Chess forum by Grandmasters

Missed blunder in the Caro-Kann section

Hi, in the “Attack Against Caro-Kann with the Exchange Variation” course, section 5 - 4…Nf6, The transpositions video you did not mention that if the opponent plays 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. c3 Bg4 6. Qb3 Qd7 7. Bf4 e6?? we should not play Nd2, instead we can win a piece by playing 8. Bxb8! if the opponent takes the bishop Rxb8 we win the queen by 9. Bb5

I had missed this chance in my tournament game and ultimately lost the game. 

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NEW ARTICLE: Stop Playing Chess When Your Body Doesn't Want To

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Thanks for this article..... I will conduct the experiment and let you know my observations after a few weeks.

Thanks for the article GM Avetik

I started playing chess in the morning from today and I gained 50 points! all the time I used to play in evening and would sometimes gain 8-9 points and lose 10-11 points. basically, I did not make progress with my rating. When I played in the morning, I defeated 2 1625+ one 1615+ and I won against one 1750! from 1596 my rating went to 1643!! Thank you soooo much I don't know how you guys do this sooo well!!Just keep writing articles like this and one day you will become such a big business that you will buy chess.com!!! good luck on your journey! I have never seen a website like your's making new innovations everyday! I just have one request, can you plz plz plz write articles like thrice or twice a week ? plz(: your articles are very usefull!

Thank You So Much, Sir, For The Awesome article

Hi guys, today I have the results from my first 2 days of experiment. I wake up at 7am and my peak alertness hours are: 10am to 2 pm and 7pm to 10pm. Although that sometimes I play tournaments on lichess or chess.com until 11pm :) I have raised around +350 points since I became a chessmood member but in the last 3 days I raised +38 on blitz (now I am 1874). Thank you GM Avetik for the interesting article. I am persuaded that the chessmood courses, articles and material are more than enough for anyone to become a strong chess player. 

Thank you so much Avetik the growth hacker

I knew since I was a kid that I was an owl. I like to stay in bed until 10-11 am. And never play chess before 16h. The best time to play chess I think is in the evening. Even the early Titled Tuesday begins at 15.00h and the late TT begins at 23h CET. It must be very tough if you live in Pacific coast to attend the early TT. 

Thank you very much GM Avetik Sir, I really do appreciate because I am a night owl and when I read the article I realized that my rating always improves during 7:00.p.m to 9:30.p.m.🙂

New article: In Memory of GM Karen Asrian

Today, GM Karen Asrian would have turned 44…

But even during his short life, he managed to leave a profound legacy. 
Not only through his achievements on the chess board but also in the many lives he touched with his character and spirit, including ours. 

You can read today's article devoted to Karen's memory, here:

https://chessmood.com/blog/karen-asrian

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What a beautiful and inspirational article! Thanks very much, GM Avetik, for taking the time to write this wonderful memorial and for sharing it with us. 

I love your vibrant humanity, Avo.

Good teachers are like gold.

I had a 45-year career teaching mathematics at University with some success.

And, to this day, I can look back at the handful of teachers in my life who have had the most impact on me. To a person, they were not only experts in their fields, but also kind generous, and compassionate souls who loved to learn.

My major professor did research on effective teaching and came up with a list I still carry around with me.  Effective Teaching requires:
 

Clarity - in goals as well as presentation,

Variability - change things up from time to time,

Enthusiasm - if you aren’t enthusiastic about your own field, how can you expect that of your students? 

Task Orientation - do something,

Have the students practice the criteria for evaluation - ever have a teacher who made it a secret what was going to be on, for example, the next test?  Ugh.

Thanks, Dr. Evans, I will miss you …

And thanks, Mr. Avetik, for reminding me of my favourite teachers.

Avo listed the first quality he learned from Karen as humility.

Thank you for your continuing articles that emphasize traits such as these!

In a world where power, fame and aggressive behavior is celebrated, its good to remember that millennia old verse : “The meek will inherit the world”.

Great article. Will try to be more humble in my coaching from now on, in memory of Karen!

Thx Avo,

In German (the language really doesn't matter) there is a toast: you drink to each other and say: “To absent friends”!

