Yes, I meant Todd - sorry, I was going from memory as I had reviewed the game a few days ago and I also remember that in the study there was multiple games, but I didn't look at them. I will have to go back to it and review more. I had nothing to add to the game that you linked as the annotations where quite well done.

It's too bad to hear about losing YKW as a coach. I was hoping to contact him in the coming months once I fixed some of my finances (last year was extremely challenging). I've never had a coach.

I take Yusupov very seriously as well and spend a long time on the problems sometimes. I spend a lot of time on the opposition chapter for instance. On the pin chapter I should have gotten 20/21 but the last problem I tried solving just before bed and missed the idea. I'm pretty sure if I had tried it when I wasn't basically asleep I would have seen the idea and definitely would have spent more time on it.

Well, I can definitely recommend YKW if he ever starts coaching again. But he has quite a bit on his plate as it is so it wasn't a big surprise for me or anything.

Yeah, so that's very close to how I did on both of those chapters. And I allegedly could have skipped the orange books as I'm rated over 1800. So yes they are challenging but they are also very doable!

Played a long game (140+90) last Thursday as Black vs. an opponent rated 1973. He played the Smith Morra and I won with a big kingside attack. Certainly not the way I would have predicted I'd potentially win.

I looked him up after the game and it seems he broke 2100 last year (and spent most of the year 2000+ over many games, not due to one flukey tournament win). I'd kind of like to see some of those games b/c it seems like a huge rating drop and I also didn't feel he played very well against me. And he's not at all old or anything, he's quite a bit younger than me. My Dad thought maybe college or after but it seems he is 17 (listed in top 100 17-year-olds in US). Seems even weirder he's had such a rating setback.

Anyway, here is the game. I really would love any feedback or thoughts!

https://lichess.org/study/HFaxORXk/S4oz4oaz

Very nice game man! Already waiting for the next Thursday, to see your result.

And thank you for the nice words

I do believe I will return to coaching at some point, because I love it, but as Yugo said, currently is not a great time

Up next is likely a 2250 NM. I'm not even sure I've played anyone rated that high before. I get the White pieces so we'll see what happens!

I have played the Smith Morra 392 times on Chess.com and you almost never play an early h3 due to the critical waste of time this entails.

Maybe he started playing it once he got to 2100 and that's how he's regressed so much? Honestly, idk, although it does seem like h3 gets played alot at assume point. How common is my setup? Perhaps he doesn't see it much and want sure what to play? Although there are several other automatic moves that are more active.

Can't comment on opening theory too much, but intuitively I don't like your move order.

The b4 and g4 stuff just wasn't that great by him. With a pawn down he tried too hard instead of playing more positional.

There's higher variance in ratings than people like to admit.

Where is the trip report

Cliffs: I lost vs. a 1924 player as Black. Didn't get to play the 2250, .

opening - didn't stick to what I should know is my repertoire move, got into a bad position
middlegame - got into a decent position, was a bit too ambitious in my thinking and it got bad again
endgame - blundered, he blundered back, he went into the only winning line for me but I blitzed everything out thinking I had seen a winning line. The line was not winning, however, I did see the winning move but unfortunately it was just after I had blitzed out a move from the non-winning line.

Fun game, hard to turn my brain off - it keeps thinking over and over about the move I did actually see but a move too late and didn't play. I showed it to my opponent right after the game and was like "I lose there, why didn't you play it?" I was like "I don't know, I think I was playing too quickly for no good reason, "

Annotating the game and will post shortlyish.

Here is the game: https://lichess.org/study/HFaxORXk/TjWEcrIi.

Man, I definitely had my chances in it in the middle game but I think I kind of got lost with so may potential things I could do.

Game from last night: https://lichess.org/study/HFaxORXk/cwyK0Hjm. An ~1850 player who has been just over 2000 within the last couple of years.

Cliffs: won a Q for R and immediate blundered a piece. Felt I did a good job hunkering down and winning the game. Of course, when I turn on the engine I'm +3 or something ridiculous the whole time even after my blunder. It certainly didn't feel that way!

