Chess forum by Grandmasters

French attack 3.e5 Bd7 4.c3 a6 5.Bd3 Bb5 6.Bc2

How to continue when white keeps his good bishop this way and next pushing back our bishop to d7 after playing a4.

Replies

Nobody is going to play 3…Bd7 unless you pay him/her.

In all the French advanced I played in my life black goes 3…c5 a 100% times. For this you play c3, to defend the attacked d4.

I think it's just the drawback of the opening and engine knows how to punish Bd7.. But i can tell you i played two games already OTB against players 2000-2100 elo and they both did not even think of this plan. :)

So i would dont be worried too much..

Hi,

One of the options I tried once was to play a5 and keep the Bishop on a6 after white plays a4.

7q Method

Dear all,

I have a question on question # 6, example 2. In this position, the following idea came to my mind, starting witht he move b5: This will fix the weakness on c7 and offer a secure outpost for Bc6 which again will control the e8 square (thus securing the e- file for the rooks).

I understand, that a4 is a more active plan but I do not see the mistake in the above outlined plan. But, obviously you can only implement one plan…So, where is the mistake in this reasoning?

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1.b5 with Bc6 looks nice, but then what? 
You can never really target the c7 pawn. 
While playing a4,a5,a6 White has a very clear plan. 

GM Avetik Book

Hello everyone, GM Avetik has said multiple times that he wrote a book, but when I searched it up, I found nothing, do you know about it? 

I'll be greatful for your help, Thanks!

Replies

https://chessmood.com/forum/main-channel/new-book-by-avetik :)

Any ChessMood members in Chicago?

I’m in Chicago on business for a couple of days and have some free time tomorrow (Monday, August 21) evening. Anyone want to meet up and play a couple of games?  Or advice on a chess club near downtown?  I’m only about 1200 USCF. 

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Doubt in the Attack with the Scotch Game course

Hi, I had a doubt in the Rare and Passive Moves section of the ‘Attack with the Scotch Game’ section. In the game 1 with Nd4 video, after Qd2, a6, h4, Bxh4, can White play g5, trapping the h4 bishop(instead of Qh2) ??

Replies

Hi, yes g5 is possible but Qh2 is far more powerful and aggressive as far as I notice. In the Qh2 variation even if the bishop gets defended with g5, you play Bg3 and then f4 no matter what opponent plays, challenging the defender of the h4 bishop and winning it on the next move, or weakening the king even more after f6 or h6, wich is basically game over(the attack is way too strong, especially on the h file wich will be opened eventually after something like Bxh4 gxh4 Qxh4) . Also if he does anything else (not g5) we can trade queens and head into a winning endgame, or even play Bg3 again, not trading queens and keeping a strong attack (after this I think the best move is g5 again but we do the same think, I might be wrong though) . So after Qh2 you win a piece and the king is also very weakened, or the attack becomes way too strong with various h file threats and very weak king and tactics everywhere. On the other hand after g5 he has the desperado Bxg5 wich slows down the attack a little bit because after Bxg5 f6 the bishop has to move and now a second rank defence is available with Rf7. It is still totally winning but I think that with Qh2 we give our opponent less chances to defend the attack and save the game in the endgame while being a bishop down, , wich is totally possible(for example R+B VS R is a draw with best play) . I can be totally wrong and the best move might be g5 because of some ridiculous engine defence after Qh2 but I think I am right. You can analyze it with an engine or ask in the pro members forum to get an answer by a grandmaster (if you are a pro member) to get more valuable answer than mine but this is my opinion on this position. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your response! I guess that Qh2 and g5 are both very strong and either of them can be played.

Middlegame Advice Pls

Hi all 

My biggest weakness is the middlegame and my biggest mistake is I drop pawns for free. Can anyone recommend a book video and etc. on how to study the middlegames  especially for Scotch, French and Dutch 

thanks 

Replies

Hi Steve,

since it's about middlegames resulting of ChessMood openings, you could

maybe watch the Model Games sections.

They might improve your feeling for the - among others- resulting middlegames.

Hi Steve,

What you mentioned is not an issue to solve in a single video and here is what I will recommend.

For the middlegames in the mentioned openings we have WhiteMood and Blackmood model games, in the simplified Chessmood openings section, where I am commenting on the middlegame ideas, and as well we have there lots of best games from the streams.

Regarding dropping a material you can check the Blunderproof course, and as well it's good to have a strong tactical vision to notice the resources on the board, so the Tactic Ninja course, will be very helpful as well.

