1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Bf4 a5 10. Rd1 a4

This line will not be a secret to some of you here, since it has been played by almost all top players facing the Catalan in the past few years (Nepo, Grischuk, Le in World Rapid for starters). Also, I can see that it's not super rare in the Lichess >2200 bracket.

Usually I would prefer to write about rare lines on this sub, but I was really happy to learn about this line recently and would like to share. I don't how to put it exactly, but facing the Catalan used to be frustrating.

Besides the line I mentioned in the diagram, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Qc2 b6 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. Rd1 Nbd7 11. cxd5 cxd5, there are also lines like 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 O-O 7.O-O c6 8.Qc2 Nbd7 9.Bf4 b6 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Rc1 where White forces an early cxd5 cxd5 and then forces 30 boring moves of shuffling in a symmetrical structure because they have "the bishop pair" or "control of c-file" but really it's more akin to chess terrorism. It's really nice that 9..a5 solves this (with some caveats).

Now I may return to the Bb4+ Intermezzo lines again, based on the 9..a5 and 10..a4 idea, instead of the riskier tries I have been using against the Catalan. Honestly I am super out of depth with something so theoretical like the Catalan, so take what I wrote with a pinch of salt and do your own research :D

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Additional note: While Black would indeed like to delay b7-b6 as long as possible... if Black does not manage to get in a4 before White plays b3, then Black will have to meet b2-b3 with b7-b6.

Example 1: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. b3 b6

Example 2: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Bf4 a5 10. b3 b6

The reason is that White has supported c4-pawn with b2-b3, which signals their intention of Nc3 and e2-e4 next. Thus Black has to quickly play b7-b6 and Ba6 to renew the pressure on c4.

Hello!

I watched a video today from Ramesh RB and he talked about these two kinds of positions, i am 1800 fide right now 2100 online!

And i just realised i dont know any about These kinds of positions, and i want to know more!

Firstly i am looking for good resources for free or not that expensive!

I am willing to learn from books and etc.

I think this is a really important theme that i dont know yet.

Or someone who could give me example and explain it to me would be helpful!

Or any good videos.

Thanks!

Hosting a BLITZ TOURNAMENT tomorrow at 4PM IST on @chesscom with 3+2 time control.

Jump straight into the action:

Tournament link:
https://www.chess.com/play/tournament/31177965

Make sure to join the club first if you haven't yet:
https://www.chess.com/club/the-chess-nation/join

Anyone who is over 30 years old likely has a dogmatic belief that the Albin is += at best for Black, and absolute rubbish at worst. Nowadays, however, Black has the ridiculous resource 5. a3 g6!? in the Albin main line.

Then there is this course: The Albin Countergambit - A Revolutionary Approach for Black by Basso and Jobava.

I find it tedious to play with black against english opening.

So i got the idea to try play Morra reversed, eg 1. c4 e5 and 2. .. d5.

What do you think? Anyone tried it?

In another thread that I cannot find at this time, I saw how someone recommended playing in norm tournaments in these three countries.

Anyone who has played this year in any IM or GM norm tournaments, especially the round-robins, how was your experience?

Playing around with Stockfish 19, I see that Black is doing at least as well theoretically in all Budapest Gambit variations than other mainstream openings, like the KID and Modern Benoni, and practically, the positions are not hard to play.

Then there is also this course: Budapest Gambit - The Dynamic Weapon against 1.d4

Anyone has practical experience in this specific sideline in the Scotch? What are the middlegame plans for the two sides (Preferable for black)

I am struggling a lil bit with this move from white side.

Does anyone have some interested line or sideline which is also very practical and supported by the engine?

Have you guys noticed how all the top players now adays are in great shape? I did and at the start of the year wanted to get in better shape anyway so I started doing CrossFit consistently.

My chess has never been better

I swear to god no wonder fischer and kasparov were such killers at the board. If I do a hard sweaty workout before a tournament I feel as if I am on fire while my opponents are still waking up. I'm up nearly 300 elo this year alone as a grown ass man.

I'm not alone in thinking this. GM jesse Kirai talked about doing crossfit on the chess dojo podcast and I think he won the US seniors recently. I do not know if it is 1-1 but I have noticed a sizeable difference to my game when I eat healthy, sleep well and exercise really hard. Highly recommend it!

I know that 1000 FIDE does not exist, since FIDE ratings begin nowadays at 1400, but would winning 30 points to go from 2270 FIDE to 2300 FIDE be as hard as going from about 1000 FIDE strength to 2200 FIDE?

Hi everyone! I'm an adult improver (~1900 FIDE) who is looking to make the jump to 2000+. The main thing holding me back certainly is not openings - although, admittedly, they aren't great - but my repetoire does have a serious flaw. For the last couple years I have played the Morra Gambit against the Sicilian. While fun, and fine for online rapid at the ~2100 chesscom level, I have found that I struggle with it against (prepared) 1900+ FIDE opposition in classical. Therefore, I have decided to fix that flaw and start learning the Open Sicilian for White. Which resources do you recommend? Is there a player whose games I should study? Are there any books that are must-haves? I saw the book 'Experts vs the Sicilian' online which I am considering getting. Is it any good? I enjoy playing sharp lines - although this is also something I might have to reconsider on my journey to 2000+. Would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

Our preceding post set out an overlooked appeal of real-life chess that’s worth trumpeting from every rooftop: it is the only sport that regularly lets serious hobbyists compete head-to-head against national champions and even world title contenders.