Also, I missed tactic earlier in the game. Well, I saw the idea but somehow thought it didn't work. Which, looking at it now, seems like something I should have seen as working.

In that Bg5 Dutch game, what's going on after 6...Nc6 if he goes hg hg Rxh8 Bxh8 Qh5+? Maybe the idea is to meet hg with Nc6 immediately.

I think you are mixing something up, since the N is already on c6 after hxg5, so probably just Nxd4 there.

Yes, I meant 7...Nxd4 immediately. 7...hxg5 is given in Yugo's commentary, but it's a blunder.

I keep seeing this on my phone but can't check the study on it. Will try to remember to check later. If you're wondering why I was scared of playing nc6 it was likely because of ghosts and taking myself out of it being my repertoire move.

Ah yes, thanks for pointing that out, definitely a blunder in my analysis!

So yeah, it should be: 6...Nc6 7.hxg5 Nxd4. Lichess Stockfish gives Ne2 as the best move (threatening Nf4 which is very strong) and Black's N is awkward retreating to e6. On c3 Black can go ...Nf5 + ...e6 which looks solid. Nc3 is actually a somewhat tricky move but I think Black can just play ...d5 followed by ...c6 and it doesn't seem to be too dangerous. Although I guess the computer likes ...Nf5 vs. Nc3 and to let White take the e-pawn to get in ...d5 with tempo (followed by ...c6) which is also a solid setup.

March Summary:

Sick for 1.5 weeks and counting. Still, got some good chess in before (and some during) that!

Book Study

Chess Evolution (2): Chapter 13 - 22/23 (excellent)
Chess Evolution (2): Chapter 14 - 20/24 (excellent)
Chess Evolution (2): Chapter 15 - 21/23 (excellent)
Chess Evolution (2): Chapter 16 - 19/23 (excellent)
Chess Evolution (2): Chapter 17 - 19/26 (good)

Part of the way through ch.18 too. I hope to finish the book in April. Then I'm not sure what I'll head for. Either the extra revision book for level 1 books (orange) or go straight to 7/9.

Blitz Tactics
Problems: 1399 - Again, waaaay too many days where I just sent on a downswing bender. I gotta try to stick to only doing this at my computer while I'm focused and only do a few (<10) at a time.
Starting Rating: 1892.8
End Rating: 1912.2

Accuracy: 58.3%
Average Problem Rating: 1857
Total Points Gained: +19.5
Performance Rating: 1923.6

Standard Tactics - didn't do any, spent too much time on blitz problems

Chessable: Kept up with it but stopped tracking it.

Games: Played 3 OTB rated games (see above). They went quite well but I was really pissed off I missed the 4th round game which would have been with white vs. the 2250 NM. Oh well, if I keep playing these I'm sure to play him at some point.

Finished chapter 18 last night while having trouble going to sleep:

Additional March Book Study:
Chess Evolution (2): Chapter 18 - 11/25 (excellent)

Played a 2200 NM last night. He is not young (50 or 60 years old?) and it turns out hasn't played much the last several years. 2200 is his floor so he clearly used to be quite strong but at this point he may not be 2200+ strength.

I won although made several mistakes. On analysis they weren't as bad as I thought and I did play quite a few good moves and saw quite a few good things. So I feel much more encouraged by my play than I did going to bed last night where I assumed I completely lucked into the win. Although, certainly think I was lucky to win vs. draw but I "deserve" the win more than I thought.

Here is my game: https://lichess.org/study/T5xtyxu0/8lw3L9rC.

Very cool video from Quality Chess discussing Yusupov's books with the man himself!

My game from last Thursday. Another very interesting game but again no one probably cares. Drew with an FM (well, he used to be a strong FM but now is 2216 or something). Got quite lucky after making a big mistake playing an unplanned move quickly - very weird I did that since I had plenty of time at that point.

Anyway, link to the game: https://lichess.org/study/T5xtyxu0/aZCD9hBm#0.

You are crushing it - we are no where close to the same rating.

You just haven't gotten to book six yet. That is where he has his NM and FM traps and tricks!

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Your rating should go up soon with these kind of results.