Chess forum by Grandmasters

Stockfish suggestions - confused again

Hi all,

Chess is a funny game, isn't it?  Last week I was blunder-free and managed a number of wins in tournament games against players rated much higher than me.  This week I'm blundering left, right, and centre and making hard work of games against people rated at a similar level to me.

I'm guessing I must have been hyper-focused last week because of the excitement of playing players much better than me.  And this week I've allowed my focus to lapse.  Oh well, all part of the learning process!

Anyway, I'd like to ask a couple of questions about Stockfish recommended moves in this game: https://www.chess.com/game/live/114777541735

1. 1. At move 10 I played g6 to block white's check.  The key element of my decision was that I didn't want to just move my king and lose castling rights.  However, Stockfish prefers Kd7.  What is the ultimate destination for the king now?  Do we try to shuffle 3 pieces out from behind the c, b, and a pawns and then move the king across (seems like a lot of work).  Use the mini fort of pawns on e6, e5, and d5?  Or something else?
2. 2. At move 14 I'm still way behind in development and move my light-squared bishop off the back-rank.  Stockfish prefers making another move with the already developed dark-squared bishop (the development isn't a mistake but isn't see as the best move).  I'm tempted just to ignore this advice but thought I'd check what others think.

And finally, to any other beginners out there, if it seems like you may have even the slightest chance of winning then keep playing even when way behind.  In the endgame I'm 16 points down in material - my opponent has 2 queens! - but I finally get to the square that I wanted and my opponent is beaten (his clock runs down but he had no way out).

Which makes me want to ask a follow-up question / question 3.:

I feel as though I should have been able to finish my opponent off earlier in the game but can't see how.  Are there any glaring opportunities that I failed to take? 

Replies

Hello!

As for your first question, G6 is a tactical mistake as it loses the D4 knight. Kd7 just tries keeps the material, additionally, the king will go to c7 (C6 and Kc7) and your extra material will win.

2nd, Bd7 is another tactical mistake! Allows Qhite Bxg6 hxg6 Qxg6 and Kf8 Bc5 or Ke7 Bg5.

As for the third question, you were actually always lost! Your attack was good practically, but it would fail against stockfish.

New course: In GM Grandelius's Mind

A new “In Grandmaster’s Mind” course is out!

Please welcome🥁 Swedish no.1. GM Nils Grandelius🤩

GM Grandelius takes you on a journey as he comments on his best games. 

You’ll not only learn the chess strategies but also uncover the psychological battle and the practical tips that have guided him against opponents of different levels.

Check out the course: 
https://chessmood.com/course/nils-grandelius-best-games

Replies

It's an amazing course

Especially the 1st game which is a perfect example of how to attack the kingside

Hi MR, Avetik

thank you for creating in GM mind. I checked your courses it was amazing.

Thank you.

🙂

ok

Great course!

One that I plan on eventually watching a 2nd time to get the maximum out of.

Hi may i help you

first game and last game

what is your first game and your last game

Replies

I do not see how this post can be useful to anyone. What do you mean by it? No one remembers his first game… 

My best tournament!

Hey guys!

I just finished my best OTB tournament to date. I played in the lowest rating group (U1520 FIDE) in the national championships. Finished 4th of 43, just a half quality point behind the podium. 40 rating points plus. Way above my expectation and goal.

I believe Chessmood deserves a lot of credit for my improvement, especially the courses Opening principles, Endgame roadmap, Tactic Ninja and Blunderproof.

In addition to playing quite well in most endgames due to the Endgame roadmap, I benefitted a lot from the “How to recover from blunders” sections in Blunderproof. Those pieces of advice helped me shift my focus when my position went from winning to equal after blunders, and helped me secure extra points.

You guys are doing an excellent job creating Chessmood! I especially admire how you are able to teach all level of players, not just the masters.

Happy to be a lifetime member :)

Replies

Forgot to mention it was 9 rounds game 90+30 with 30 additional minutes added at 40 moves

Congratulations Harald!

That's an impressive result.  Keep up the good work!

Congratulations Harald! Well done! That's the spirit! 

Happy to have you here with us!😄
 

Congratulations! Nice tournament!

