Chess forum by Grandmasters

Me saving a lost position

I was down a ton of material but I managed to get my opponent to blunder a rook and then a direct line to his king

https://lichess.org/shCdvmxY/white#43

Replies

Petroff defense

Avetik what if in the Petroff defense course in the advanced section with c6 what should white play after 14.. bf8 be3 black plays ne5 move on the 15th move

Replies

I would suggest checking with the engine and make sure you didn't miss the recommendation in the course.

what are the best improvement courses in chessmood for above 1500 fide rating

what are the best improvement courses in chessmood for above 1500 fide rating???
i wanna know as i donnot have much time to spare on chess and waste my time watvhing unnessary courses

Replies

The best advice would be to go to https://chessmood.com/chess-study-plans, where you find the recommended study plan for your playing strength. In your case with a FIDE rating over 1500 the “Chess Improvement Plan for 1,501-2,000 rated players” would make sense. Everything is clearly explained there - start with Tactic Ninja and Mating Matador, then do the Openings Principles and then you can create your opening repertoire (e.g. based on the simplified ChessMood openings / WhiteMood and BlackMood courses), before tackling middlegame and endgame.

What Didi said.

:)

I would suggest calclman because calculation is an important part to improve. Here's the link https://chessmood.com/course/calculation. Also Tactic Ninja is good to hone  your tactical ability. https://chessmood.com/course/tactic-ninja

Middlegame improvement

Hello everyone! 

I have a doubt. Currently, my middlegame is not so strong. I have problems with being creative in the middlegame because I blindly follow the opening plans even if they are not effective. My doubt is that if I play variants such as Chess 960, will it be possible to improve my middlegame? Will it be effective since there is no opening theory in Chess 960 and you are on your own since the beginning?

And if this is not the right way, can you please suggest a way to be more creative in the middlegame? 

Thanks in advance! :)

Replies

I suppose I'll leave some of my thoughts on this otherwise empty forum. I personally enjoy learning openings, so that is the best part of my gameplay. Often times I feel capable of playing the middle game because I am used to my opening repertoire and know the plans of such positions. Creativity is not exactly something I think about chess; rather, my familiarity with certain positions naturally lead to plausible strategies. Perhaps you need to review your opening prep with the intention of learning the purpose behind each move instead of just the sequences. Other suggestions include keeping up with studying tactics so you can make the most of your pieces.

As for Chess960, I don't think the variant is necessary to isolate creativity. Sure it could be a fun alternative, but ultimately you want to practice middle games that could actually result from a standard game.

Take this advice with a grain of salt. I would also appreciate seeing others' perspectives.

~ Jake

I would suggest going to the middlegame mastery section in the chessmood courses. It tells you how to calculate, attack, defend, and more. Here's the link https://chessmood.com/courses?scrollTo=#middlegame-mastery

How to buy courses with MoodCoins

Hello, how many MoodCoins do I need and how can I buy the Tactics Ninja course with them? Thanks.

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 course is $600, and each dollar is 1000 moodcoins.

Therefore, you need 600000 moodcoins to buy that course. It would take 1200 daily puzzle solves to save that up.

French Schechtler Variation 3..Nf6 variation

Following the above recommended variation after 4 e5 Nd7, 5Ne2 c5, 6c3 Nc6, 7a3 Qb6, 8 b4 cd4, 9cd Nd4, 10Be3 Bb4+, 11ab4 Qb4+, 12 Kf1 Ne5, Black gets 4 pawns for the lost Bishop. I know White has the initiative, but is it really clear plus for White as stated in the course rather than doubled edged? 

Replies

I can take eighter way on d4, being two pieces up. This is completely winning against four pawns.

I am assuming that you mean 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Bd3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. c3 c5 6. Ne2 Nc6 7. a3 Qb6 8. b4 cxd4 9. cxd4 Nxd4 10. Be3 Bxb4+ 11. axb4 Qxb4+ 12. Kf1 Nxe2 13. Bxe2 Nxe5 as your main line, but it turns out that it is an improvement to play 12.Qd2.