Avo, he would be very proud of you, you display all the same characteristics and qualities as him and are a great coach.

He taught you well.

Thanks for sharing this

This is beautiful <33

Welp…guess I better stop procrastinating my social interactions then!

Hi Avo your article on GM Karen struck me a lot ; 
Karen is next to you and looks at you
he whispers to you, even if you don't see him……he is always there……..next to you , 
This is what Sant'Agostino  said about death: 
"Death is nothing.
I just switched to the other side: it's like I was hiding in the next room. I'm still me, and you're still you. 
What we were before for each other we still are".

GM Karen 
is and will always be in your heart and nothing and no one will be able to break the bond between you 

Cheers

Riccardo …..an humble chess player  ♟️

Inspirational one Avo sir.. I'm visualising to be a GM

Karen stays forever in his chess games!

What a beautiful article, Avo. Thanks for sharing it!

Nicely said…sincere.  you re lucky to have had him enter your life.  That was what we call a break…and you were clever enough to realize it!  We all need a break, to get ahead.  even better when we learn from it…and can pass it forward.    

Thank you for sharing Avo, great human lesson.

Wow…what an inspiring person and story! My toast to GM Karen Asrian’s memory.

I had never heard of Karen Asrian before that article. Truly an inspiring story. I love to read, and this was definitely worth my time :) 

That is really beautiful. Thank you for writing this. We need many more good people like you both. I‘m glad you found him, and that we have found you. The next time I raise a glass of whisky, I will do so with this in my thoughts. To your good health. Cheers!

Exchange French Bb5 by white

Hi, Im not sure what to do after e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 dxe5 Nc3 Nc6 Bb5. i dont know how to react as i can’t with the normal bd6 Qd7 setup in the french attack video as Bd6 hangs d5 pawn. Do I castle kingside or queenside here? Thank you all for any suggestion!

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If possible I would like to bring this question back to life. I've been crushed several times by this pin like an idiot :)

The videos mention Be2 or Be3 as the most popular responses by beginners, but actually what I see from other fellow beginners is that ALWAYS if a knight can be pinned, they will pin it (even with funny consequences in the grand prix attack against the Sicilian). 

So what happens to me all the time is 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 (they play like against e5) 3.exd5 exd5 4. d4 and now, if I play Nc6 their next move is ALWAYS Bb5. 

Should I provoke the exchange, castle short, and keep my bishop pair, or should I delay Nc6 until they moved their light square bishop, so as to avoid this pin?

Thanks! 

Great Armenia!

NAS Daily created a content 6 years ago about the Chess Education in Armenia. How great would it be if every other countries are like this :)

https://fb.watch/wjRLvAkU8M/

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Scotch 8. h4 a5 9. c4 Qb4+

I recently had this in an OTB game against a 2200. After 10. Nd2 (I thought about Qd2 hoping for the endgame) …Nf4 I played 11. Qe4 (engine marginally says Qf3) …Ne6 I then played 12. Rh3 which is poor (but has been played). The engine gives 12. Bd3 (a hard to play move as it allows Nc5). With or without 12. Bd3 the position seems difficult for white as it's hard to understand what we are doing and black's pieces all come to life and our h4 move just seems like a waste of a tempo. Would be useful to have a short video or summary to cover this line and the ideas. Thanks

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Dear Julian,

I checked the position - but if we follow a plan with 11.Qf3 Ne6 12. Bd3 White's positions feel easier to play - and the engine evaluates it as a slightly better one. As well, Black's moves are not so obvious cuz I tried to play around with an engine.

From our side it is impossible to dive super deep in every possible continuation, if you would like to learn some very deep moves, you can work with the engine as well.

After Bd3 White is going to castle and bring the other pieces in the game - Black has several options so it will be little more concrete.

How to play as black?🤔 I have no idea😅 Please help

I have a few attacks with white like
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 exd4
4. Nxd4 Nxd4
5. Qxd4 and i have dome center
but with black i fall for my attack myself😅
could you give me a solution please🙏🥺
 

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Have you looked in the courses? The BlackMood course is all about playing the openings as Black.  You probably want to start with the Opening Principles course.

