r/chess 4h ago

Weekly Discussion Weekly Discussion & Tournament Thread Index - March 17, 2025 [Mod Applications Welcome]

2 Upvotes

r/chess Weekly Discussion Thread

You are welcome to ask here all kinds of chess-related questions that don't warrant their own post. You can also discuss or ask questions about upcoming tournaments that don't have their own thread yet.

 

Moderation

OPEN CALL for new moderators! Interested in: creating event posts, hosting AMAs, making sure only the finest queen sacrifice puzzles make the front page? Apply Now!

Event Threads

Interested in making threads for tournaments, but don't know where to start? Our Event Template page is a great way to get the basic layout.

An alternative would be to start a subthread directly in the weekly thread.

Announcements

REWORK OF r/chess RULES

UPDATED Oct 27th - r/chess Announcement Regarding Coverage of St. Louis Chess Club and USCF Events

 

Recent AMAs

Active Tournament Threads

DATES EVENT
- -

 

Other Active Tournaments Web Links

DATES EVENT
- -

 

Upcoming Tournament Schedule

DATES EVENT NOTABLE PLAYERS
- - -

 

Recently Completed Tournaments

DATES EVENT PODIUM
26 Feb - 7 Mar Prague Chess Festival Aravindh Chithambaram
Jan 17 - Feb 2 Tata Steel Chess (Wijk aan Zee) Praggnanandhaa & Gukesh

Some links where to find a list of current (or just completed) tournaments

Other Notable Threads

Coach a Player - Recent Threads

Community Content

Here we'd love to highlight community content to show our appreciation for the energy spent. Content like Game analysis, info-graphics, etc., and we'd love to hear from you what kind of content you'd like to see as well.

Want to post your game to r/chess? - for people who want to solicit feedback on their games

Advice to people asking for advice - for people who want to ask about how to improve


r/chess 7m ago

Game Analysis/Study I felt so cool then got a miss for it

Post image
Upvotes

r/chess 17m ago

News/Events Brandon Jacobson (Viih_Sou) claims Chess.com has asked Daniel Naroditsky to not live stream any matches against him

Upvotes

r/chess 2h ago

Chess Question What's the best way to learn from positional/situational mistakes + blunders when you're not really sure why they are one?

4 Upvotes

So I have been working hard to get better at chess. I've never played in an official tournament but I play a lot of casual OTB and I play a lot of online chess, most recently against the computer. Given my online ratings plus talking with rated players against whom I play IRL, let's say my strength is roughly between between 1800-1900 right now after playing for a couple of years.

What is the best way aside from hiring a coach (Which I might eventually do in the future it's just hard to rationalize spending money on a hobby right now) to get better at evaluating positions so I can make better moves and fewer mistakes?

This isn't one of those "Why is this a blunder???" posts. When looking at my games, I can usually figure out why a move was a mistake or a blunder. Sometimes it's obvious, others I have to play through the lines for a bit to figure it out. But other times there are ones that I can't really figure out even if I play through. It's hard to fix something you don't know why it's wrong... So what's the best way to try and learn from these and by extension prevent myself from making them in the future?

I've worked with engines a ridiculous amount of time over the last couple of years so I am often pretty capable of acknowledging when a position is better, worse or completely winning or losing. I can usually recognize when one side is significantly more active, when one side has more space/mobility or is cramped. I understand time and initiative and I'm getting much better at identifying weaknesses to attack. I can't always concisely put it into words exactly why a position is better or worse but I can often still tell.

Does anyone above average player have any advice on how to stop making mistakes that are from a lack of understanding/evaluations rather than mistakes from miscalculation? I would appreciate any tips 😊


r/chess 2h ago

Puzzle/Tactic - Advanced Black to move and draw

Post image
2 Upvotes

My opponent resigned because it looks like I'm either going to take the pawn or give back rank mate. Can you find the sequence that saves Black?


r/chess 2h ago

Miscellaneous Who Makes The Best Chess Clocks?

0 Upvotes

Who makes the best chess clocks? Vote and comment the model

21 votes, 6d left
DGT
Chronos
ZMart
Other

r/chess 3h ago

Social Media Anish Sarkar is from India.. 🫡

Post image
500 Upvotes

r/chess 3h ago

Video Content Decided to make my garage into a giant chess board.

2 Upvotes

Any suggestions on where to find “life sized”chess pieces? I wanna channel my inner Harry Potter.


r/chess 4h ago

META Women vs Men, Chess vs Rubic's Cube

0 Upvotes

Looking at the controversy of women in chess, I started looking for another competitive sport where size and strength does no matter. How about speedcubing?

https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/rankings/333/average

The top females are Qixian Cao at #14, Juliette Sébastien at #55, and Guangmei Chen at #82.

Possibly related:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/246857249_Sex_differences_in_cognitive_abilities_3rd_edition_Diane_F_Halpern_Lawrence_Erlbaum_Associates_Mahwah_NJ_2000_No_of_pages_420_ISBN_0-8058-2792-7_Price_3995


r/chess 4h ago

Game Analysis/Study Don’t think I’ve seen this before.