Fork avoidance blunder

Hi all,

In this game, I've allowed my opponent to get a pawn onto the 6th rank (e6) and it's supported by a knight on f4: https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/daily/676145511?tab=review&move=28

Now, if I capture with f7xe6 my opponent's next move is almost certainly going to be Nxe6 forking my queen on d8 and rook on f8.  I didn't want to lose either so I decided against this move.

Instead, I decided to move one of the potential target pieces so that I avoid the fork.  I opt for Qe7.  Well, Stockfish really doesn't like this!  I get a snarky comment about losing a pawn and I go from being 1.6 up on the evaluation bar to 2.1 down.

Somebody, please enlighten me.  How should I have proceeded after White's e6 move? 😎

Thanks 

Replies

Nope, you can figure this one out own your own. Taking the pawn is fine. After the moves 

15.e6     fxe6 

16.Nxe6

how does Black avoid losing material? Both the queen and rook are attacked, so it will take more than one move to save the both of them.

Sorry to answer with a question, but I really think you can get this

Sicilian 2...d6 line

Hi,

What to do within repertoire if black plays immediate  3…a6 after our 3.f4

Thanks,

Bs

Replies

Hello. I personally prefer to play these positions with black, but I can tell you that the most annoying move after 1. e4 c5, 2. Nc3 d6 3. f4 a6 is just the simple development with either Nf3 or Be2. 3…a6 is a pretty useless move in these systems. I don't know if you know why is it necessary to play a6 in openings like the Najdorf. If you don't play it either Nb5 or Bb5 will come at some point. But here Nb5 would be useless so, just develop normally. I hope it helps. :)

You should transpose to the repertoire https://chessmood.com/course/4-anti-sicilian-with-nc3-part-4

Most of the times you will get the same position or very similar. We recommend to fianchetto the Bishop to g2 in these setups.

Check the course and may the Chessmood force be with you😄. 

How to deal with tilt?

Hi there!

I'm David from Romania and I'm rated around 1600 FIDE. After being on my peak two months ago and winning my city's championship I started falling back. Now I'm on a huge tilt. Between 26-28 July I will have a very strong classical tourney. Any suggestions what to do with my tilt?

Replies

Hi David,

Take a look at the ChessMood article here: https://chessmood.com/blog/5-crucial-steps-to-stop-bad-results-in-chess

You've already started with Step 1 by acknowledging that there is a problem.  Read the rest of the article for tips on how to resolve the problem.

Good luck!  Let us know how you get on.

How to create a Lichess Nickname for GM simul

ChessMood occasionally hosts GM simul events, and I am interested in participating. The upcoming event on Tuesday, July 9th, 2024, will be held on Lichess. My primary question is how to create a nickname with "_ChessMood" on Lichess.

Currently, Lichess does not allow users to change their usernames, except for capitalization adjustments. Due to this restriction, I am unsure how to incorporate "_ChessMood" into my username. Am I overlooking something? Is there a different section on Lichess where a nickname can be added? Creating a new account to achieve this is not an option, as Lichess prohibits users from having multiple accounts.

My main question is: How can I add "_ChessMood" to my existing Lichess account?

Additionally, though less critical, do you ever host events on Chess.com instead of Lichess?

Replies

I think there is a way better solution for this than creating additional users.

When creating a simul, the organizer (the Chessmood GM) can choose to only allow participants that are members of a certain team. In other words - when Chessmood set up the simul, set it up to allow only members of Chessmood PRO team on lichess. 

Chessmood PRO team members are checked before being let into the team, and presuming CM also remove members when their PRO membership expires this would be problem solved once and for all without the need for any additional users.

PS! GIven that anyone (CM member or not) can create a username with _Chessmood ending, the existing solution is not so bulletproof either.

Could someone knowledgeable, preferably ChessMood Staff, please assist me in understanding how to set up a nickname on Lichess? Thank you in advance for your help.

Miss of the day

Hi all,

Well, I missed a golden opportunity to finish off my opponent here (White to play).  I'm hoping that by publicly admitting to it I'll shame myself into not missing it the next time it arises (no guarantee, of course, but it might 😉 )

Replies

No problem, I didn't see Ne7+ followed by Queen h7 at first as well 😉! Guess I have to practice tactics too… 😀

I’m embarrassed to say how long i thought about it before Ne7+ made me smile (Clearance, Tactic Ninjas!).

