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Chess forum by Grandmasters

Move order change

HOW DO WE KNOW IF HE PLAYS d4 Nf6 and then Nf3 which system will white play london or trompowsky we dont know if its london we have to fianchetto and in trompowsky its immediate d5 what do we have to do if he plays Nf3 followed by Bg5 instead of immediate Bg5..

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Note you don't need to post to both channels. The pro channel gets looked at by the GMs the main channel is for those who aren't pro members. Personally I think they should be topics where main is a topic for asking about free courses and memberships and the rest is pro, but that's how it is now.

We fianchetto after 2.Nf3 and there are many transpositions possible. Not just Bg5, there are many more. 3.Bg5 is the Torre opening which it is still not included in the d4 sidelines course, but it will be soon.

By the way Sreenath> one question=one post. Just post one question in the Promember channel if you are a promember, otherwise I have to delete the extra posts. 

BlackMood opening files

Hi all, In the BlackMood opening course I am not able to find the homework and pdf files . can anyone please send me the link Thank You in advance

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Hello, I think they are waiting the course to be finished (inclusion of the Dutch Attack) before adding PGNs & homework ?

Little question about a possibile study plan

My goal is to became a FM in 3/4 years. I'm 1300 Elo fide My study play is based on 6/7 hours every week. 1 day a week I'm at the club and I play my training game against my training partner (long time + after self analysis with Fritz) In the other sections (1h, more or less, for 4 day) I have some topics to cover: -tacticts (30 Min, tacticts ninja course); -middlegame (30 Min, 1 classical game in Chessmood); -endgame (30 Min, I have my endgame technique book, cover 1600-2200 Elo) -Opening part, I have already cover all Chessmood course in the opening and I have my own PNG file that I improve, every time I noticed something is missing (30 Min); In total Eight sections of training - 30 minutes - : 4x30 min (tactict), 2x30 Min (middlegame), 1x30 (endgame), 1x30 (opening). I need some advice!!! is it ok?

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Have you had your 1-1 call with a GM yet? If not, this sounds like exactly the sort of thing to discuss.

Since you didn't get much feedback I will add my 2 cents. Overall it sounds good. Is it safe to assume you also play online regularly as well? A few online blitz or rapid games each week would balance things out nicely. My only other suggestion would be to throw in a session of chess.com's Puzzle Rush every 2nd week. It's fun so good for motivation, and is also useful tactics training.

Hello Alessio,

Overall sounds doable, though I would put more attention in Middlegame mastery courses, as well bit increasing quantity of Tactics course you are doing. 
In my opinion that would be a good optimal time distribution.
One personal note: I don't recommend too much use of engine while analyzing the game, machines analysis below 2100-2200, in my opinion, can bring more damage than the value, may be only to check blunders?

Good luck!
 

Grand prix with e6,Nc6-d4,Nge7 game vs GM, questions

Hi again! Another game from the weekend OTB classical in Lithuanian chess league. Also vs GM (I'm playing on 1st board in our amateur team lol). This time got surprised in the opening and forgot that I could play with d4 after Nge7. I think this line with e6,Nc6-d4, Nge7-c6 is quite good for black. In the course it was recommended to play with g3 if I'm not mistaken kinda like closed sicilian and I got a decent position out of the opening, just went nuts later :) How you guys play against this setup? Txs!

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Btw, I believe 3.Nf3 is an interesting move cause if 3..Nc6 4.Bb5 we transpose to 2..Nc6 3.Bb5 line? The problem with 3.Nf3 afaik is 3..a6 and now white can go for open sicilian or 4.g3 line

Hi Paulius,

I believe no need to castle long as it looks dangerous, I would have played short side castle with regular ideas as white. QB6 looks bit strange to me.

Possible errors in Benko course

Towards the end of 12.Re1 video, about 10:00 https://imgur.com/a/ZgxLXmu After Re2 ...Ng4 Nd2 as in the pic, the computer points out ...Bxc3! instead of the given ...Ne5 I have started watching this course and will post all the questions and/or mistakes I find if I can't already find it in the forums.

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Yes, the Benko course is being completely revamped and we are trying to come up with some original nice lines in some variations, there are some mistakes in this first course recorded by Avetik and they have been mentioned in the forum like the Qb6 that you pointed out earlier, but if you are watching the course and you point them out in this same post it will be incredibly useful. Thank you very much? I also pasted the post that you did separately into this thread Inguh Kim.

Inguh Kim wrote in another post: 
In here (video 9): https://imgur.com/a/NSdLrDu At around 1:07 Jim is explaining about weak d6 pawn and talking about ...Qa6-c6+ and ...Nd5. But doesn't that hang c5? Is the move ...Qb6 instead?

