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Chess forum by Grandmasters
Jobava Londona, early Qd2
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.h4 h5 6.Qd2?!
What if white delays Nf3 and plays first Qd2, it prepares long castle and also Nf3 (so Bg4 is not pin any more).
Do we go with: 6… c6 or c5 or 0-0 (and if white continues long castl)
Replies
Hello Ink,
In the mentioned position I would prefer to play either with c5 or first castling and then c5. In both scenarios, Black gets a good game in the center and Queenside.
Good luck 😉
Request to provide the "RACING FROM 2000 TO 2700 " STREAM LINK IN THE PRO MEMBERS FORUM
Hello I just became a pro member yesterday .can I get the live events of “RACING FROM 2000 TO 2700” PART 1 TO 12.If someone can provide me.with the links it will be really helpful.or at least tell me.where I can get the links .
Replies
You can find the links on the Events page but here they are anyway.
https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-2 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-3 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-4 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-5 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-6 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-7 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-8 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-9 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-10 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-11 https://chessmood.com/event/racing-from-2000-2700-12 Thanks Peter for providing the links. Still, Ar, please check
Chess engine
When I prepare openings the engines always shows like this is wrong that is wrong and shows equality.what can I do
Replies
Hi chessisfun,😀
Welcome to the forum, regarding this post, 2 things to point out.
1st. Please remove Chessmood from your name, otherwise it may be confusing for the rest of users since you are not from the Chessmood team.😅
2nd. Please explain yourself better in your post because as far as I can see it, it makes no sense. Yes, engines evaluate the position, this is their purpose. What do you mean by “what can you do?”.😊
Query about tactic ninja
Hello I would like to know why is there an option called lifetime access in the tactic ninja section.i mean I saw all the sections of the video are already unlocked .so what's the point of lifetime access .?or I am missing any details ?
Replies
Hi Ar, welcome to the family! 😁
Well, if you are a promember you have access to tactics ninja. I you are not, you don't. Some people may want to buy just the tactic ninja course, that is why we have this option, so anyone can buy this course and have access forever even if they are not a promember. 😊
OTB instead of Online
Hi Guys,
A new OTB season is starting very soon and I'm wondering if I can switch my online playing completely with OTB? I know I should at my level (1450 FIDE) play a lot and analyse my games, but truth to be told, I do not really like online chess. For example, I played around 40 rapid games on lichess with a new account (I made it for ChessMood), and I won a bit more than half. I reached a record rating as well, around 1950 lichess.
My problem is, that out of that 20 games I won, my opponent hung the queen in 5! No crazy tactics either. I attacked the queen, they didn't move it, I took it, resigns. The last guy was almost 2100 on lichess. That just doesn't happen in OTB games, not even at my level. So I'm not sure how well does online playing translates to OTB. Also, online people play all kind of nonsense, that also doesn't happen OTB. In my experience OTB people doesn't dare risking their rating with that.
I'm also planning to start to play a fair number of OTB slow games. But I don't know. What do you guys think? Can I replace online chess with OTB and still progress? Or is it okay if I cut back on the online chess part? What do you think?
Replies
If for OTB you refer to slow games (for example FIDE format 90 minutes + 30s per move) I think it's a great thing. You can simulate the same conditions of an official tournament, train your thinking process, refine your calculation, etc. with the benefits of analyzing the game first with your opponent and then with home analysis. You could play at the same time rapid online games mainly to test your opening knowledge and your tactical ability. If instead for OTB you refer to rapid and blitz games, I think you will not find relevant benefits for your chess in comparison to online games, the only good thing will be to spend time with your friends and other people.
Hi Balázs,
I understand and agree with some statements - like online players tend to blunder more, or do some nonsense ideas or play, while over the board everything is more conservatives.
I think though completely cutting the online games will be a mistake, as how else are you going to practice what you learned. Imagine you just finished an opening and need to practice. You will need to play lot's of games to learn the typical ideas and middlegame plans which will be much easier and comfortable to do in online games. Or you jus finished course on SLP and want to play without a piece to test your knowledge. Same thing - online much easier and faster.
To summarize - you can of course rely on OTB games and that can be your indicator of growth, but overall once you improve your chess level in both online and OTB your results will be better. And you will face online opponents doing less nonsense actions!
Good luck!
Congrats to Angelo who was captain in today event
he took all the good decisions while having so many différents advices from all the team . And together we won an incredible game with the french against GM Gabuzyan which is always very generous in his comments and have a perfect attitude in all events ! It s a privilege to have access to such a strong player .
Replies
Thank you very much Denis! I really appreciate your kind words and I also would like to thank all of you for proposing today very good ideas! I agree with you that, we are very lucky to participate in ChessMood events and play & comment together with -very strong- GM Gabu!!
How can I use moodcoins?
Hello, I am new to the site. Can please somebody tell me how can I use moodcoins? I can't find the way to buy courses with them!