:)

It's okay that you missed the tactic bro. The key is to keep practicing and gain more experience to become a better player. The truth about success is the chess players at the top failed more times than most players have even tried… Think about Michael Jordan. He stated he missed more game winning shots than anyone, but he also made more game winning shots than anyone. So failure is part of the game on the road to success. At least you are playing and working on getting better. Continue to learn from your mistakes and eventually you won't make those mistakes anymore. Just don't keep repeating them :) 

That one in particulary is not easy to find!

For me especially since ‘it seems’ that with Qe7 Black will be able to escape. Additionally the fact that whites position is so nice already…

Dont worry! With admitting this, you are building up your tactical intuition, so next time, it might ring and tell you that there might be a tactic! And voila!

Grand Prix against 2. ...Nc6.

Hi ChessMood Family!

I recently watched the WhiteMood course and stumbled upon the Sicilian sector. I play the Sicilian myself as Black and so I was surprised to see a critical line missing: “1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 e6!” In the course, only 5. …d6 is given. Am I wrong about this beig a critical line or did they forget to include it? 

Thanks to everyone who can help me, Marius. 

😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Replies

Hi Marius,

you are completely right!

It is a critical, rather good line for Black.

That is the exact reason, why ChessMood recommends 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5.

https://chessmood.com/course/sicilian-defence-part-2

Question for our coaches...

🤔

Hi,

Sometimes Black after 1.e4 e6 ; 2.d4 doesn't enter a french with 2…d5 but go for 2…c5 .  Andrew Soltis has many years ago written a little book entitled “Franco Benoni” with a small chapter about that variation but more oriented towards Black.

How should W continue ?

It would be great to know ChessMood coaches recommendation .

Many thanks

Replies

Hi Jean-Marie!

Sorry for the delay, we go d5 and play a very good benoni for White. Please look at this thread for reference.

https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-channel/best-response-to-2-c5-after-1e6-2453

ChessMood streams

when are the chessmood streams ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????/

Replies

https://chessmood.com/events

You have to be a PRO Member to have access to the streams though.

How to improve in chess

Hi everyone,

how can i improve in chess specifically i am getting struck in middle game and end game.

It can be useful to other players too.

Replies

You should start by seeing some of the rating booster courses like 7Q Method , Endgame Roadmap , Tactic ninja ,etc

You just have to improve your tactical vision and point of view

I recommend you to read these blogs and the study plans according to your level.
https://chessmood.com/blog/how-to-get-better-at-chess

https://chessmood.com/chess-study-plans
Also, can you be more specific on how do you get stuck at middlegames? Is it tactics? Trouble defending/attacking? Maybe calculation errors?

https://chessmood.com/course/tactic-ninja

https://chessmood.com/course/chess-attack

https://chessmood.com/course/spartan-shield

https://chessmood.com/course/calculation

Advanced versions of Defense and Attack courses are in the middlegame mastery section.

Meanwhile, this course teaches you on how to play during endgames. 
https://chessmood.com/course/chess-endgame-roadmap

If you're having problems on theoretical endgames (lucena, philidor, QvR endgames), this course will be for you.
https://chessmood.com/course/endgames-you-must-know

Advanced endgame theory are on the endgame mastery course sections.

💪💪

Hi, I will say my favorite book called Bobby Fischer teaches chess book. It is for beginners, and it has problems to draw arrow and show or tick the correct answer. when you scroll down it will show the solutions.

hope you find this book useful.   

I agree with Ben Tan, you should do the endgame roadmap and you should also scroll down to the Middlegame Mastery in which the Chessmood coaches give you training in various aspects.

accelerated dragon

What is the best continue for this sir?

Where can i saw a games with this variation?

Looking forward for any suggestion..

thank you so much..