Cheers,

Jeff

NEW ARTICLE: Connecting the Dots

Hey Champions!
We have this topic in our blog: 

https://chessmood.com/blog/connecting-the-dots 

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Good article.

1. To succeed you need something to model, and some way to feedback into the system when the results are those which you didn't want. Lots could be written on this process.

2. I can write a chess program (with a lot of effort) that could as good as me or better knowing rules to find tactics, opening variations, how to play certain endings... As soon as you give it something which isn't a clear case of one of those inputs, at best it can play a random move or based on some heuristic (which is what happened with these kids, not to mention they'll get bored and frustrated). The magic of a plan comes from not knowing fixed rules, but some feeling of having seen something before (which is also how Alpha Zero and the others work). Rules often can take us in the wrong direction, and when the feeling and the rules diverge, calculation or other judgement is needed). Thus studying games of those better than you - just playing your peers is a slow trial and error process. However there is still the missing piece of how to study, which hopefully will be a future article.

3. Finally without a good coach you have the problem about getting good feedback and being directed on the right track. See Why do you Lose post for some ideas there. I'll try to write a follow up to my investigation and how I aim to correct the issues when I get some time. How to learn from your mistakes is a good basis for another article. Analyse your games with / without a computer is pretty vague, but that's often as much detail given..

Great article coach! I especially like the relation your father had with your chess! I took my son to the junior chess club and tournaments locally & nationally and he became a very good strong junior player by playing lots and being very competitive (if he is intelligent too, he gets that from his mother ;-)..edit: He has never read a chess book seriously in his life! He won loads of books for winning his chess competitions & he gave them to me & I haven't read much from them either...ooops. ). He connected his chess dots and that took him where he wanted in chess (he only plays occasionally now, but is a damn fine player still.. reminds me of someone coach!? ;-) . Now all I need to do, is connect my chess dots too and get my chess improvement where I want. I think I am getting closer even if it has been a slow process for me & thanks for all the Chess Mood help! So, Right Mood, Right Move COGRO!! Go Chess Mood let's connect those dots!

Thank you for this very nice article sir. 

Lovely article. Thanks for sharing!

Listening in his interviews and streams I doubt Nakamura studied the classics. I think he didn`t know who was Smyslov. :(

When trained by Kasparov Naka said they diascussed a lot about engine variations. I think Naka best coach is Stockfish.

You were lucky to have a chess fan in your father. Carlsens father saw the burning desire of his little kid and instead of taking him to a chess school he hired one of the few GMs in Norway, Simen Agdstein. The rest we know, Agdstein amazed about the kids talent, his father taking him out of school and buying a van were they could travel across europe searching tournament aqnd opponents.

Nice article. Good thing to realise that I have connected most of the dots. And I think this is the reason why in one year I went from 1700 online to 1950-2000. 

Hey avetik as you told you were like 2000 at the age of 8, when i read this line in wake up from the bed and then face wash and read it again, 2000 at 8 i feel you should be in top 20 atleast and why it would take 10 more years to be GM ? Have you stopped watching classics after age of 8 or you played less tournaments or what the reason for 10 long years from 2000 at age 8 ?

this article is do underrated. i know what to study now! thanks avo!!! 

To trade or not to trade, that is the question

Hi all,

In the game below it's my (black's) move and I decided on Bxg4.  My rationale was that we were in an endgame and I had a +1 advantage so trading pieces should be good for me as it simplifies the position.  The bishop was protecting my d5 pawn but white's d1 rook doesn't have a chance to take it before my rook defends it.

In my game review, I see that Stockfish categorises this move as a ‘Mistake’ and prefers developing the king to e7.

Would somebody please help me understand why it was a mistake to exchange pieces in this scenario?  Thanks :)

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/daily/730409651?tab=analysis&move=63

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Hello!

Sorry for the late reply.

You have just discovered one of the most famous rules in chess!

“All rook endgames are drawn”

Of course this isn't always true, but even when up a pawn, a majority of the rook endgames are drawn (if the other factors, like king activity, are equal.)

This is why you should always try to retain that extra minor piece.

It will greatly increase (objective) winning chances.

