Chess forum by Grandmasters

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.

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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? 

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

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

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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

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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? 

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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 ?

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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

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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 ;-)

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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!

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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

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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 !?

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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.

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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

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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 ) …

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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?

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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.

To Chessmood

Hey chessmood I found a youtube channel called ChessCube that seems to be uploading your video courses i'm assuming that this isn't associated with you 

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Thank you for informing us. We'll see what we can do.

Very much appreciated.😀

Analysis board

Can we get a chess board to input moves for opening prep?? any tips on my making my opening prep easier to study will help as well. Iv been playing a game then looking up course immediately after wards 

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Try putting all your preperation into a Lichess study. Its very easy to look up, and not very time consuming.

Is there a mistake in "Endgame Roadmap - Your compass to navigate in the Endgames"

Dear Chessmood Family, 

On my computer I tried a puzzle on one of the trainings in “Endgame Roadmap - Your compass to navigate in the Endgames”, at the end of the section 3: Win pawns. On puzzle 10 I tried all the moves I could think of, but none were correct so I tested out the position on the engine and it said White was better but the puzzle is for Black. Did I miss something or is the puzzle incorrect?

After Kf7 Rb8

Thank you for your kind input!

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It does look like the puzzle is for White and the solution is 1.Re8 Kf7 2.Rb8 and if Re7 then 3.Kd2 so the white rook goes after Black's queenside pawns while the black rook cannot penetrate.

Thank you :) 
The puzzle has been fixed :) 

Pre-empting a discovered check

Hi all,

In the game that I've linked to below my opponent has just made the move Rd8.  My fear in this scenario was that black would make the move Nb3 - giving a discovered check and enabling the knight to capture my rook on a1.

* None of the king's moves appealed to me

* I considered blocking with Nd2

* I chose Rd3 - this blocks the check and enables a rook exchange (I figured that although I was only marginally ahead in material I did still have a rook and this should give me an advantage in clearing up black's greater pawn numbers)

While reviewing my games I look to see what Stockfish recommends (unless it is one of those crazy 20-move sequences that I'm never going to spot so I ignore them!).  In this scenario it feels that the best move is Nxf2 - capturing black's bishop.  I realise that I lose a pawn this way but surely that is preferable to losing a rook!?

I'd love to hear what move you would make, and why …

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/103897852819?tab=analysis&move=59

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There is a very specific reason why Nxf2 is fine. You correctly foresaw that after …Nb3+  Ke2 …Nxa1 black has won the rook. But in this position White has the stunning Rc3 with the plan of Rc1 to capture the trapped knight! There's nothing black can do to keep the knight, so you come out ahead in material. I don't think I'd see this in a game, especially when avoiding the discovery entirely is so natural.

Good question, but the stalemate saddened me ;)

My Best SLP!!

https://lichess.org/Eu731bOT/white#97

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Lol

Nice one!

https://lichess.org/dOUKEjmb/black#50

Wow, Nice game!!

Not good, but fighting spirit in slp mode: https://lichess.org/NMJ2sV8W/white