12.Kf1 does keep the advantage according to the engine, indeed after 12…Nxe2 followed by a capture on e5 the advantage isn't too clear.

12.Bd2 looks quite nice, but it is actually not the best move because of 12…Qb3!, and after 13.Nxd4 Qxd3 there is still an advantage but definitely not a clear one.

This is why 12.Qd2 is the best move in my opinion.  After 12…Qxd2 13.Nxd2 Nxe2 (13…Nxe5 14.Nxd4 Nxd3 15.Ke2 Nc5 16.Nb5 and wins) 14.Bxe2 Nxe5 15.Rxa7!? (The engine prefers 15.0-0, but it seems to me that an immediate capture on a7 is easier to play.) 15…Rxa7 16.Bxa7 with a big advantage.

Ok, I was hoping to get some more answers since most PRO members must have played this line several lines, but will tell you the Chessmood approach..

We analyzed this line of course, and there are many good moves. Avetik and I, we like to play 12. Nec3 followed by a very nice manouver that is very easy to remember because it is spectacular. Avetik showed me this, and is his invention. Thanks!!! 

After 12. Nec3 the only move that Black has is Nc6 and the evaluation is 2.4 for White. The rest of the moves are +6 and you should check them by yourselves.

After 12. Nec3 Nc6 13.Ra4! again Qe7 is the only move! Easy to memorize, isn't it? And then we transfer our Bishot from c1 to a3 stopping castle, we will play 0-0 and the rest should be easy. Our rook from a4 can go to g4 in some variations. Let me show you a game played by Avetik himself and please update your pgns with this line, it is very nice and when you win post it in the best games of the month!
https://lichess.org/dy5mq0uA

 Avetik online game against IM😀💪

I won a blitz arena!

I just won a blitz arena over at Lichess. 

Interesting how Avetik talks about ‘legal cheating’ ie imagining you are someone else when playing and taking on their characteristics.

I was nervous and shaking and really not calculating well. So I decided to try something…you know how stoic and unshakeable Nodirbek Abdusattorov is?

Well I imagined turning off my brain and just letting Nodirbek Abdusattorov commandeer my body and play blitz for me. He wouldn't get nervous; he's cold as steel when playing rapid or blitz. Better to leave it to him. I counted down in my head 3…2…1…over to you now Nodirbek. Do your thing.

And I won.

https://lichess.org/tournament/YEKwKLQX

Replies

Many congratulations on your victory 😎

You obviously have a very good imagination!  Had you practiced this approach previously or was this the first time?

Wow! That's something I should try out. Congrats on your win!

Stream Recordings

Hello everyone at ChessMood,

I am a pro member, and ChessMood will not allow me to watch the recordings of previous streams. For some of them, it will work, but for the majority of them, it will not. For example, if I click on the most recent completed event, it will just say that the video is unavailable. Or if I click on a past event from a few years back, it will also say that the video is unavailable. Am I missing something, or is there a way to make this work?

Thanks in advance

Replies

Try logging out and back in again.

Thanks HL, I sent this to the technical department to check it out. 

😅

Hello H. L.
I checked, it can be browser cache issue.
Can you please clear the cache and check again? or try with another browser

And even if it won't work you can click “Click here to see the chat” on the events page and it will take you to the Youtube.

Let me know if it does not work 😉
 

Correspondence games and training - can it work

wanna know yall opinions on correspondence games on training. do they make  effects? or are they just for fun? 

Replies

Hi Cate,

I have a number of on-going 7-day games against players rated much higher than me.  This is excellent for me as it lets me learn first-hand how better players approach the game, and see what tactics they use, and I'm very grateful to those players for taking part in these games (I suspect the games are ‘just for fun’ for them but as long as both parties are happy then I think that is fine).