And sometimes the unthinkable occurs: the underdog topples the professional! Although statistically rare, every year amateur chessplayers rated below 2000 win or draw many rated tournament games against GMs and IMs. I know of one longtime adult 1900 player who in 1999 upset two GMs in a single local 5-round tournament and achieved a 2656 performance rating. (Although Reddit policy forbids linking real-world content, you can locate and replay those games by pasting “One Player’s Eye-Popping Upset Streak” into a search engine.)

Amateurs fare still better when challenging pros in simultaneous exhibitions. (To locate that game, search the web for, “When a Local Non-Yet-Master Pulverized Karpov In His Prime.”)

It’s thrilling to watch an underdog triumph in a physical sport. But chess fans who replay an upset game get an added benefit: seeing crucial details that the participants failed to see while locked in battle.

Bill Goichberg (1942-2026), the late tournament impresario who is the subject of an upcoming Chess Life cover story, understood upsets’ broad appeal. From his earliest years directing, he sprinkled his prolific tournament reports and Chess Life columns with upset results and their heroes, who were sometimes young children.

One of my upset-heroes (I call them “Fish That Roared”*) proved easy to contact. After reaching out to him through his social media profile, I carved a full day out of a family vacation to sit in a hotel lobby in Reykjavik for three hours interviewing Loftur Baldvinnson with help from an English-fluent friend he brought along to translate to and from Icelandic. In 2013 Loftur won a mindblowingly brilliant upset game over one of the favorites in his country’s open national championship tournament.

Let’s not forget Alan Trefler, who entered the 1975 World Open as a college undergraduate with a 2045 pre-tournament rating … and finished tied for 1^st-2^nd place with GM Pal Benko. (You can get links to replay 3 of his games from that event by searching for the phrase, “The Underdog Who Scraped The Sky.”) Chess Life’s cover story on the 50^th anniversary of his triumph was recognized by Chess Journalists of America as the best feature article and best historical article in any print publication during the 2025-26 annual contest.

* I am forever grateful to the late great Ben Bagdikian (1920 – 2016), my journalism grad school professor at Cal-Berkeley, for a bit of in-class wisdom that protected me from a pitfall that befell no less a journalist than Andy Soltis almost four decades later. In 2016-17 Soltis and Peter Zhdanov, a Russian Candidate Master best known as the business manager and spouse of GM Natalia Pogonina, each published separate upsets books that coincidentally shared the identical title, “David vs. Goliath.” From the moment I first thought of doing an upsets book I consistently shunned that shallow cliché … all thanks to a 1-page handout I recalled from Bagdikian’s Journalism 101 class that began with this advice: “Use clichés in your writing the same way you would use nuclear bombs: NEVER.”

I have been trying to make the Queen’s Gambit Declined (QGD) my main response to the Queen’s Gambit. I feel like black has so many good options everywhere except against the exchange variation where white doesn’t play an early Nf3 (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5). I may be biased because I really enjoy this position from the white side.

I am sadly not satisfied with anything here so far because either white just keeps a nagging (even if defensible) edge with accurate play or I have to start playing nonintuitive and accurate computer chess to maintain equality. I was hoping to have a relatively low-maintenance opening where ideas can dictate most of the play instead of memorization, but white can really pressure you here.

I have thoroughly investigated the Alatortsev (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7) to sidestep this line but don’t really like having to weaken the kingside so much (Ex. G6 and h5) and white still preserves the f3-e4 plan. I have both the Vigorito and Cuenca Chessable courses that deal with this line.

I have the excellent Ntirles 1.d4 d5 book where he recommends an interesting setup based around h6 and Nh5. However, I found a problem line with the engine in one of the main lines that I can’t satisfactorily avoid and black is clearly worse but maybe holdable.

I also saw a very interesting Tony Rotella youtube video, but black has to play a little non-traditional where I have to do a lot of unintuitive memorization and white can switch a lot of plans and move orders.

I can never see myself defending the Short variation (Bf5 and Qf3) as that feels like a depressing nightmare.

I guess I could just play a totally different defense if white threatens the exchange variation without Nf3. For instance I could start with Nf6, e6, and play the Nimzo-Indian or I could play a Bb4 sideline instead of Be7. However, this seems like overkill and unnecessary. My latest thought is that maybe I should just learn the Queen’s Gambit Accepted and call it a day.

Does anyone here know of a solid way to neutralize white here? I was under the impression that there was kind of a clear-cut and go-to way to do this (it is, after all, an opening with an impeccable reputation), but I can’t find it. Or maybe I have found it, but am not satisfied with the find.