I hope this helps, and if you have any more questions on this just ask :)

🙂

Here's why exchanging pieces in this position might not be the best move:

1. King Safety:

   Ke7 improves the king's safety by moving it closer to the corner and away from potential threats.
   Exchanging pieces can leave the king more exposed, especially if the opponent has active pieces.

2. Pawn Structure:

   The pawn on d5 is a weakness in your position.
   Exchanging pieces might not be the best way to address this weakness.
   Developing the king can help you consolidate your position and prepare to defend the d5 pawn.

3. Opponent's Activity:

   Your opponent's rook on d1 is still active and can potentially put pressure on your position.
   Exchanging pieces might allow your opponent to activate other pieces and create counterplay.

4. Stockfish's Evaluation:

   Stockfish is a powerful chess engine that can calculate many moves ahead.
   It likely sees that developing the king leads to a more favorable position for you.

Remember:

   Chess is a complex game, and there's often more than one good move in a given position.
   It's important to consider all your options and choose the move that best suits your overall strategy.
   Analyzing your games with a chess engine can help you improve your understanding of the game.

Give me some short points on how I could calculate better and have a better attack

Please tell me as much I know:

Bring your pieces, mainly the strongest piece queen.
Sacrifice if u feel the intuition and it should be a concrete one.
Breakthroughs are good to expose the king.

If the king is in the center do not let it castle.

Open lines specially for the rooks and bishops.
Etc. Etc. Etc.

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🙂

Here are some short points on how to calculate better and have a better attack in chess:

   Develop your pieces quickly. This will give you more options and make it harder for your opponent to defend.
   Control the center of the board. This will give you more space to maneuver your pieces and attack.
   Use your pawns to create weaknesses in your opponent's position. This will give you more opportunities to attack.
   Look for ways to trade pieces to your advantage. This can simplify the position and make it easier to attack.
   Don't be afraid to sacrifice material for a tactical advantage. Sometimes, giving up a piece can lead to a decisive attack.
   Practice calculating variations. The more you practice, the better you will become at seeing the consequences of your moves.
   Study the games of great attacking players. This will help you learn new attacking ideas and techniques.

Remember, these are just general tips. The best way to improve your calculation and attacking skills is to play lots of chess and analyze your games afterwards.

Which Chess Book Should I Buy First from the 'Our Grandmasters Recommend'?

Hello Chessmood team,

I’m a 1950 blitz player on Lichess and 1750 on Chess.com, focused on general improvement rather than specific weaknesses, as I feel I need work in all areas. I’ve selected the following books from your recommendations and have 4 hours of study time daily, with 1-2 hours in the morning dedicated to reading. I won’t be able to purchase all the books at once and would appreciate advice on which one I should prioritize buying first.

Thank you!

Here’s the list of books:

1. Chess Fundamentals by Jose R. Capablanca

2. Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving Chernev

3. The Amateur's Mind by Jeremy Silman

4. The Power of Pawns by Jorg Hickl

5. The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev

6. The Gambit Book of Instructive Chess Puzzles by Graham Burgess

7. My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer

8. Chess Pattern Recognition by Arthur van de Oudeweetering

9. Understanding Chess Move by Move by John Nunn

10. Techniques of Positional Play by Valeri Bronznik

11. Chess Structures by Mauricio Flores Rios

12. The Chess Bible by Vishnu Warrier,

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Ps: If there’s a recommended reading order for these books, I’d really appreciate, i also don't mind reading books that might be more basic or beginner-focused as i didn't read any chess book for now.
 

🙂

Here's a recommended prioritization for your chess book purchases, considering your goals and available study time:

Top Priority (Buy First):

   Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev: This classic is excellent for your level (1750-1950) as it focuses on explaining the thought process behind each move in well-annotated games. It will improve your calculation, positional understanding, and overall chess thinking.
   The Amateur's Mind by Jeremy Silman: This book delves into the thought processes and common errors of amateur players. It will help you identify your weaknesses, improve your decision-making, and develop a more strategic approach.

Second Priority (Buy Later):

   Chess Fundamentals by Jose R. Capablanca: Written by a chess legend, this book focuses on the core principles of positional chess, which are crucial for solid play at your level.
   The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev: Another Chernev gem, this book showcases brilliant games with detailed annotations, further enhancing your understanding and pattern recognition.

