Chess forum by Grandmasters

Miss of the day #2

OK, you may remember around a month ago that I posted a tactic that I had missed and hoped that in doing so it would help me to spot such tactics in the future.

This time it's not so much a tactic as it is failing to calculate far enough when considering candidate moves.  Again, I'm hoping this post will help me to remember this game and not repeat my error.

So, I'm playing as black and it's my move - what should I have done?

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Bxd4 Kxd4 then c5+ then it is checkmate in 17

Yep!

Another small tactic!

If you were low on time (under 1 minute) then I suggest that you do not worry too much about it.

When low on time, our brains kind of turn tactics off and go for other ‘dirty’ tricks, or one move threats.

If not, then this type of tactic is good to take note of!

(Especially if you are very low on time and can trade of the a4 pawn, that would be a draw even if you flag!)

Thanks everybody.

Armandas - I wasn't low on time, I was low on tactical ability! 😉

Calclman Exercise not clear

I don't see any line that gives white a clear advantage like all the other examples in this course. After Rxe3, fxe3 (exercise continuation) is the worst continuation possible. If white just plays Bg2 then black can give another check with the knight and the position gets very unclear. According to the course we should've stopped calculation there and look for something better, but there is nothing better. I'm not sure if this exercise fits this chapter.

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The thing is, Black just wins a pawn.

Are you going to reject that just because you aren't winning more or it isn't mate?

I would think that winning a pawn would make the move good…

daily puzzle

Hello,

2 days with the same puzzle. Yesterday i solve it at the first try but I did not get moodcoin.

Daily puzzle seems in hollyday. Fid I miss something?

Replies

Nah same here. Surely it's back tomorrow?

Same for me.

same remark for me: it s frozen  and does not update since sunday.

should we ask the mods about this?

Hey guys,

Thanks for noting. We are aware of the issue - will be solved.

Good luck to everyone Champions!

New podcast with GM Kevin Goh: Think big and believe in yourself

🎯GM at 36 

✅CFO of a biotech startup 

🏆Hosting the World Championship in Singapore

GM Kevin Goh has one of the most impressive resumes!

How does he crush his big goals, consistently?  

GM Kevin Goh on the ChessMood podcast⬇️

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMKUmf9CT7s

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-big-and-believe-in-yourself-kevin-goh-on/id1685445424?i=1000665133802

Spotify: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/12I1jIz01Lb

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Webinar practical pawn endings

Hi David,
Last week you said at the end of the webinar “practical pawn endings” that you will provide the pgn’s in the forum, it would be great, if you could do that – please also provide the pgn’s in the forum for the webinar “practical rook endgames - part 1”, just as you did for part 2 already. THANKS!

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Hey Didi,

I notified David about this post, he will check it, thanks :-)

Hi Didi!
I have just added the PGNs here:
https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-channel/rook-pawn-practical-endgames-pgns

Rook & Pawn Practical Endgames PGNs

Hi everyone!
I am attaching the PGNs from the Rook and Pawn Practical Endgames webinar.

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Bug in one of the puzzles

In the Rise of the Champions course, the new chapter 7 has a bug in the training section after 9. Win with a pin. Puzzle number 8 gives a wrong answer for the correct solution. 

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Hi Ivaylo!
Thanks for letting us know about the issue :) 

Fixed✅

Simul Game

How to review simul game I played yesterday?

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On the "events" page you can watch all the finished events again:

https://chessmood.com/event/simul-game-grandmaster-vs-pro-members-08-10

Hey Guys,

Thanks, Thomas for supporting and providing the link.
Dear Madison, I remember you had issues with starting the game - so just reminding you need to be active on the Lichess when the simul is starting.

I hope you enjoyed the event,

Good luck :-)

GM Avetik

Dear GM Avetik,

I hear you got a new Motorcycle. This can be fun and exciting! 

But please be careful! they can be very dangerous.

Congratulations on acquiring your new motorcycle! This must be an exhilarating addition, bringing a sense of adventure and freedom. Enjoy every moment and the new journeys ahead.

While I share in your excitement, I also feel compelled to express a word of caution. As thrilling as riding can be, it also comes with its risks. Your well-being is invaluable, not only to your loved ones but also to the entire ChessMood community. You are a cornerstone of ChessMood.com, and your safety is paramount to us all. Your unique approach and calming voice have inspired many, and it would be a great loss to not have you around.