Edit/Update: I am genuinely grateful for the thoughtful and detailed responses to this post. I love chess and thank you all for deepening my understanding of these fascinating positions.

Anyone who is at least 30 years old remembers how the most advertised norm tournaments in the world were the First Saturday IM and GM closed round-robin tournaments. How is playing in these tournaments nowadays?

Anyone who has played in them recently, how was your experience, such as the venue, time control, opponents, hotel, sightseeing and other stuff?

With the new Stockfish 19, Black can equalise quite easily against 3.e4 with 3...e5, 3...b5, 3...c5 and 3...Nf6. Even 3...Nc6 equalises, although a bit more effort is needed.

3.Nf3 is even easier for Black to equalise against, so that is no theoretical problem either.

Or is there a false belief that playing against 3.e4 is cumbersome and scary?

For instance, pushing myself to find a tactic or long variation in blitz/rapid time controls even the best move in position requires only common sense/typical moves.

I tend to lose motivation when my opponent wins a pawn or piece without compensation. Sometimes, I feel like my position is losing, but when I analyze it with an engine, it turns out to be equal.

Even when there are still drawing chances, I sometimes prefer to resign rather than prolong the agony of defending a worse position.

How can I improve my fighting spirit and mental resilience in chess? Any advice or tips would be appreciated!

I’m around 2300 Elo, although I haven’t been active 5 years, and I’ll be playing against strong IMs and weaker GMs in my league this season.

I’m considering the Dragon and would like to ask about the position after 9.0-0-0. Is it possible to prepare something interesting and practical instead of the usual 9...d5? In the Nxd4 lines, are there sound alternatives involving ...Be6 or other moves that could give Black better winning chances and make the position less predictable?

If the Dragon doesn’t offer enough practical options, which other Sicilian would you recommend for my situation? I’m looking for something sound but with more spice and attacking potential than the standard, heavily theoretical lines.

I'm a 2000 FIDE chess player who's been looking for a cheap coach, but it's very hard to find a balance between a good coach and an affordable price. I'm ideally looking for a coach that's around the $30 CAD range, and that's at least 2200 FIDE but I'd appreciate any recommendations at all!

I wanted to ask if CCT is all you will ever need to solve very difficult puzzles and difficult tactical situations in a game. Or is there a more comprehensive method that allows you to see more details and arrive more reliably to the correct answer? I find it difficult to believe that elite GMs are also sitting there counting CCTs in there heads like a 1500 would lol (excluding the difference in calculation speed and greater pattern recognition)

[Reposted with coordinates]

I analyzed the position and understand the solution.

Originally, I understood the point is for white to promote and then force an exchange of queens on the threat of capturing the knight, but, after black promotion, I gave a check from a3.

If you solved it, how did you decide to give a check from c5? Did you calculate the whole line or used another heuristic? Like maybe not letting the king get to d4? How did you know that for sure if giving a check from c5 eventually you will manage to fork the king and knight?

Hi I am from Germany and seeking a training buddy! My online ratings are decent but not improving much (especially blitz). My tournament rating moves way too slow (took a work break for 2 years). Lets cooperate!

I am looking for a positional player, I myself am more tactic oriented.

Let me show you one of my games against another 1900 so you know it's bad! (I was white)

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Ne2 Re8 9. Qc2 h5 10. Be3 h4 11. O-O-O Be6 12. c4 Nd7 13. g4 g5 14. h3 Nf8 15. Rhe1 Kg7 16. f4 Bxc4 17. fxg5 fxg5 18. Bxc4 Rxe3 19. Ng1 Bf4 20. Kb1 Qe7 21. Rxe3 Qxe3 22. Qb3 Qxb3 23. Bxb3 Rd8 24. Re1 Ng6 25. Nf3 Kf6 26. Kc2 Bc7 27. Rf1 Nf4 28. Kc3 Re8 29. Bd1 Kg6 30. Bc2+ Kh6 31. Bb3 f6 32. Kd2 Nxh3 33. d5 c5 34. Kd3 Nf4+ 35. Kc4 Bd6 36. Bc2 a6 37. a4 Kg7 38. b4 b6 39. bxc5 bxc5 40. Rb1 Re3 41. Rb7+ Kf8 42. Rd7 Rxf3 43. Rxd6 Ne2 44. Bd3 Nc1 45. Bf5 Ke7 46. Re6+ Kf7 47. d6 Rf1 48. d7 Rd1 49. Re8 Rd4+ 50. Kxc5 Nb3+ 51. Kc6 Na5+ 52. Kb6 Nc4+ 53. Kc5 Rxd7 54. Bxd7 Ne5 55. Kd6 Nxg4 56. Re7+ Kg6 57. Bxg4 f5 58. Re6+ Kg7 59. Bxf5

I got lucky here but next time won't be! I offer mutual training, fun in learning and I play actively so we can analyse each others games together!

I feel like I am not too far away from breaking 2000, I have performed 2050-2100 in 4/7 tournaments so far :)

Cheers / Prost!