Chess forum by Grandmasters

Looking for a Training Partner

Here are the specifications. You don't have to meet all of them, but please meet at least a few of them or come close.

I am in the 500-600 rating range (550-650 Chess.com and 1370-1435 Lichess) and am looking for a dedicated training partner to spar and practice with during the "Chess and Free Time" blocks in my schedule, which I’ve attached for reference. Please note that I am in the CST time zone. Ideally, my partner should be engaging in chess-related activities at least 6 days a week and spending a minimum of 30 minutes on chess most days. Reliability is extremely important to me—I need someone who won’t cancel on agreed sessions. Like me, my partner should have the goal of improving as quickly as possible. I lean towards aggressive play, so I would prefer a training partner who has a more positional style. This contrast will allow us to learn from each other. Together, we can analyze our games, drill openings to identify weaknesses in our repertoires, and practice the algorithm's recommended by ChessDojo. If you meet most of these criteria or are a few rating points lower or higher, feel free to reach out—I’d still be happy to consider partnering with you. Just make sure you can play in those UTC time blocks.

I've been looking for one since late September. I did get one, but they kept not showing up and didn't seem too dedicated.

Replies

Hi Vihaan,

You may have more luck posting this in the dedicated thread for finding study partners:

https://chessmood.com/forum/main-channel/studysparring-partner-1362

Is there options to buy individual courses?

Like say I just wanted to buy whitemood and blackmood opening courses. Or is there only membership options?

Thanks for your answers.

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There is normally an option to buy individual courses.  However, at the moment, there is free access to all courses as a ‘Thanksgiving Gift’ from the ChessMood team.  Give it a few more days (until the 20th, I think) and the purchase options should return.

Notes on a R v. B Endgame

I am sharing some notes from a rapid game, focusing on decisions I made in a position where I had bishop and 2 pawns vs. a rook. It seems to me I made a critical mistake forcing trades which ruined my advantage.

The entire game is here: https://www.chess.com/game/live/127542012937

In the first position below I played 22… Qc3. I considered that I had a large advantage, and my plan was to push forward with my central pawns. That would open my king position slightly and give opportunities for white's rooks to become active to create threats in combination with the queen. So I forced a queen exchange, thinking this would reduce white's counterplay, but keep my advantage.

A few moves later the second position appeared after white's 24.Rb3. I allowed the exchange of rooks, with the same thought process as before. However, I eventually discovered that my advantage was completely gone after this decision.

The rest of the game was a long battle of maneuvers, with both sides playing more or less accurately. The game ended in a draw on move 70.

Of course I was unhappy that I let such an advantage slip, but I really didn't understand what I had done wrong. So I turned to the ChessMood endgame courses to look at the lessons on R vs. B. I was surprised to see that the rook still draws easily against bishop and 2 pawns in most normal situations. The third diagram is a position from the course where even with a distant king, white to move draws.

So going back to the first and second diagrams, the lesson I am taking is with a bishop and 2 pawns against a rook, I should still keep more material on the board to make use of my pawn advantage. Exchanging material allowed white to activate his king for the defense. Keeping the queen and rooks on the board would make it harder for white to organize a blockade, so my pawn majority could ultimately advance.

ChessMood coaches: am I drawing the right conclusion?

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Dear James,

We discussed this one during our 1-1 call. If you still have questions please let me know 🙂

Veresov Attack

After the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. Lg5 d5 3. Nc3 there is a transposition to the Veresov Attack, which usually appears after 1. d4 d5 2. Sc3 Sf6 3. Lg5. This seems not to be covered in the Chessmood Repertoire.

What to do? 

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Dear Alan,

We might have re-recorded some of the d4 sidelines in the future, at this exact moment the Veresov is not yet covered.
If you take a look at the image I added the beginning moves which I think are super solid for Black, as well as one of the top lines for the engine.

In the given position Black is going to 0-0 Play with c5 and maybe b6. Since White's Knight is on c3 they are not able to use the c pawn for the fight in the center, and that's why Black's position is absolutely great.

 

Confused about Pythagorus rule in section 9 of pawn endgames course

Hello friends, I just watched section 9 of the“Pawn Endgames” course by GM Gabuzyan. I am very confused about how to draw the triangle, do we just somehow connect the pawn with the d-file and draw a triangle? I’m also very confused, does it mean we win if our king is in the triangle?Thank you very much for your help! :) 

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doubt about french attack vs 3.Nc3

Hi everyone, I have a doubt about the French Attack with 3. Nc3: after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Ng8 5. Nf3 c5. In the course, the move dxc5 is covered, but after playing a bit and looking at the database, it seems quite rare that this move is played. How can i handle the other more frequent cases?
Thank you a lot

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This line is extremely rare, because of 4. … Ng8.  In the Masters  database on Lichess, around 160,000 games reach the position after White's 4th move (4. e5). Only in 98 of these games did Black move the knight back with Ng8. A miniscule amount (about .06% of the games).

