd4. Sir avetik says that it is covered in the english course deeply, but i couldn't find it, can anyonetell me which chapter it is in?

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It is in the maroczy course

https://chessmood.com/course/maroczy-bind

If they play with e4 then this is covered in section 1, or if they play with g3 then this is covered in section 2

Hope this helps, Samuel 

Misgake in Video Must-Know Endgame Theor

Must-Know Endgame Theory → Section 11 → 5. Knight + 2 pawns vs Bishop

Almost at the end of the video when GM describes how to win two separated pawns + knight against bishop, there is mistake.  

Timing: about 2min 45sec, after white moves e5, it is draw. Black can go  Kf5 and blocks everything. It is draw, is not it? 

While in video it says it is winning position.

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Taking a break from chess, not sure when I'll be back

Dear ChessMood Family,

I hope this message finds you all well.  I need to take a break from chess, and I’m unsure when I’ll be able to return.

Right now, I’m facing significant challenges in my financial and career situation, as well as difficulties in my living environment. These hardships require my full attention and energy, as I work to build a more stable foundation for my future.

Chess has been a source of joy, growth, and inspiration for me, and being part of the ChessMood family has been a very rewarding experience. I have grown as a person tremendously since joining and I really appreciate how chess has helped me develop my mind, my ability to learn skills, and also develop emotional control and self-mastery. 

Thank you all for being such a positive and supportive community. Thank you to GM Avetik, GM Gabuzyan, and the rest of the ChessMood team for your guidance. 
-Tyler

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All the best to you, Tyler !!!

Dear Tyler,

I am happy to know you, and I was always excited to hear about your chess growth!

Wishing you all the best in all your beginnings, and stay strong during your tough periods!

All the best brother💪

Champions

Is there a way to download the courses my membership will end soon and I really need them 

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no. it's illegal

Don't you think we all would do that…
Also, why would memberships even exist then if the courses can be downloaded..

It is a bit strange to ask it in official forum :D. If there would be such an option,  then everyone would do that and noone would buy the courses. Have not you thought about it? 

As I cannot afford these courses anymore for the whole year, I've decided to have some 1-2 months periods per year reserved for ChessMood. During these I would work on courses extensively, including, creating my own PGNs (especially for opening parts) with comments. 

french attack with 4.c3

Yesterday against my sparring partner he played 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bd7 4. c3 a6 5. Nf3 Bb5 and this was the position.
what about our plan here? because after Bxf1 we can't go for c5.
Any suggestion? 

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I play the Sicilin not the French, but here are my thoughts.

Bxf1 we will play anyway. No use in delaying, especially when we stop White from castling (and thus kind of win a tempo that White will spend on g3and Kg2 instead of 0-0.)

After that, we can play a5, attacking B4. From there, you will probably continue with regular French strategy, f6 and B6 c5

0-0-0 against Dutch

In the Blackmood course Avetik gives some situations where 0-0-0 against the Dutch doesn't work, pointing out that the f3 knight drops off in many cases when white plays g4. But yesterday I played a game where my opponent was able to castle and play g4 anyway, with the knight sacrifice turning out to be sound (I suspect by accident: Nxd2 seemed to surprise him). I thought I'd post it here as a warning that attacking with h3-g4 can be strong if we take and open the h file for white: https://lichess.org/study/5X7cIYlN/0et9Cv0a

Sure the computer shows I get advantage by ignoring the sacrifice and attacking on the queenside, but I underestimated white's resources and took the knight. Luckily my opponent played 16.Rdf1? instead of 16.d5 which would have given him a clear advantage, and after that I played a nice game.

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Model Games

Hi. In every opening you suggest you put model games. What to do with them, put them in the opening files or just watch them?

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Dear Eliya,

I would recommend watching them and remembering the ideas. If something is very concrete and justified as the best engine line can also be in the file.

The point of model games to show how we play the middlegames or punish opponents mistakes 😄