Consider Later (Depending on your interests):

   The Power of Pawns by Jorg Hickl: If pawn structures and strategy particularly interest you, this book is a valuable resource.
   My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer: More inspirational than instructional, this book offers insights into Fischer's thought process and aggressive style.
   Chess Pattern Recognition by Arthur van de Oudeweetering: This book can improve your tactical vision, but focus on the above books first for a more well-rounded foundation.
   Understanding Chess Move by Move by John Nunn: Similar to Logical Chess, this provides another approach to understanding chess through move-by-move explanations. Consider getting this only if you find Logical Chess particularly helpful.
   Techniques of Positional Play by Valeri Bronznik: This advanced book delves deeper into positional concepts. It's a good reference later when you're ready for more complex positional ideas.
   Chess Structures by Mauricio Flores Rios: Similar to The Power of Pawns, this book focuses on understanding different pawn structures. Prioritize the first recommendations for now.
   The Chess Bible by Vishnu Warrier: This is a comprehensive guide but might be overwhelming for your current level. Consider it after digesting the other books.

Additional Tips:

   Focus on quality over quantity: It's better to deeply understand a few concepts than superficially skim many books.
   Supplement with tactics training: While these books focus on positional understanding and strategy, don't neglect tactical puzzles to sharpen your calculation skills.
   Analyze your games: After playing, analyze your games to identify mistakes and areas for improvement. You can use a chess engine for assistance.
   Play slow games: Playing longer time control games allows for deeper thinking and applying the concepts you learn from the books.

By following these recommendations and studying with dedication, you'll be well on your way to achieving your chess improvement goals!
 

is benko for slow games

😀

hey i just did the GM call with GM gabuzyan really appreciate.

still there's a question i didn't figure out when i call.

he recommend me playing benko gambit.when i search for this opening i found out that this may not suit slow games because there's risk in it. i already start it but i am a bit worried to play it in fide tournaments, what do you think about this question?

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This really depends on rating. Below master level it should be fine. i have played it a few times in otb games and i did fine with it (i'm 2100 fide). Above 2200 you might get some problems though if your oppenent is very well prepared, but I wouldn't worry about it below this level.

hope this helps, Samuel

Hey Happy Rabbit,

It was nice to meet you as well.

I would little disagree with Samuel.
I played Benko against GMS. Won a game in a super important national championship final with it. I do find it playable at different time controls. On the GM level maybe it can be challenging sometimes, however in lower-rated levels I think it's more than playable enough.

Of course, the choice is yours, my friend, I just shared what I think about it :-)

New article: How to get better at chess: The 3-step formula and the secret sauce

How to get better at chess? 

It’s the most important question. And if you answer it right getting a plan from experts, you’ll have the right direction during your chess journey. 

In today's article, GM Avetik shares his proven 3-step formula and the secret sauce, which you can use to speed your growth and have more fun on your journey. 

And most importantly, you can use it not only in chess but in any area of your life. 
 

Click here to read the article 👇
https://chessmood.com/blog/how-to-get-better-at-chess

Share your thoughts below.

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Heineken's ketchup? How refreshing! Think you might mean Heinz and be in need of a beer after writing it all. Good article though.

Nice article as always 🙃 Time for us to read all of the articles listed (for the first time or again) and make a strong study plan for 2023 😁

thank you 😀👍

Before chess.com banned me from playing titled players and staff members :(( I had a friend, FM Countofmontecristo and we chat a lot about chess. He is a belgian senior and I remember many things he said. Related with this article I would mention two: a) Everything is playable b) I remember all the theory I learnt at the 80s but from the actual theory I remember nothing. So as Spassky quoted I go OTB with an empty head :)

Study (Tactic Ninja) Practice (Puzzles) Fix yeah, recently I have been practicing this with the puzzle rush as well. I used to just play and not look back at the puzzles I solved incorrectly. (trying to break the records) But after spending time checking the mistakes, I improved the score. :D

Thank you so much, Avetik.

Actually, the article took me way more than 11 minutes ;-)  Something like 40 minutes,

during which I took notes and forgot everything around me.