Replies

The suggestion in the course is d5 opening the centre

How to play as white vs hippopotamus defense

Hello everyone 

While playing some rapid games to at chess club some played a weird defense as black. When I asked him about it after the game he said it is  called the hippopotamus defense. I looked it up and it was played in a world championship match by Spassky! Does anyone know how to play against this as white? Is it covered somewhere in our chessmood.com courses? Please help. 

Replies

It is covered in section 13 of Whitemood Starter course

https://chessmood.com/course/whitemood-openings

The power of the e4 opening ...

The power of the e4 opening should never be underestimated 😲:

https://www.chess.com/game/daily/676145499

I can only assume, given that this is the first round of a tournament game, that my opponent has looked at the vast gulf between my rating level and his own and has decided to give me a headstart!

Replies

The same thing happened to Bobby Fischer himself. His opponent wasn't going to arrive, so Fischer actually deviated from his typical “best by test” e4, and the game concluded 1.c4 1-0
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1335872 

Philidor doubt.

Hello chessmood family, I have question as to how to continue if your opponent plays the following line.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. g3 O-O 7. Bg2 Re8 8. O-O Bf8 9. h3 Na6

During the game I played 10.g4 as I was uncomfortable with playing my rook to e1. Though eventually I had to play 11.Re1 after Nc5 and was confused as to how I should respond to c6 d5 plan opening the center.

Thanks in advance!

Replies

Dear Pranav,

After 10.Re1 Nc5 super many moves for White lead to a pleasant advantage as white has more space in the center.

There is 11.b4, 11.g4, 11.Bf4, 11.Nb3 - just the position is better and any of these choices is good.

Question about Dutch vs a3 and Bg5

Hi all

In the Blackmood video (Dutch vs Normal Development, White plays a3), there is the following variation and idea:  

1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. a3 Nf6 4. Nf3 b6 5. Nc3 Bb7 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. e3 d6 9. Be2 Nd7 10. O-O g5,  planning …Be7 and …O-O

But I notice that after 8…d6 9. Qa4+ is very annoying.  Do you have any thoughts on this?  I have tried a few ways to shift the move order but the d6/Nd7 structure seems hard to obtain, and Qa4 is often annoying.

Engine-mining suggests that a good plan might be instead 8…g5 already (preventing an easy Be2), and if 9. Ne5 then 9…h5.  Knight may need to come to Nc6 instead if d6 cannot safely be played.  Appreciate any thoughts.

Replies

Dear Ben,

I checked the position.
Here is the thing -  we recommend this opening at the U2000 level and our main logic is practical preparation. I have never seen player U2000 be prepared in a rare line with a move like Qa4 :-) 

However, if you want to avoid that, my recommendation as well as the engine one is to play 8…g5 for Black with interesting ideas on the Kingside.

Thanks for the question and good luck!

Correspondence games

Where do you stand on correspondence games?

Stay away from them, casual, serious, … ?

In my case, I don't always have time for rapid/standard live games. Would a few moves on correspondence games be a good alternative?

It basicly is a puzzle each time altho it is more random then like tactic ninja.

Analyzing comes way later as the games take longer, I know. But as I do want to get stronger and I do play live games I just don't always have the time.

Are correspondence games really that bad?

I thought about having 10 games going and make 1 move on each every day.

Replies

Hi Gabriel,

If they work for you, and it sounds as though they would, then I say ‘Go for it!’.  At least you still get to play some chess that way.

chessbook.com ?

Hey,

has anyone tried chessbook.com?

Looks like it might be a nice way to practice ChessMood openings but I’m not really navigating the site very efficiently.

Comments? Suggestions? Advice?

Replies

First it's nice but it's not free past 100 moves i think? It also uses lichess data base to review the moves. I do think that it's decent but i prefer lichess study as a free alternative or just chessbase if you want to buy a software for opening preparation. 

Another point is that these types of software (including chessable) teach memorisation of openings rather than understanding. I would follow the advice of our teachers on this site and play your openings, learn from your mistakes and gradually build your repertoire on Lichess studies/ chessbase. It takes time, entails plentiful losses but is probably the best way to learn your opening, long term. Good luck!

Thx for the responses!

I’m definitely all in when it comes to the CM 
“understanding the moves” approach to openings, time and ”plentiful losses” for sure.

Why not, eh?