Would you like a game sometime?  I'm ShouldveStuckToPoker on Chess.com.

If you take them seriously, yes! Paul Keres used to play correspondence games in his youth, and he said it helped him with tactical situations. It all depends on what you put into it.

It depends on how you play. If you're doing it to fool around and have fun, it's not helpful. But if you're trying to think up of plans and try to improve tactically, it's great.

Query related to chessbase download

yestarday i was reading an article of how to create your own pgn files writen by GM Avetik.I liked it very much but then checked and found out that chessbase is a paid software.Is there a free download version it or we have to pay a price for using it?If there is a free version available please put it here in this discussion .Otherwise how will i create my pgn files without the help of chessbase ?

Replies

You can create pgn files on Lichess which is completely free in all functions.

Please google for details. 

In lichess go to learn → studies → create study.

No chessbase software is not free. But if pgn is not working on lichess then you can try downloading chessbase reader which is not same as chessbase but it will allow you to view the pgn in chessbase format. It is also completely free.

New course: In GM Cuenca's Mind

Champions, the famous chess commentator, GM Jose Fernando Cuenca Jimenez, also known as GM Pepe Cuenca, commentates on his best games!

Here, you won’t see him commentate on the games of other players.

Instead, the course ingredients are GM Pepe Cuenca’s best games, handpicked by himself! As he shows them, you’ll discover his thought process and decision-making behind the moves.

Each game packs an important lesson, such as converting a better position into a win, continuing an attack after you’ve sacrificed a piece, and more.

Mix it with GM Cuenca’s signature “Boom Ratata” and his energetic commentary style, loved by chess players worldwide, and you have the perfect cocktail of learning and entertainment!

Course👇
https://chessmood.com/course/pepe-cuenca-best-games

Replies

The Golden Method

Hey Champions!
When you play online chess how many games do you play during one session?

On Tuesday will share you in our ChessMood Blog my Golden Method, but before that, I would love to hear your thoughts. 
 

Replies

Hi all! Good morning! In my recent online games since joining Chessmood 3 weeks I played an average of 14 games (3min+2sec) whenever I can. In the last 3 weeks I had 6 sessions and my rating went up 80 points at the moment in lichess. Before I used to stop after winning 2 or 3 games. Now I try to play longer when real life allows me.

I used to play very long sessions of 20 games or more almost everyday. After joining ChessMood, I found that I wasnt focused and lost concentration after about 10 games, and would lose my mood, and then loss my rating LOL. I now only play 2-3 games at a time, 3-4 times a day, so I can make sure I can concentrate more consistently.

Due to time issues I play only one or two games of 15/10 on chess.com. My motto is to play good moves instead of playing a lot games. I play daily one or two games. After every game I check following things.

1. Blunders

2. Tactics which I completely missed.

3. Candidates which I considered but I was failed to see the whole line.

4. Opening move orders and ideas. Now a days due to lack of time I mix up plans in openings but soon I hope to find more time then this problem will be solved I know.

5. I also try to focus and control excitement level when  I realise that position is winning for me or i have an advantage.

6. Now a days bec of chessmood I am trying to play with right mood even if I get minus positions and I saved many with rightmood concept.

My conclusion of recent games shows bad tactical skills and positional skills are superb and improving day by day. So, I think with classics in future I will consider tactical training and combinative training. 

I usually play 2 games. I take my games very seriously and make sure that I am in the best conditions to play my best games. I need to try and extended my duration of focus so that I can play more games of good quality

hello

Lichess rating of game 1704

Cappelle la Grande intl tournament

Hello chess friends ! any ChessMood student participating to the Cappelle la Grande international tournament in France 2nd to 9th march (500+ players) ? opportunity to have a drink ;-)

Replies

Here is a summary of this tournament : 520 players from 24 different nationalities were competing. 65 titled players with 18 IGMs and 25 IMs. My result was average but “ Focus on growth not on Result” !  This was the opportunity to practice 2 Caro, 4 Dutch, 1 Alapin with black and 2 sic GP, huge experience ! No CM students unfortunately but perhaps next time ;-)  

2.a3 in the Sicilian

Hi,

let me just shift a question from general to pro:

This variation is recommended by GothamChess.