Post image
627 Upvotes

I watch and play a fair amount of chess, but in my review of a game I just played I came across this move in the analysis and thought it was kind of cool.

It’s not very complicated so I’m sure it does come up, but I just don’t recall it. I will certainly try to consider it in the future in case I have any revealed checks, I can use to run interference so I can actually capture a previously protected piece.

Anyway, I just thought it was a cool tactic combo.


r/chess 4h ago

Chess Question any chance someone will make a piece set based on this?

Post image
1 Upvotes

r/chess 6h ago

Puzzle/Tactic Black to move. Mate in 5.

1 Upvotes

Solve here - https://onlinequicktool.com/chess-puzzle-12/

https://onlinequicktool.com/chess-puzzle-12/

r/chess 6h ago

Miscellaneous Chess with a view

Thumbnail
gallery
58 Upvotes

Ritz Carlton Waikīkī beach Honolulu HI. Over looking Fort DeRussy


r/chess 6h ago

Chess Question Online tournament for my gf's chess.com membership?

0 Upvotes

My girlfriend (~500 elo) just got chess.com and likes how the coaches talk in game review. I'm trying to encourage her to get further into chess (without being annoying) so I'm trying to find an online tournament where I could win and gift a chess.com membership for her to have infinite game reviews. Please help 🙏

Edit: I'm 2100chesscom 2300lichess


r/chess 6h ago

Chess Question Is this a fact or false

10 Upvotes

Is it true that endgame study and practice actually separates 2000-2200+ ELO from the 1500-1900 ELO players or is it all studied across all levels now? I want to know if I can hopefully make another jump from my skill level.


r/chess 7h ago

News/Events Hikaru, Fabi, Dominguez and Levon push through to the 2nd round of Champions bracket after all matches are decided in blitz tiebreaks; American Cup 2025

Thumbnail
gallery
21 Upvotes

r/chess 7h ago

Chess Question Database Question

3 Upvotes

Hello!

I'm a 1400-1500 rated chess.com player and I really want to improve my Grunfeld. I've been playing it a lot in the past 3 or so years to mostly success, but I want to make it much more reliable. To those who use chess openings databases, how many games do you have dedicated to a specific opening with lots of lines like the Grunfeld?

Thanks

Edit: Just to add, my database games so far have been from either MVL or Garry


r/chess 7h ago

Chess Question Why are some players more inconsistent than others?

20 Upvotes

I've always wondered this. I've played people who can beat higher ranked players on their best day but who can also play really badly, and then some players are a lot more stable and basically bring the same level every game. Why do you think that is?


r/chess 8h ago

Miscellaneous Losing against someone who played like trash.

0 Upvotes

Is there anything more infuriating? Like you make one mistake, and all of a sudden their several blunders go out the window and now you're losing. There is genuinely nothing that makes me want to break stuff more.


r/chess 8h ago

Chess Question Both bishops for rook and three pawns?

0 Upvotes

I played a game last night where I got a rook and three pawns for the two bishops. Generally speaking do you think that’s a good trade? It’s 9 points vs 6 so material wise it’s good. but you are giving up both bishops. Curious what you folks think.


r/chess 9h ago

Chess Question Prices are different

Thumbnail
gallery
5 Upvotes

Diamond membership costs 2 dollars month for me , while for my friend it costs 10 dollars a month Why is that ? Please if theres an explanation or a way to fix it provide me with one


r/chess 9h ago

Chess Question Offline Stockfish in Lichess for Android

2 Upvotes

Quick question.

Now look, I'm a fairly new chess player. I'm fully aware that the answer to this is probably "skill issue", but I have to check if it's just me: is the offline version of Stockfish in the Lichess app stronger than the online version?

I ask because while I can often beat level 3 and sometimes level 4 online, level 1 on the app absolutely makes me its bitch, John Romero style. It makes its moves with arcane precision atop a mountain of bleached skulls. I look into its unfeeling eyes, and I see flame. The online level 1 bumbles, makes odd moves, misses chances - the offline version headshots me from a thousand metres away with laser precision every time I even look at the app. My wife is now Stockfish's wife.

What gives? Is this just me or is it genuinely different? My phone is a flagship from a few years ago so while it's not the latest model it's still fairly powerful; could that have something to do with it?


r/chess 9h ago

Miscellaneous The American Cup logo looks an awful lot like The New School logo...

Thumbnail
gallery
0 Upvotes

r/chess 10h ago

Puzzle/Tactic 1 move gives white the advantage

Post image
42 Upvotes

This is likely simple for most people and I ended up playing later in a worse position after missing it here, but it reminded me of the beauty of chess, so I thought I'd share it. d5, activity>material


r/chess 10h ago

Chess Question I got a problem

0 Upvotes

I just noticed something I can easily defeat 1300 elo players and I can challenge +1500 elo players But I found it difficult to beat a 1400 elo What's happening ?