Coach Chesswick
Feedback for Da Rosa Henrique Jaze Simoes
Congratulations on the steady climb toward your current blitz strength of 2234 (2024-06-27)! The sample of games supplied shows an ambitious, initiative-oriented style. Below is a concise assessment of your recent play, followed by clear action-steps that should convert even more of your good positions into points.
What’s already working
- Consistent opening repertoire. As White you reliably steer the game into King’s Indian Attack/English structures with Nf3–g3–Bg2. As Black you meet 1.e4 with the Ruy Lopez and 1.d4 with the Slav/triangle setups. This consistency accelerates pattern recognition.
- Central breaks at the right moment. In your recent win against macak_yumi you struck with e4-e5 and seized the initiative almost immediately.
- Piece activity over material. Several wins feature temporary pawn sacrifices (e.g. 15.Bxd6 in your KID-Fianchetto victory) that opened lines for rooks and bishops.
- End-of-game conversion when ahead. Once you reach a technically winning position you finish efficiently, rarely letting the advantage slip.
Biggest growth areas
- Ruy Lopez middlegames as Black. Losses to barikbin and VahanBaghdasaryan show repeated strategic issues:
- After 9.Nd5 you played 9…Kh8 & 10…Ng8, essentially undeveloping your knight.
- Pawns on …b5 and …d6 become targets when you fall behind in development.
Recommended drill: play ten 15+10 games starting from the position after 8.Nc3 d6 with an engine off, focusing only on piece placement. - Queen-safety & tactical alertness in the Slav. In your loss to LucianoLiesegang you entered a known sharp line without full calculation, allowing 22.Nc7! and 23.Qxb6.
Action-step: daily 10-minute tactics sessions (themes: RTD, desperado, counter-threats). Aim for 50 puzzles/day on a trainer that rates over 2200 tactic level. - King security before pawn storms. Against MacCarsten you castled kingside and then advanced kingside pawns without adequate defensive resources, leading to 18.Rxf8+ and resignation.
Action-step: adopt the checklist “Castled? Opponent’s minor pieces traded? Rooks connected?” before starting any pawn storm. - Clock management. Several games show sub-30-second critical positions. You are comfortable in time trouble, but avoidable blunders appear after you dip below 15 seconds.
Action-step: decide on a “go/no-go” rule: if your clock hits 1:00, make the next two moves instantly unless the tactic is forced.
Opening roadmap for the next month
| Colour | Current choice | Next study item |
|---|---|---|
| White | KIA / English | Prepare an early d4 Gambit line for surprise value. |
| Black vs 1.e4 | Ruy Lopez | Learn the “Chigorin” setup: …Na5, …c5, …Bb7 vs 9.c3. |
| Black vs 1.d4 | Slav/Triangle | Add the …dxc4 & …b5 Slav if opponent plays 4.e3. |
Suggested weekly routine
- 3 rapid games (15+10) focused on new opening ideas.
- Daily 50 tactical puzzles (see above).
- One endgame study session (rook vs minor piece and opposite-colour bishops).
- Review every loss for one tactical and one strategic takeaway.
Progress dashboard
Keep an eye on short-term trends to verify improvement:
Hourly performance:
Win-rate by day:
Submit your next ten games after working on the action-steps and we’ll refine the plan together. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!