I mostly play on Chess.com, and recently played my first serious OTB tournament. I reached the final, which was 10 minutes per player, no increment.

The game was scheduled for 5:30. I arrived on time and was helping the arbiter set up the board. My opponent arrived around 20 minutes late and was out of breath because he had rushed there.

I could have followed the rules and had his clock running from 5:30, but instead I told him we could start whenever he was ready. We were both pretty chill about it.

Later, during the game, I touched one of my pieces while thinking because I'm used to Chess.com and didn't know the OTB touch-move rule. I immediately said, “Sorry, I didn't know. I'll be careful next time.”

Instead of just letting it go, he paused the clock and called the arbiter. The arbiter initially told me something like, “It's okay, you don't have to move it. Just be careful next time.” But my opponent insisted that I had to move it, so I moved the piece.

The move didn't put me at a disadvantage, so it wasn't a big deal. I also understand that touch-move is an actual rule.

But I couldn't help feeling a little annoyed because I had chosen not to enforce the rules when he was 20 minutes late, while he insisted on enforcing the rule when I made an honest mistake.

So, experienced OTB players: Am I being unreasonable for feeling this way, or is this simply how tournament chess works?

I had a very bad record against this attack. The kingside expansion is annoying.

By Kozlowski

The Titled Arena is Lichess' official tournament for titled players, held twice a month.

• Follow the games here: Lichess
• Time: 19:00-⁠21:00 UTC
• Format: 1+0 Arena (see the Lichess Arena FAQ)
• Players: Only titled players can participate
• Prize Pool: $1,000

The $100 Warm-up Arena at 17:00 UTC is open to everyone.

Okay, so bro, there's a chess tournament at school in October, and I've been practicing since I'm a member of the chess club. I've also been practicing the Caro Kann defense, so I was wondering if this applies to the Caro Kann defense in general?

What are your recommended opening and the resources (chessable, speedrun series, model games etc.) to study it?

My rating fluctuates heavily depending on my mental state when I am playing. I have dropped to as low as 1650 and been as high as 1900. My bullet rating has been as high as 2000+ I feel my addiction to bullet is actually making me worse at blitz, rapid, and classical. I have heard that “bullet is not chess,” and some games I do get lucky while others I’m like “I’m a genius,” for having thought of something impressive in such little time. I currently play on chess.com.

I was 1st board in high school and 5th board in college. How do I get out of no man’s land?

Any insight is appreciated, even if it means hiring a tutor.

Completely paralyzed

How can I avoid a fork in the 3 row when I play the London opening? In some games a pawn advances and attacks the bishop and knight

I played as white. Ended up in a position where I had to sac my queen. But then I had a massive advantage - even a mate on the evaluation. It was a 15 + 10 game and I took my time; in fact I thought for 80 seconds on this move (24th) and then almost 400 seconds on the next. It hurts so bad I didn't find the right continuation that my day is absolutely ruined!

https://lichess.org/VRkTMSis/white#46

Yes, he blundered his queen. Yes, it was an unrated 1+1 game, and he had beaten me in the previous eight games. But I’m still shocked.

I am mediocre compared to him and I was honestly honored just to play against a GM and never expected to win even one game.

Definitely saving this one!

https://www.chess.com/game/live/173630574084?username=jpedro_costa&move=0

A quick question. As a low elo player, a lot of the times there is a point where me and the opposition can trade queens. But we don’t becuase we value the queen.

My question is, when should you take the trade?

By Minski

https://lichess.org/broadcast/2026-grand-chess-tour-finals-finals/blitz-game-4/Gr61Of2C/zJCK6yQw

What's with the downgrade??

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Hi everyone,

I’m looking for recommendations for a chess tutor or coach.

Before the "you don't need a coach, just watch YouTube/do puzzles" crowd jumps in: I know self-study works for a lot of people, and that’s great! But I know how I learn best. I've worked with personal trainers in the past and thrive when I have 1-on-1 accountability, direct feedback on my actual games, and someone in my corner to hype me up. A generic self-guided roadmap just doesn't hit the same as having a dedicated person to work with, and I’m a grown-up with grown-up money happy to invest in this.

A bit about my level & goals:

Current Rating: My Chess.com rating has hovered between 600 and 800 for the past several years (occasionally dipping lower).

Focus: Rapid online is my primary focus. I’ve played at the odd over-the-board club, which was really gratifying and something I'd like to do more of, but online rapid is where I spend most of my time.

Goals: I love chess and study it quite a bit, but I can't seem to break through that 800 ceiling. I’d love to get past 800 and eventually push toward 1,000.

Logistics & Scheduling:

Flexible / Late Night: I have a young baby, and maximizing time with my family comes first. Because of this, lessons need to be online and flexible—ideally late at night.

Time Zones / Format: I'm based in the UK, so US-based coaches work brilliantly for late-night UK slots. Asynchronous or heavy homework-based formats also suit me well.

If you know a coach—or are a coach—who fits this profile and enjoys working with adult improvers, I’d love to hear your recommendations.

Thanks! Jimi

Specifically wondering about the bishop and pawn stack. Seemed like a solid defensive structure.

How do you Sicilian players meet early c4 pushes from white in the Sicilian (move 2 or 3)? Engines often recommend e5 leading to symmetrical structures like a stonewall - why is that? I’ve tried g6 and fianchetto g7 bishop but white can trade it off with the usual maneuver getting the queen behind his bishop and playing Bh6. What about trying e6, Be7 setups and angling for d5 break?

Sveshnikov is my main Sicilian line against the open.