Doubts regarding move order

Hi Avetik And Gabuzyan, This Is Jeeva here. I was going through ur Crushing D4 sidelines.. Here in this course I have a doubt regarding london system and Trompowsky system? what if White goes d4 Nf6 Nf3 g6 but here there is a twist and we anticipate london system but he plays Trompowsky setup means instead of Bf4 here he plays Bg5 how to combat that.. And one more doubt How to combat if I am black and he plays d4 I play Nf6 and then he plays c4 ur recommendations is c5 and then he plays Bg5 and Trompowsky happens wht to do in tht situation.. I anticipate to play benko but he changes the line.. Pls help me Sir.. I hope u understud my doubt and I hope u people could help me..

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The latter is just Ne4 and the problem with the Tromp Benko hybrid is Qa5+ and the hanging d pawn. Nothing to worry about. Sometimes you need to calculate rather than know stuff, but to be fair having seen the Ne4 Tromp mainline and its use in the Grunfeld it's my first reaction.

Opening

Yesterday I played as Black and my opponent play 1.g3 and I'm not sure what to play.Can someone give me the advice ? Thank you

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Coach GM Gabuzyan advice is to play: 1. g3 c5 2. Bg2 g6...my opponent could play c4 (english trasposition) or e4 (sicilian transposition). Have you already studied the chapter on English and Sicilian opening?

Maroczy with g3 game vs GM, questions

Hi guys! Had a classical OTB game over the weekend in the Lithuanian chess league using chessmood repertoire against Maroczy g3. Seems like my GM opponent had very good preparation and I need Chessmood advice how I should have played after 12.Bd2, cause I believe white gets advantage in this line. Thank you for your suggestions.

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12…Ne4 was explained in the course with  a question mark, in order for you not to play it. Not as an interesting move, After 12…Ne4? White has g4 as a strong move, you almost lose one piece because Qe5 is available but it is NOT our best option. This is explained  in the following video https://chessmood.com/course/maroczy-bind/episode/744 min 02´29

We continue with 12…h5 not allowing g4, then we will play the knight to e4 on the next move if allowed. You should take a look at the video again, refresh your ideas and instead of Qd7 play h5, as Avetik says: the strongest move in the position…?

You just mixed the line in your mind I believe, it happens to the best of us! Good luck next time!

(6... Na5 ) Why Not (8... Bxc3) for Black in The Grand Prix Attack?

In the following position after the moves 6... Na5 7. Bb3 Nxb3 8. axb3 (why doesn't black commonly play 8... Bxc3 here?) I was looking at the position and this is what I came up with, but would like to get feedback from others. My assessment: 

 

1. Even though white now is left with two sets of doubled pawns, black is going to have a hard time pushing pawns past whites pawns on b2,b3,c2,c3. 

 

2. Blacks dark squares on the kingside look weak now that black no longer has the dark square bishop (especially now that a line has been opened up for whites dark square bishop after 9. dxc3). 

 

3. Moves like e5 dxe5, fxe5 look particular troubling for black as now the f6 square is disputed (stopping black from playing Nf6 immediately). Also now the f-file is open for white rook + blacks king is still in the center.

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You just answered yourself in this question… I do believe that the point 2 and 3 are the main reasons… Let's see if someone else has different opinions, but the Dark squares bishop is too important to give it away so soon without any good reason.

against caro kann

I have some questions from Grand Master Grarigorian A subject has occupied my mind First question: Why caro kann height counter videos A way to counter this series of movements against blacks Not said? e4 c6 d4 d5 to c.d. Fd3 Cc6 c3 Dc7 Ce2 Fg4 o-o e6 De1 Cf6 f3 Fh5 Dh4 Tg8 How does white continue now?

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In the advanced section of the Caro kann course, we offer Bg5 instead of f3 because there are some nuances worth considering if you are a very high rated player. Please check them out here: https://chessmood.com/course/caro-kann-defence/episode/1050

Talentless GM

I just wanted to ask the chessmood grandmasters team that whether talent is compulsory to become a gm?and garry kasparov also said that the greatest talent is the will to work hard,is that true?

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I think that in Chessmood we all abide by Avetik's sincere opinion in the following blog post, where the talks about what is needed to become a gm, take a look at it and let us know what you think…

https://chessmood.com/blog/how-to-become-a-chess-grandmaster-is-it-easy

?

Hello, Please take a look at the reply of Chessmood Odysseus and read the article. Good luck!

I heard also that with hard work and have not an extraordinary talent, if you work very hard and in the right way, you can be a GM, that I believe was said by Lasker, he even talked about 10000 hours of effective study, but to be a super GM you need tons of talent for sure.? 

To me it's a bit of a meaningless question because, as far as I'm aware, there is no agreed upon definition of chess talent and certainly no agreed upon way to measure it. For most people, the most relevant question is what is a realistic goal for them. For people who've been stuck around a particular rating for a while, then I think a reasonable goal is to increase their rating by 100-200 points. If you achieve that goal quickly then great, make a new higher goal! For those already on a solid upwards trajectory a more ambitious goal may be warranted.