Hi All 

Thanks for the advice. I will do It

When to go full SLP mode

Hello Chessmood family, I was wondering when to activate full SLP mode, like once I am a pawn or couple of pawns down or only to activate it when I am a piece down? I thought after I played this game https://lichess.org/ce6suduS#74 that I probably shouldn't have went all in SLP as I was only pawn down?

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the scale method

Dear Cm coaches, in the section 2 Material at point 4. test of the scale method course, there is a mistake on counting the material : one rook has been ignored in white camp (the 3rd position of the test)

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Yeah, we're already aware of the issue.
Actually, GM Gabuzyan later re-recorded the video, but we happened to upload the first option by mistake.
Anyway, we've already fixed it 🙂

How important is experience?

You hear all the time, even our dear chessmood GM's mentioning “experience.” Many people say things like, even if an older player's rating is lower now, they have lots of “experience” which makes them harder to beat. Or, “I didn't have that much experience at this point, so I did this or that” (Something around these lines was said by GM Avetik in game 2 of in Avetik's mind). IM Andy Woodward, age 13 years old, said in an interview I think something like ‘even at this high rating it is very hard to play against older players because of their experience.’ Really, how would you define this experience (is it playing stronger players, more games, does online count, etc.) and how important is it? A blog about this would be awesome, but also interested in everyone's opinion.

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When someone has “experience”, they generally have a good understanding of what plans to choose, a strong intuition that can guide them through difficult situations, and are able to evaluate positions correctly. However, at the end of the day, it really depends on who played better chess.

What is experience and the advantage  of it? - it's hard to pin down.  More time = more experience? Playing for an hour for 10 years, is the same time as 4 hours a day for 2.5 years. It's hard to compare.

Playing for fun but never learning or analysing - is that experience so useful? Played a lot Vs someone who played less but had a good coach?

Do they understand how to play good chess Vs just push the pieces about. Or if they are an encyclopedia of knowledge, can they apply it?

So many variables.

If anything I worry more about juniors who are highly coached, improving and often underrated. I do respect long time players though.

Jobava London Doubt

Hello Chessmood family, 

I was going through the Jobava London course and then I noticed something interesting for white suggested by the engine: d4,nf6,nc3,d5,bf4,g6,e3,bg7,nf3,0-0, be2, c5,dxc5, nbd7, b4, ne4, nxd5!? Please could you let me know what we do in this variation? 

Thanks

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Or maybe ne4 is inaccurate?

By the way Thunder, please could you be so kind to change your nickname and remove ChessMood from it?😅 Otherwise the users may think that you are part of the Chessmood team and it can be confusing. Thanks in advance! 😀

French Attack exchange variation

My question arises after this
1.e4 e6, 2.d4 d5, 3.exd5 exd5, 4.Nf3 Nc6, 5.Be2 Bd6, 6.O-O Ne7, 7. Nc3

The BlackMood Openings starter course discusses the aggressive setup with Bg4 and Qd7. But after 7. Nc3, I worry about Nb5 - trying to exchange the knight for our bishop on d6. Is this something to worry about (is it prudent to play 7…a6), or should we let white exchange if they want to?

Thanks! <3

Replies

I am assuming you mean 6. …Nge7 rather than 6. …Nce7 right? Anyway I checked a game data base and black scores well in this position, 57% of the time black wins. Both options score well a6 is less common but scores a little bit better than Bg4, 56% vs 57% win rate. The computer likes the move a6 best. the computer doesn't dislike losing the bishop pair but in practice against human opponents keeping the bishop pair is better. The moves to reach this position by white aren't really common though so this seems like a bit of a rabbit trail. (Unless you know someone who plays this as white).

Hello!

I play the Exchange variation against the French defense and here are my thoughts.

I think that 7.Nc3 is a dubious move in this position because after 7…a6 the knight is sitting there doing nothing: it is only guarding the e4 square but black isn't fighting for that square (black knight is not on f6), so there is nothing to guard.

Furthermore the e2 square is occupied by the bishop so there is no easy regroupment on the kingside for the c3 Knight.

Summarizing: after 7.Nc3 I think a6 is a pretty good move 😀

Accelerated Dragon Course

In the Accelerated Dragon course Advanced Section “7. Nc6 with f4 Video 9. Some complicated lines for advanced players” from minute 11:00 to the end of the video to the end GM Avetik explains how to continue from the position below.