On Lichess, if you use the lichess library of games by everyone, about 6 million (!) games reach the position achieved in this line by White's 4th move. About 140,000 games proceed with 4. … Ng8. That's around 2%.

So, this line isn't played much (as a percentage of all games). It is relatively unexplored territory, so if you are going to play this way with Black, you probably need to focus on the ideas of the position, and not worry overly about specific lines and move orders. Another option is to not play this way at all, but to play the classic lines of theory. Me, I'd rather drag my opponent into territory that is unfamiliar to both of us rather than play the classical lines, which the opponent is probably familiar with. If I'm going to be lost and confused, I want my opponent to share that feeling :D

courses

Dear Coach,

I just wanted to ask when the “positional chess” and “middlegame roadmap” courses will be posted on the website. I'm really looking forward to them and greatly appreciate the effort you put into creating these valuable resources for us.

Thanks so much for all your help and support!

Best regards,

Tony 

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podcast with Avetik father

it would be very cool to see GM Avetik's father in his podcast 😁 especially after reading this in Coach Of The Month: GM Avetik Grigoryan - Chess.com

“Chess was Dad’s unfulfilled dream. He learned chess at a late age, all by himself, through books and magazines, and became quite good (he is about 2400 on Chess.com). He loved the game very much, but life took over.”

2400!! on chess.com that's very impressive. 

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Why is it a bad idea to copy your opponent's moves?

I read in a book that this was basically why:

1 e4 e5

2 Nf3 Nf6

3 Nxe5 Nxe4

4 Qe2 and if black plays the natural move Nf6 to avoid losing the knight,

5 Nc6 with a discovered check that wins a queen for a knight.

But I realized recently that if black continues to copy the moves for 1 more move and plays 4…Qe7, and white plays 5 Qxe4, the white knight is pinned; black can play 5 … d6, attacking the pinned piece.

White can then play 6 d4, and ends up a pawn up but it's nowhere near as bad as the book I read made it sound.

Is there a good reason for not copying your opponent's moves?

If someone copied your moves, how would you deal with it?

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I would be thrilled to achieve the position you described in my own game. I know it's been played at the highest level (I want to say Niemann vs So?) but a pawn is a pawn.

Or if I know before the game that my opponent will copy my moves exactly, I'd play the following:

1.d4 d5

2.Qd3 Qd6

3.Qh3 Qh6

4.Qxc8#

Copying moves is just lazy, you are just letting them control the game. 

As soon as your opponent makes a move you can’t mirror, such as a check or a pawn push, you’ll be left in a weaker position. You need to create your own threats and plans, not simply react to your opponent.

Copying ignores the dynamics.

The problem of copying moves is, that in most simetrical positions the only player that can play for a win, is the one who has the initiative, which will be the one to move first.

While this variation is terrible for playing for a win, it's played at the top level, because they are quiet OK with only playing for a draw.

I learnt that copying is ok when your opponent doesn't know to play against himself but when something like this happens it is a blunder
1. e4 e5
2. Qg4 Qg5
3. Qxg5
When you are getting mirrored put your pieces in protected and unattacked squares attacking the location where your opponent will put the piece when copying you
If you successfully capture then they might lose. 

The good reason you shouldn't copy is because by copying you might forget your own ideas and how to use the brain in chess
OK if you disagree with me have this in mind When you copy have some common sense instead of doing things like that allowing to lose free pieces or not capture free pieces

👍

Copying your opponent's moves can be a risky strategy, as it can lead to predictable and boring games. It's important to be aware of the potential pitfalls of this approach, and to be prepared to adjust your strategy if your opponent is copying your moves.

If you find yourself in a situation where your opponent is copying your moves, there are a few things you can do:

   Mix it up: Try playing a different opening or making unexpected moves. This can throw your opponent off and give you an advantage.
   Don't be afraid to sacrifice: Sometimes, sacrificing a piece can lead to a decisive advantage. If you see a good opportunity to sacrifice, don't be afraid to take it.
   Stay calm and focused: It's important to stay calm and focused, even if your opponent is trying to frustrate you.

Ultimately, the best way to deal with a copycat opponent is to play your own game and focus on your own strategy. If you can do that, you'll be in a good position to win the game.

If we copy moves opponent usually gives us check and our position becomes worse 

I would follow this strategy

The example that you started with is an excellent case of copying your opponent's moves is not a practical idea. 

You said: “But I realized recently that if black continues to copy the moves for 1 more move and plays 4…Qe7, and white plays 5 Qxe4, the white knight is pinned; black can play 5 … d6, attacking the pinned piece.”   BUT, in this line White will respond with 6. d4 and the line continues 6. … dxe5  7. dxe5 and White is up a pawn with a solid advantage.

If you explore the courses you'll learn about these things. Especially the WhiteMood openings course. The section on the Petroff defense will cover this.

Enjoy!

Jeff

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?

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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 :)

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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  

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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 ? 

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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