Diagonal corridor mate example 4 improvement

At 0:47 it says if Kf7 we will take the rook. Better is Qxh7+ mating next move. Also a couple of other issues I've noticed: Playing via mobile the board is now tiny unless you maximise it (and it annoying forgets for the next video). The running length of the Mating Matador course is incorrect at 5 mins.

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Thanks for your feedback David, we will check it out.?

Qa4 in the Rossolimo c3 line

I faced the interesting and tricky, but perhaps not so good Qa4 in the Rossolimo 4. c3 line and then made a mess of it. The question is how better to proceed here. Qa4 is interesting because after a6 White doesn't need move or exchange the bishop until later as there is a pin and the rook isn't so useful on b8 unless Bxc6 is played and given Bf4 might later become a thing. So in this case is a strategy with an early e5 to restrict the centre preferable and when should e5 be preferred (I know sometimes it's taste) over d6 or d5 ideas? The game went 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. c3 Bg7 5. Qa4 Nf6 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 Our move order would be 4.... Nf6 first so 5. Qa4 Bg7 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 (tr) then 7... a6 just didn't prove useful since 8. d4 follows but there is cxd4 9. cxd4 Rb8 10. Bxc6 bxc6, White is slightly better according to the engine, but I can't help but think the centre and the development of the Bc8 bishop make it easier for White. Two other options here 7... e5 and try making d4 less useful Or the interesting 7... d6 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. Qxc6 Bd7 10. Qa6 Rb8 (intending Bb5) thoughts?

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how to evaluate 1-2-3 options?

Hi GMs I have been a Pro member for more than -year. I am more stable in my play, but especially in the middle game, I run into a problem. I see and calculate different variations, but I have a very hard time to evaluate which move/variation to choose, when I look at my games using stockfish I can see that I end up chosing moves that change the situation from +0.7-+0.8 to -0,5 approx. HOW to learn "not to do it" - any thoghts? Reading? a course? greetings Erik JArlnaes, Denmark, rating 1970-1930-1980-1940-1960 etc

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Do you discover the reason your choice was bad compared to the better options, and if so, is there a pattern such as giving the opponent key squares for example?

Hello Erik, Take a look at the great article of GM Noel Studer about how to evaluate the positions. Here is the link https://chessmood.com/blog/evaluate-chess-position Good luck!

You could try a book like Excelling at Chess Calculation by Jacob Aagaard (or GM Preparation series: Calculation where the exercises are more difficult but the techniques explained are the same). The author gives simple ideas that will assist you in focusing on the most important aspects of the position & talk about 8 calculation techniques. I'm 100% sure that you will find your answer in one of his books :)

The genius investor

With Black plays one of our investors! 
Try to find his genius move ?

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1..Rxf3!! 2.Bxf3 Qh2+ 3.Kf1 Bg3! - +The key to the puzzle as now f2 is gone and now white cant take our bishop too. Nice position ?

Having read the previous posts, I was thinking of 1..Rxf3 2.Bxf3 Qh2+ 3.Kf1 b6 as an improved version of Vedant's solution, with the threat of 4...Ba6+ 5.Re2 Qxf2# or 5.Rd3 Bxd3+ 6.Qxd3 Qxf2#. But of course white gets to move after b6 and there are various options. For example 4.Rd3 Ba6 5.Bxg4 or maybe just 4.Bg2. Anyway, rather than try to solve all the various defences, it struck me that black can play 1...b6 and then the threat of Rxf3 etc is much more potent. I'm not sure that white has any good way of strengthening their king position after 1...b6. 2.Bf4 Bxf4 doesn't help white, and 2.e5 can be ignored as we just go 2...Rxf3 and follow our plan of Qh2+, Ba6+ etc.. And if they play something like Rd3 or Re2 we play Ba6 winning the exchange and we haven't sacrificed anything yet so should be a win. Probably most annoying is 2.b4 Ba6 3.b5 but I think just 3...cxb5 and they can't blockade our pawn so we can play b4 next and the threat is renewed. 1...b6 certainly is surprising, so I think it has a chance of being correct :-)

French Attack Pgn/Pdf

Hi Avetik and ChessMood family, I am a newly member and I am so happy to have found you guys. I am a beginner with one year under my belt but I improved very fast with constant studying 2hrs daily and increase my rating from 500 to 1300 on chess.com. Anyway, my question is I don't see the pgn from the blackmood opening. Specifically, the French Attack? Am I missing something? I have been transposing the variation on chessable but it is a lot of work and time. thanks again! K Btw, I am enjoying the courses very much! K Thanks Avetik and your team for all your hard work!

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Well, we normally add the pgn for homework at the end of the course, when everything is complete, we never do it part by part. 