I'll keep you updated how it works. I have (soon had, hopefully) a great tendency to eat too much

without digesting.  

Wonderful to fund ChessMood from GM Noël's email.
Happy to get a free trial due to World Chess Day.
Love the part about showing how to use the 3-step formula and the secret sauce and "eat & digest".
Let's grow up!

thx

Superb courses.

I haven't seen this wonderful course before.

nice path to become a strong player.

This is wonderful platform to learn chess perfectly.

I wish to become a GM soon by following this courses and formulas.

Thank you chessmood for this wonderful courses.

A big thanks to GM Avetik.

�👍👍👍�

The 3 step formula is absolutely great i realized just by fixing my problems I improved a lot 

Thank you Avetik

Thanks, a lot.
It's an amazing and useful article.

New member here! This is the first thread I found exciting to read! Bookmarked the article. Will read and follow the guide for sure!

Thank You GM Avetik actually it took me 2 intervals to read the article but its amazing.
Thanks for the information and really it was very good and I think u could have added some other things perhaps.

benko gambit

Hi. What do you recommend for black after d4 Nf6 c4 c5 d5  b5 cb5 a6 b6?

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Dear Eliya,

That line is in the course, however, if you didn't find it here is the link https://chessmood.com/course/benko-gambit/episode/37

Good luck :-) 

Tactics and calculations

How do you find hard tactics when playing ? It's easy to spot tactics when you're solving puzzle but i often misses basic tactic patterns that i know especially when I'm tired.

Also how do you train to learn difficult tactics ?

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When playing, you just have to pay attention to resources for both sides.
For me, it's mainly potential threats, especially when only one piece is stopping it.
The idea of difficult tactics comes closely with calculation. For this, there are quite a few great books.
For example Chess School 3, RB Ramesh book on Calculation, and Dvorestky's Spotting Opponrnts Resources.
Keep in mind these are all hard books though.

Hi!

You should probably go through the Tactic Ninja chessmood course ( especially the section 25)… It talks about how to notice tactics in the game… And if you solve puzzles on lichess then choose harder option so that you can solve harder puzzles 

you should complete Tactics ninja course after that u will able to spot tactics in live games too

Punish d4!

1. d4 e5

2. dxe5 Bc5 

3. Nf3 d6 

4. exd6 Ne7 

5. dxe7 Bxf2+ 

6. Kxf2 Qxd1
END OF WHITE QUEEN!

How about it

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Works other way around as well
1. e4 d5 

2. a3 dxe4 

3. Bc4 Nf6 

4. d3 exd3 

5. Ne2 dxe2 

6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 

7. Qxd8
END OF BLACK QUEEN

Funny story about this line:

The first time I faced it, I actually fell into it. It was an online rapid game, I was paired against somebody over 400 (!) points lower rated than me and simply thought they were hanging pieces.

Then I lost my queen XD.

Later I still managed to win the game!

Of course this line is objectively dubious (especially at my current level), but I believe that untill 1600, in blitz this would work quite well.

Even if they know the trap, you do still have some compensation for the pawn.

Also I'm curious, where did you get your statistics from?

If I watch most of the courses on Chess Mood, can I pass the 2400 rating? My current rating is 2000.

Blunder broof

Slb method 

7Q method

Scotch

French defense 

Calculman

Attack like a viking 

Defend with honor

Happy pieces

Pawn endgame 

Queen vs pawn

Rook vs pawn

Bishop vs pawn 

Knight vs pawn 

Queen endgames

Queen vs rook 

Rook endgames

Bishop endgame

Knight endgames

Bishop vs knight 

Rook vs knight 

Rook+bishop vs rook 

Rook+knight vs rook 

Replies

🙂

Watching ChessMood courses can definitely help you improve your chess skills. However, reaching 2400 is a significant achievement that requires consistent hard work and dedication. While ChessMood courses offer valuable insights and training, it's important to combine them with regular practice, analysis of your own games, and playing against stronger opponents.

Ultimately, whether you can reach 2400 depends on various factors like your natural talent, time commitment, and willingness to learn.