I find it quite annoying for Black. Any thoughts? I just put the variation that makes the most sense for me as Black. But maybe there is something better. Any help is highly appreciated, thank you!

Replies

Maybe simply the normal d6, Nf6 setup like in part 1 of the Grand Prix. 

White spent a tempo with the quite useless (not pointless!) move a3. A tempo is a tempo.

I tried this setup yesterday in the club and was happier than with the one above.

Then the normal stuff: …Nd4 at some point, Rb8, b5, and so on. 

What do you think?

Alekhine 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8

What is your recommendation against the Brooklyn variation of the Alekhine's defence? There are some model games that we can check?

Thanks in advance

Replies

Hey there,

Ng8 made me smile - too passive and wrong to be an issue 🙂

There are several options, I would suggest playing with 3.d4 and if 3…d6 both 4.Nf3 and 4.f4 are reasonable - taking strong control over the center.

Attacking the Petroff Defense

I am currently viewing this course and enjoying it so far and would like to offer the suggestion of renaming it Attacking the Petroff Defense, instead of simply the Petroff Defense which is a bit dull. Also please cover the following line relevant to the course which has been neglected in the DVD's and Books i've seen and read on the topic: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Nc6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Qd2 Be6 9.0-0-0 Bxa2?! or !?

Replies

Hey Kevin! 
The plan with 0-0-0 will be covered in the course, as I said in the introduction part. 
I am going to offer you a not traditional way to play against this plan. 
Stay tuned. 

Kevin as Avetik told did you not watch the video of the course after Be7 there was Bd3 Be6 and Queen to e2

Unable to find Black Opening (King's Indian Attack)

Recently, I was preparing for the Black Opening, and in Sicilian sidelines lessons, I was unable to find a chapter for a repertoire against King's Indian Attack.

I went through Section 2 of the closed system lessons (Sicilian Sidelines). But in KIA setups, White develops his b1 N via Nbd2-f1-h2, which is the main idea of KIA. This is not discussed in the course.

Why can't white walk into KIA with the move order : 1.e4, c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5. Nbd2 followed by 6.0-0 7.Rfe1 8.Qe2 9.Nf1 with the typical ideas of KIA Kside Attack with h4 and Nf1-h2 stuffs.

Please let me know where I can find it or if the lessons are being prepared.

Replies

Hi Aswin! 😀
This transposes to our usual English structures and Rfe1 Qe2 makes no sense against our setup. 

1.e4, c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 (which you forgot to mention) d6 6.0-0 e5. Then we will play Nge7 first and then remember, f5 can be supported by h6, g5.

I suggest that you check out the English course and learn the main ideas since are totally related.💪

Thanks for the puzzles

Just a quick post to say thanks Avetik for the extra puzzles added to Tactic Ninja. I'm going to retake the course some time this year and do all the puzzles with a 3D board and pieces

Replies

Thank you Voran!

Much appreciated! 

You can start right away to retake the course, no need to wait!😁

Books

I want to share my chess-library with others … Is there any virtual space on your site where we can upload our pdf-s ( so the others can downloaded ) ?

If there is a need for such “action” ( and, if it is legal, of course ) …

Replies

I'd expect for most titles it's not legal due to copyright.

Dear Dulijano,

Although we appreciate your good intentions, Chessmood is not a site to share chess materials that you did not create. 

We only publish the content that we create and we are responsible for.

Thanks for your understanding.😀 

Grandmaster

What is the shortest possible time that someone had became a Grandmaster?

Replies

Hello, 

According to my research, Abhimanyu Mishra is the youngest Grandmaster, becoming one at 12 years and 4 months old. He started learning Chess at 5.