Here he gave us gave here 27. …. Qc2 but with very complicated lines and a lot of fighting. Stockfish in Lichess said 27. …. Qxd3 with mate in 24 moves! I don't see the mate and even on Chess.com it wasn't clear. But White can't do nothing here! Engine gives 28. Nb5 or 28. Rc1 as best replies. They are totaly losing! I've won easily the two lines against the computer ion Lichess and Chess.com. 

Continuation on Lichess: https://lichess.org/rajP9fRY/black#53

Continuation on Chess.com:

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r4k1/4pp1p/2p3p1/2Q5/6P1/2NBn3/P1Pq3P/K6R b - - 3 27"]

27... Qxd3 28. Nb5 Nxc2+ 29. Kb2 Rxb5+ 30. Qxb5 cxb5 31. Rc1 Nd4 32. h4 Qe2+ 33. Ka3 Qxg4 34. Kb2 Qxh4 35. Rc8+ Kg7 36. a4 bxa4 37. Rc3 Nb5 38. Rc8 Qb4+ 39. Kc2 a3 40. Kd3 a2 41. Rc1 Qb1+ 42. Rxb1 axb1=Q+ 43. Kc4 Nd6+ 44. Kc3 Qe4 45. Kd2 Qf3 46. Kc1 Qe2 47. Kb1 Kf6 48. Ka1 Ke5 49. Kb1 Kd4 50. Ka1 Kc3 51. Kb1 Qb2# 0-1

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Hi Ilias, 

Your idea looks like an improvement and probably wins easier. However, this position is super-super deep and definitely if you are just trying to learn the openings, no need to dive in such a very deep analysis.

Thank you 🙂

Exchange variation with NC3

Hello Family,

I play french attack with black from black mood opening for beginners.

I am always blocked after

1. E4 e6
2. D4 d5
3. Exd5 exd5
4. Nc3       Now, knigth attacks d5 pawn defended by the queen. It is no more possible to play Bd3 as it will cut the queen defense. If 4. Nc3 Ne2, the bishop is closed. If Nf6, we can not play the agressive setup anymore with pawn f6.

How to continue with black after Nc3, in french opening exchange variation?

Replies

Nf6 is one of the most popular moves, although you do have the option of playing c6, protecting the d5 pawn and preparing Bd6. This also gets rid of a potential Nb5, an attempt to exchange the bishop.

Calculation

Hi i d like to work on advanced calculation like the hard puzzles made for master and even Gms . The kind of hard one that we spent 10 or even 20 minutes on it. 

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Dear Jonathan,

Is this a statement or a question ? 😀😀😀

Alapin and Sicilian Sidelines PGNs

Hi there, I'm going through the sicilian videos for black, and notice there are no pgns to download for the sicilian sidelines. Is there somewhere I can download them? Or did you intentially not put them up? I saw a post a from a few years ago saying that the courses aren't finished yet, but that is from a long time ago. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Replies

Hey there,

About that courses we may have or not some restructuring. When decided we will make the update or just will have the pgns.

Thank you

Personal Ceiling in Chess

There is an opinion that every person has a ceiling in chess, which he is not able to overcome under any circumstances. This ceiling is sort of predestined from above. Do you agree?

Replies

I've heart that once. Very interesting. 

My short answer is “No.”

Of course, I strongly believe in science, and there are probably several scientific articles/papers about

this topic. I am just wondering: They must contain lots of parameters with which every person can calculate

his or her ceiling to come to a concrete upper bound ?! If so there is a potential to desillusionate many people.

Me included. I like having illusions :-)

So on the one hand I'm interested in those papers (if you could link one here), and on the other hand I am not.

In the end- here in this question- I simply believe in me. It doesn't harm anybody if I ignore science in this very

special case.

Yes, almost certainly, but it's impossible to know exactly what that ceiling is.

If we set modest improvement goals then it doesn't really matter.  If we achieve them then great, we can set our sights on the next goal.

At some point we won't achieve our next goal, so we should remember to celebrate the victories and enjoy the challenge regardless of the outcome.

Dear Igor,

That's a question that doesn't really have a clear answer. 
Of course, not everyone can become a 2800-fide-rated player like in soccer not everyone can be Messi or Ronaldo.

But I am sure every chess player with strong motivation can improve. Just do your best and see what happens 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVHyUzX5IQw

Starts at 1:10:16, and fits well in here.