However, you will require chessable courses and good books and coaches to reach that level (which is IM level)

you mean fide or online rating?

Scotch Game / Advice asked

Dear chess friends,

attached you find a game, that I played in a low club league yesterday. I had strong advantage (I think) in the middle game but lost it later. I offered a draw after move 28 and the opponent agreed.

Which was a great success for me because he had a rating 450 points more than my rating.

My question to you is, where did I make serious mistakes?
Thank you for any advice or comments.

Joachim

https://lichess.org/study/D0W3sCWI

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Hi Joachim,

More experienced players than me will hopefully add their thoughts but these are mine:

* After 5…Qf6 I think the recommended moves for white are either Qe3 or Qd1 and then proceed with normal development.  The queen on f6 isn't really threatening anything immediately so there seems little advantage for us in exchanging queens.  That said, I don't think this is a huge mistake.

* I'm not sure why you offered a draw when you did.  What is your endgame play like?  It looked like you had a pawn advantage on the kingside which you could have used to get a passed pawn promoted (I say this theoretically - in practice, I often struggle to execute this plan!).

Hi Joachim,

I think there were two moments that stood out. One of them you can find if you request an analysis on lichess: you’ll see there was a moment where you could have taken a second pawn for free, and this would have made the endgame much easier to win. The second moment was what ShouldveStuckToPoker pointed out - you offered a draw when you were a pawn up in the endgame. To get a better understanding of how to play such positions from a purely chess point of view you can look at the Endgame Roadmap course (one of the best here on chessmood).

But there is also a psychological issue here. Regardless of whether the position is objectively winning, if you are not going to try to beat stronger players when you are a pawn up in the endgame, from which positions are you going to try to beat them? It can be difficult to get into the mindset of believing you can beat stronger players, but achieving such a mindset is key to improving.

🙂

Early Advantage:

-Joachim (White) seems to have built a good advantage early on. Capturing the Black queen (5. Qxd4) and securing the center with pawns (d4, e4) puts him in a strong position.

Middlegame Missteps:

11. g4: This move might be a bit premature. While it opens the long diagonal for the bishop, it weakens the kingside and allows Black to counterattack with ...h5 and ...Nh7.

21. Nf5: This move seems risky, pushing the knight far away from the center and potentially exposing it to attack.

Black's Counterplay:

Black (jogue03) capitalized well on Joachim's positional weaknesses.

11. ...h5: This challenges White's control over the center and opens the h-file for Black's rook.

21. ...c4: This pawn push creates a strong outpost for Black in the center and puts pressure on White's d3-pawn.

23. ...b5: This further weakens White's kingside and opens escape squares for Black's king.

The Ending:

-The game eventually reached a drawn endgame. While Joachim did well to salvage a draw against a higher-rated opponent, there might have been chances to press for more earlier.

Possible Improvements:

-Consider developing pieces more naturally before pushing pawns on the kingside (like g4).

-Focus on solidifying the center control before venturing knights far away.

-When Black plays ...c4, consider maneuvers like exchanging rooks on the d-file or maneuvering the knight back to defend the d3-pawn.

General Advice:

-In the Scotch Game, controlling the center and developing pieces effectively are crucial.

-Be cautious about weakening your kingside too early.

-Pay attention to your opponent's threats and plans, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

I hope this helps and try to analyse with the help of an engine but make plans by yourself and confirm it with any better player/coach and even the engine. And as CHESSMOOD Says:

“Have the RIGHT MOOD play the RIGHT MOVE!” (Maybe, it's not fully accurate but the concept is same!)

Honestly, the only mistakes I see are 8. f3 and 22. Rg1.
You allowed Black to play d5 and spent two tempi just moving your rook.
You were still winning in the endgame too, and it is a good practice to always play things out.
Do you have any specific questions?
Like about certain moves, etc.

Vertical battery/annihilation combo. Quite proud of pulling this off in a bullet game

https://www.chess.com/game/live/126774602897

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Sneaky stallion level 2 puz 5

In the mating course.

I cannot understand why the C3 pawn does not capture the knight when it moves to D4 in this puzzle. What am I missing?

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The pawn is pinned by the Black Queen. If pxN, then QxQ