Please ride safely and take all necessary precautions. We value your presence immensely and look forward to many more of your insightful videos and contributions to the chess world.

Wishing you all the best for a safe and joyous riding experience! 

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Thanks, Steven! 
Thanks a lot! 

I have this philosophy that everything starts with oneself. 

Eg: 
If parents aren't happy, their children will not. A child's happiness starts from the parents' happiness.  

Well, I'm too young to talk about things like this, I'm just sharing the way I look at life. 

And with having full freedom in my heart, you will feel the "freedom" in the courses, the joy, the fun… 

And with all this, I deeply appreciate your beautiful post, and caring for me. 
I promise, to be careful and take care of safety. 

And yeah, I'm super blessed! I'll be all right! :) 






 

how to avoid painful blunders?

how to avoid painful blunders?

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There is an entire ChessMood course on this topic!  It's an excellent course that I highly recommend so I suggest you start there: https://chessmood.com/course/blunderproof

If you're having trouble with consistent blunders, consider trying longer games as well as looking at what squares your opponent controls.

How do I deal with my emotions?

Sometimes I don't realize that I'm on tilt. How do know that I am on tilt? 😡

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These 3 articles might help (I found them all useful hehe):

5 Crucial Steps to Stop Bad Results in Chess - ChessMood

How to Multiply Good Results in Chess (chessmood.com)

The Surrender Experiment: How I Raised 100 Points in Three Months (chessmood.com)

Recognizing that you're on tilt can be crucial for improving your chess performance and overall enjoyment of the game. Tilt, a term borrowed from poker, refers to a state of emotional frustration or agitation that negatively impacts your play. By recognizing signs and taking proactive steps, you can manage tilt effectively and maintain a more positive and focused approach to your chess games.

How to Manage and Prevent Tilt

Recognize the Signs Early

Take Breaks

Practice Mindfulness

Set Realistic Goals

Review and Learn

If you're not able to take a short break between games then there's a good chance you're on tilt.

1. e3 - Van 't Kruijs Opening

Hi all,

Until around a week ago I'm pretty sure that I'd never faced this opening move from white … and now I seem to see it quite frequently!

I don't recall seeing this in BlackMood Openings (but I May be wrong!) so I'm guessing that it is played fairly infrequently and isn't considered to be very good.  Do we just respond using general opening principles or is there a recommended line?

Thanks.

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Playing against 1. e3 can be an interesting challenge because it's a more unorthodox opening move. You can play e5 but the opponent can play e4 and it looks like you are playing as white which is good if you are comfortable with it. Stockfish plays a flexible Nf6. But the easiest way is just to play principled occupying centeral space with your pawns!!

I have tried to play 1.e4 before and on accident played 1.e3 That is most likely what happened in your games. Just look at the lichess or chess com database for best win rate moves.

In my experience, 1.e3 is usually a blatant wasted tempo or introduction to the Hippo. The Hippo setup is e3,d3,g3,b3,Bg2,Bb2,Ne2,Nd2 and should be met by taking the center as normal. 

As mlg pointed out, you should be careful with what your first move as Black is. If White meets 1…e5 or 1…c5 with 2.e4, then you will be forced to play a reversed King Pawn or English. I'd play 1…e5, but only because I play 1.e4 as White, if that makes any sense. 

Overall 1.e3 is extremely passive and unimpressive, but there is no way to punish it besides normal development.

Edit: I should also add that as Black I frequently see:
1. e3 e5
2. d4 exd4
3. dxe4 d4
which is a direct transposition into the Exchange French

the 'annihilative pin': is there a correct word for this?

Is there a word for when you use a pin like an annihilation? Basically if you can't remove a defender then immobilize the defender? Just curious if a term existed.

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"Annihilative pin" captures the idea of a pin with a profound impact, using terms like "decisive pin" or "strong pin" might be clearer and more recognizable within the chess community.

Sicillian accelerated Dragon, Advance with f3

Dear Avo sir,

In sicillian Accelerated Dragon under Advance section with f3, is there any similarity with Caro Kann fantasy variation? or do we need to see those lines in the caro?