Replies
Hello,
You can actually use moodcoins to purchase some specific courses. Just click on the course you want, click ‘’get a lifetime access'' (if you have the option, in some courses it's not availiable), then click “buy the course” and then choose moodcoins to buy it. You will need a lot of moodcoins as 1 dollars = 1k moodcoins but this is the way to do it.
Best chess books.....
🤔
In his last article Avetik mentions J. Hellsten's book “Modern chess Strategy” as one of the best books about strategy. It would be great if he can draw a short list of the books he really thinks best.
At least that would avoid ChessMood members attracted by false titles to buy chess books with doubtful content.
Thanks
Replies
Yes, Avetik is writing the lists, several lists in fact. Stay tuned, we are on it.
Some recommended tactics and calculation books are mentioned here: https://chessmood.com/chess-study-plans/for-above-2000
Dear Jan,
Please stay tuned as we will have our recommendations page where we will advise trustworthy sources + we might have lots of articles of best sources on different topics: like best book on tactics or attack and so on.
Thank you.
Scandinavian 3...Nf6 line
After 1. e4 d5 2. ed5 Qd5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4. d4 Bf5 5.c4 Qd8 6. Qb3! Nc6? 7.d5! Na5, GM Avetik recommended 8. Qa4+ and gave a few lines. However, doesn't 8. Qb5+ win immediately? As 8.Qb5+ c6 9.dxc6 threatens Qxf5 and cxb7+.
Replies
It is important to realize that 6…Nc6? and 7…Na5? are bad moves (as explained in the CM course), and White is clearly winning, either with the CM recommended move 8.Qa4+ or your suggested 8.Qb5+ (which indeed looks even a little stronger)
Time Pressure Blunders
Hello Chessmood Family,
I have just Finished the Blunderproof Course and noticed that they haven't mentioned about the blunders cased by time pressure. I am searching for it because my main blunders arise from time pressure and do not know how to fix it.
Can anyone give an advise as to how I can reduce these type of blunders.
Thank you!
Replies
evans gambit
where can i find a cours about the evans gambit?
Replies
Hello Anis siad,
There is no course for the Evans gambit on chessmood, because after 1.e4, chessmood recommends to play the French Attack with e6. So if you play what chessmood recommends, you will never get into a position where White can play the Evans gambit.
I hope this helps you,
Santo Bekking
KIA .v. Sicilian not French ?
I see the module on KIA .v. the French Attack. But I prefer our Sicilian lines. But there is only a module on the Closed Sicilian or 2) Be2 lines. Nothing on KIA which I get regularly. As we don't play the e6 Sicilian what is best ?
Replies
KIA vs the Sicilian tends to work best against the 2…e6 lines. But ChessMood plays 2…Nc6 so black gets to play e5 in one jump and/or develop the queen's bishop outside the pawn chain. Something like 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d3 Nf6 4.g3 d5 5.Nbd2 and black is spoilt for choice between e5 (reverse Maroczy), g6 (Grunfeld setup), or even Bg4 followed by e6.
Hi Keven,
You can build the setup we use against closed Sicilians with Nc3-g3.
Like g6-bg7-d6-e5-c5-Ne7-Nc6: Note this was not the sequence of the moves, I was trying to draw the structure.
Good luck!
New article: The 8+ Method: Key Idea to Excelling as a Writer and Course Creator
Perfectionism will paralyze you with fear and steal your joy.
Settling for mediocrity will limit your potential.
Don’t let either happen!
You can grow very fast and still have fun by striking the right balance between the two.
Learn how with GM Avetik’s “8+ Method”, shared in today’s article. You’ll also discover:
🟢 Why it’s hard to find good chess books with high-quality examples?
🟢 How we apply the "8+ Method" in ChessMood while creating our courses.
🟢 Tips for chess coaches to improve the quality of the examples in their files and so much more.
Full article⬇️
https://chessmood.com/blog/8-plus-method
Share your thoughts under this forum thread.
Replies
Absolutely, too much media today is quantity not quality. No one wants to waste their time with a dud be it a course or a TV show. And worse a bad course can make the student think it's them that is the problem.
Some of the best material here is a difficult topic presented in a simple way to get the point home. Unless it's an advanced calculation course, it's pointless if the example requires understanding why some subtle complicated reasonable sideline wasn't also a good / better idea. Better an example where that wasn't a consideration.
And perhaps the (intended?) undertone here, it takes time to put out good quality stuff which means not always adding something each week, or the latest ‘promised’ course, or some ‘promised’ advanced sideline right now. However I think there can be improvement here by keeping students in the loop as far as progress and not publishing a few chapters then weeks for the rest to appear which disrupts any flow. Any news, even bad news is better than no news. Quality takes time.
🤔
I think GM Garry Kasparovs books are the best. Is part of his legacy to future generations although many chess players, even titled, they see this material as a threat. A threat to their mediocre self-esteem. Many complain that his books are full of long variations. I tell them, you don't need to go to the end of his variations. Just read the prose and get the idea.
