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36 forum posts
Community Blog Discussions - How to Train Chess on Bad Days: Tips From a Grandmaster#3

Sometimes you're just in a bad mood and don't want to do anything. There's no reason; it's not sleep or sickness, just a general poor feeling. On those days, I remind myself of a saying: "when you don…


SmithyQ
General Chess Discussion - Middlegame strategy books?#6

"The Complete Manual of Positional Chess" has two volumes that cover basically every topic. It's available on ForwardChess for easy reading. Stein's "Simple Chess" is excellent as well (don't confuse …


SmithyQ
Lichess Feedback - Puzzles are too often wrong#11

@Davesmith17 Can you post an example? Almost every puzzle that I think has a "dubious solution" is in fact the only solution, with near-looking alternative failing to an exact response by the opponent…


SmithyQ
General Chess Discussion - What do you recommend against the English Reversed Dragon (tactical)?#5

1.c4 e5 2.g3 h5!? is the highest scoring system in both the lichess masters and regular databases (small sample size, but not nothing, either). The 2...c6 idea mentioned in post #2 is the best scoring…


SmithyQ
General Chess Discussion - King's Indian Attack#2

I enjoyed Neil McDonald's KIA: Move by Move. Great format, great author, plan focused, and it's aimed around your rating level. If you don't mind digital, it's on both Forward Chess and available from…


SmithyQ
General Chess Discussion - Help with King's Indian Attack#5

Bassem Amin hit 2700 playing, predominantly, the KIA via a 1.e4 move order. He is the modern expert on the system, so if it's good enough for him, it's probably fine for you. I'd strongly recommend lo…


SmithyQ
General Chess Discussion - Puzzlers on the Storm#304

Would it be possible to have a button, toggle or setting that, after the round is complete, to only show the puzzles I got wrong? I currently have to scroll through all the puzzles to find the few tha…


SmithyQ
General Chess Discussion - How do I learn to go from the opening to the best attack?#4

I would strongly suggest to NOT think about specific openings at the beginner level. Rather, you should be focusing on the basic opening principles: putting your pawns in the center, developing all yo…


SmithyQ
Game analysis - Why does White lose advantage after what looks like a harmless move?#2

After 9.Bd3, the computer really wants to play 9...c5. With the Bishop on d3, White has less control over d4 (the Bishop blocks the Queen), and White needs to spend a tempi to do something. The advanc…


SmithyQ
Game analysis - A cunning opening trap that has snared many a player...#4

@Sarg0n Agreed that this Sicilian line makes little sense, but the critical position can be reached via the Advanced Caro-Kann [where Black wastes a tempo on playing c5 in two moves instead of d5]: 1.…


SmithyQ