Replies

In the Sicilian Accelerated Dragon and the Caro-Kann Fantasy Variation, there are indeed some similarities in structure and ideas, though they arise from different openings and serve different strategic purposes.

Understanding the specific plans and strategies in each opening will give you a better grasp of the nuances and help you play each position more effectively.

SLP course

why we can't buy some course with moodcoins like SLP course

Replies

You need pro in order to access those courses.

Mood coins

How much chess moodcoins do you need to buy The Rise of the Champions ???

Replies

I think you have to access all courses for Rise of Champions

You have to be a pro member in order to access that course

Doubt in Jobava London

In Jobava London, :  The course recommends - 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.h4 ,h5! 6.Nf3, Bg4 (where black keeps his K in the center). and against 5. Nf3 0-0. It only mentions 6.Be2 and 6.Nb5 in that variation. But, how to deal with this move order : 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h4 (intending h5 Kside attack, since white has tried black into castling)

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Success Story: How I Gained Almost 300 Rating Points in Just One Month with Chessmood

Hello everyone,

I joined Chessmood on 6-1-2024 thanks to a referal from IMrosen's twitch stream, so shout out to him! 

Since then, I have increased my rating by almost 300 points in just over 1 month, increasing from 838 to 1105!

I started playing chess almost 12 weeks ago back in the beginning of April, so I'm super pumped I was able to reach 1105 in just over 3 months from being literally a complete beginner. 

I want to give a big thanks to the Chessmood team for their amazing courses and live streams. I never would have believed that I could improve my chess skills this quickly, but thanks to Chessmood, I did it!

I attribute these gains especially to the Tactical Ninja course and the opening courses. In fact, ever since I started using the Chessmood openings, my results have skyrocketed.

Before joining, I was using the Pirc/KID and the Stonewall Attack. Once I saw the recommended openings—1. e4, the French Defense, and the Dutch—I immediately switched. I struggled at first, but after about two weeks, I started to get the hang of the new openings.

I really believe Chessmood offers the best training available, from beginner to grandmaster. The program's value is unbelievable, with access to all the courses and especially the live streams. Watching the live streams has greatly improved my play, particularly seeing the CM openings in action.

Furthermore, I carefully studied the CM videos to learn how to punish my opponents' opening mistakes. Also, the opening principles courses was incredibly helpful in understanding the purpose of the openings and how to capitalize on opponent's errors.

In addition, what also contributed to making incredibly fast progress was the consistency in my training, attending the live streams, following the study plans closely based on my rating, and playing lots of games. After I played my games, I carefully reviewed them using the chess engine, learning from my mistakes, and applying those lessons in my next games.

My next goal is to hit 1500 rapid elo, so I will keep everyone updated on how I am doing and I hope to hit this goal in 1-2 months!

If any of you would like to play some games and network with each other, feel free to add me on chess.com @TylerFerland and Discord @tylerferland.

Replies

Hi Tyler!

Thank you very much for your kind words!

That's very nice and encouraging to read! Keep it up and may the Chessmood force be with you!

😄

update 

Training/Sparring Partner

Hi all,

I am new to the ChessMood family(adult improver) and looking for an on- line training partner for rapid games(minimum 15 + small increment) . I have a Fide ELO of around 1930 and like to take this opportunity to train for OTB tournaments to come. 

Openings can be the ChessMood recommended one's but would like to play also others.

You find me on Lichess or on Chess.com with username Cornoledo. 

Looking forward meeting you.

Cheers, Edger

Replies

Dear Edger,

Thanks for the post.

Here is ta thread on the forum, where people find sparring partners.
You can share your post there as well, here is the link https://chessmood.com/forum/main-channel/studysparring-partner-1362

Good luck!

Courses need notes and or bookmarks!

😍

It would be great if the courses included a feature for writing private notes. Sometimes, it’s helpful to jot down thoughts or highlight specific parts of a video for future reference. While you can take notes outside the course, it’s not as convenient. It would be really beneficial to have the ability to create bookmarks in the video and add notes. Does anyone else agree?

Replies

Hey Steven,

Thanks for an idea - we do get lot's of suggestions, and if some of them are being offered by many different players we may consider doing that!

I hope you are having a good time on the website, Good luck :-)