When we will upload the last sections of the course, we will upload the pgn for homework as we did with the Whitemood openings, but the lines in the pgn are not complete, you need to complete them after watching the course. This way you can check and see what you remember… ?

How to Work Thru Happy Pieces ?

Hi There. Im approx USCF 1400 (Lichess Blitz 1650) Im currently working thru Happy Pieces and have very much been enjoying it so far. At the beginning of each video I pause the video and do my best to solve the position. So far I've been getting about 50% of the problems correct (as far as predicting the first few moves). My questions are: 1. How deeply should I be calculating? Often when I get the correct answer, I see the first few moves (and calculate as deep as I can), but often do not go as deep as the solution. (Is this ok?) 2. When I get a problem wrong how should I respond? Should I review the ones I got wrong a later time? Or is the purpose of this video series to expose myself to new patterns and ways of thinking ? I definitely find myself especially struggling to find answers that aren't forcing moves (this is probably due to my experience with studying tactics)

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Also how long should I spend thinking about the position before moving on to the solution?

At your rating I would suggest Tactic Ninja and Mating Matador first. Happy Pieces is more relevant for 1800+.

Hello Joseph,

We hear you, I asked Avetik and Gabuzyan to reply to you because you had the consultation with one of them. They will know more than anyone your case. 

But as a general rule, when working with any chess video or book, I would recommend you the following:

  1. You should spend a maximum of 10 minutes (some people say 15) to find the solution to the problem, in a real game you cannot spend so much time normally, but it is a good advice. Always if possible, write it in a paper.
  2. Try to see the whole combination, that's to say until you found a satisfactory solution, if you stop in between and you did not get the whole solution, do not worry, next time try to do it better. Step by step…
  3. When I work with problems, I mark the problems that I do not get right. Most of the times with an screenshot since I found out that it is the fastest way. Then you can check the screenshots of every course if you classify them correctly and check them after a while, see if you still miss it.
  4. The purpose of Happy Pieces is very clear, to teach you, to show you that piece development is one of the most important aspects of chess, this is basic and at the same time very difficult. It should be unconcious, but many times we start attacking without developing the pieces.
  5. By seeing the positions and patterns played you will add new possibilites to your arsenal, and hopefully you will internalize the importance of piece development.
  6. I would say that if you identify the piece worst placed and learn how to activate it effectively, it would be a huge achivement. Then the next step is to apply it in your games.

Hey Joseph! 
Interesting question. 
Odysseus answered very nice! 

I would not worry if I solve a position wrongly. You can't solve everything correctly :) If you did, you wouldn't need that course :) 
The most important thing will be to understand the solutions where you went wrong. Then you improve! 
The idea with screenshots is very good. 

Another thing I would do in your case, after finishing the course, I would go to quiz and try to solve them. 
If I fail solving 90% of them, I would rewatch the course and then solve the quiz again. 
Until I solve everything. And when I solve, I understand. 
And that's when I improve :) 
 

Grand Prix a6,e6 lines after b4 - Na4 or Ne2?

Hello CM! Since this has been asked in fb chat, I decided to create a topic for this question. So, the question is about grand prix sicilian a6-b5 lines where black usually goes b4. 2 distinct positions can arise with white having played already f4 or not 1st example 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.f4 a6 and then black goes for b5-b4 with later d5 2nd example 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6 3.g3 (we dont hurry with f4 yet) b5 and then b4 with d5 incoming. I played recently blitz game, though I won, should have went Ne2? https://www.chess.com/game/live/40242659747 Is Na4 ok in this case? How not to mix up those positions?

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Hi! 
Na4 is always interesting option. 
When black starts with 2…a6, we could also play Ne2, as we had time for 0-0. 
In the 2nd case, the hybrid variation, we couldn't do it anymore. Because after de4,de4, we should take it back with the king. 
In your game is fine, because after 7…d5 you're in time to play 8.0-0. 

 

Torre

Hello! In the video about d4 sidelines is there going to be a section about the Torre system? (d4 Nf6 Nf3 g6 Bg5)

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Hey! Of course! 
We'll play with Bg7, d6, and then h6,g5, Nh5, grabbing the dark-squared bishop. The same idea we used in London. 

Blackmood OP_exchange variation

Hi everyone, recently I began to play french because I want to have another resource against e4. I find some problem in exchange variation when my opponent use this idea: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Be2 Bg4 6. O-O Bd6 7. Nc3.. my opponent want to play Nb5 and take my good bishop! Now I have two choices: (a) leave it and play... Nge7 Nb5; or (b) Nf6 Nb5 Be7...In this variation my opponent can develop Bf4 and I don't have "pawn storm beacuse my N is in f6. should I change my plan and go to 0-0? because I didn't see a good position with 0-0-0 in this line ..7. Nc3

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