A very good book that is not well know at least in the amateur level is Perfect your Chess, by A.Volokitin (a +2600 Ukranian player) and his coach, Vladimir Grabinski. The examples are very well selected.
For the club player I think the best books are Nunns. Everything he does is smart and as a writer also.
BTW, IM Cyrus Lakdawala who has written more than 50 books is very happy because with the chess boom the number of his potential readers has grown exponentially and he has been able after decades to buy a new house. Is the typical case that the formula: authors name + good marketing = successful business
If I might ask, what are the best chess tactics puzzle books? I find old fashioned paper nicer than online, when you have a bit of time here and there to get in some mental exercise, especially at age 60. And, also, at my age, I am curious about your opinion of the value today of studying very old examples. I found Yakov Neishtadt's puzzle books fun and valuable, with examples mostly from 1920-1990.
Caro Kan Course?
Hey guys, I am new. Wanted to ask if there is a course about the Caro Kan, Cant find it? Is there one? Found a course for Counter attack for White against Caro Kan… hope u can help me, thanks
Replies
Hi E.H.,
there's only the course from the white side against the Caro Kann, which you already found.
As black two openings are recommended vs 1.e4: The French (for lower rated players) and the
Accelerated Dragon (for more advanced players).
Positional chess
What is the best way to improve positionally?
Replies
Hi, good morning.
I'll tell you what helped me years ago.
First, try to think about the best position of your own pieces.
Second, answer if it's possible to do that, in a reasonable way (mentally, pick them up and put them on the best squares): “Is it logical?”
Third and the last one (and the most difficult too), again mentally, rotate the board, change colours. “Where would your pieces like to be?" and “Is it easy to get that?”. If yes, try your best to avoid your opponent gaining those squares.
Practice it and you'll become stronger on that kind of games.
Trompowsky 1.d4 2.Nf3 3.Bg5
Hi Chessmood family I have a question about "Trompowsky" I face this very often 1d4 Nf6 2Nf3 g6 (we play 2..g6 to keep to our familiar Dragon/Benko pawn structure right?).
Then White plays 3.Bg5 and if Bg7 then likely 4.Nd2 which I understand is quite commonly played.
But it looks to me like we got move-ordered into a pure Trompowsky that doesn't appear to be covered in the course, and White does not play Bxf6.
Can I ask what's our strategy against this line, or did I miss something in the course explanations. Thanks.
Replies
Hi Alex,
that's the Torre, see here:
https://chessmood.com/forum/pro-channel/opening-doubt
playing against Nf3
What should i play against Nf3 ?
Replies
If you play the blackmood opening lines you can answer 1.Nf3 with 1...e6 and follow it up with 2...f5 (or you can play 1...c5 with various transpositions, e.g. into the Sicilian main CM-repertoire, if White plays 2.e4, or into the English CM-repertoire by Gabuzyan, if White plays c4)
Hello Josef, I have completed all the opening courses and my main way is 1. Nf3 c5, so if white plays 2. e4 then 2. … Nc6 and going to the accelerated dragon or rossolimo of the sicilian (depending on oppponent's next move), or if white plays 2. c4 then 2. … g6, going to the Chessmood setup against the english opening with pawns on e5 — d6 — c5, knights on c6 and e7, fianchetoed dark squared bishop and light sqared bishop on e6. If white plays 2. e3, with an intention of playing d4 in the future, I usually play 2. … d5 and then something like a reversed catalan.
Did anyone change his opening shortly before an OTB tournament
Hello Chessmood Family,
I have an OTB tournament in 15 days. Do you think I could change my opening repertoire in this short time? Because the people I will play against are going to study my games, so I must change my opening
Replies
French Attack Main Course
Hi, I have been watching the Starter for Blackmood Openings and I have loved the recommendation with the French and Dutch. I would like to go more in-depth but there are no main courses like the Whitemood openings. Do you have an eta for these main courses for the French and Dutch attack?
Replies
Hi Luna! Welcome to the family and to the forum!
It will be published this year. At the moment we still did not record it.😅
Please check this thread for more info:
https://chessmood.com/forum/threads/french-defense-main-course?reply_id=17616&page=1
french Schlechter variation problem?
french Schlechter variation. i was having a discussion with a friend and i said a3 was the best move for humans in this variation going e4 e6 d4 d5 Bd3 Nf6 e5 Nd7 c3 c5 Ne2 Nc6 a3 then he said c4. i checked with the engine and it was nearly 2.00+ advantage for white. i wasn't sure how to punish it since there were 0 games played like this on both lichess and masters data base (exepect for one). can someone maybe tell me how to play against it? it will save me some time for sure.
Replies
Hi Geeta,
In the mentioned position center is getting completely closed and White's getting nice chances for a flank attack after castling.
f4-f5 ideas or if required g4 can also be needed, but that's already more concrete. Overall with pieces and pawns White's getting a very powerful game on the Kingside, due to the pawn on e5 which gives them a space advantage.
