Coach Chesswick
Hi 107degrees! đź‘‹
You have built an impressive blitz profile (current peak: 2530 (2025-08-29)), characterised by sharp openings and concrete calculation. Below is a blend of praise and practical advice drawn from your latest sessions.
What you are already doing very well
- Dynamic openings. With White you score highly in the Closed / Grand Prix Sicilian. In the win versus nrousset1979fr you seized the initiative as early as 5.Bb5+, keeping Black on the back foot throughout.
- Suppressing counter-play. In your Symmetrical English victory over Transnet you neutralised White’s centre (…d5 break on move 26) and converted cleanly.
- Time management. You consistently stay ahead on the clock; even in complicated tactical positions you rarely dip below 60 s until the late middlegame.
Recurring issues to address
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Early pawn loosening around your king.
• Loss to rakka2000: 6…h5 → 14…h4 allowed White’s pieces to flood the kingside.
• Loss to vivcon08: 19…h5 created targets and weakened dark squares.
Tip: Before advancing edge pawns, apply prophylaxis—ask “What squares will I leave weak?” In many Grand Prix structures …h6 or …a6 are fine, but …h5 commits too much. -
Handling the Scandinavian / 1…d5 move-orders.
Both recent losses with …d5 against 1.Nc3 show discomfort after e4–f4 systems. Consider:- Switching to a more solid 1…e5 repertoire (you already know Four Knights / Open Games).
- Or upgrading your Scandinavian lines with the …Nf6 sideline (3…Nf6) to keep flexible pawn structures.
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Endgame conversion & defence.
• In the vivcon08 game (diagram after 22.c5) you allowed connected passed pawns while your rook stayed passive.
• Strengthen your technique in rook & pawn endings: activity > material. Work through 10–15 standard rook-ending positions daily. -
Over-pressing when already better.
Example from the lost game vs rakka2000:
Here simple consolidation with 22…Ncd4 or 22…Kf8 kept extra material without risk. Train yourself to pause and compare “win slowly” options before choosing speculative continuations.
Action plan for the next two weeks
- Spend one session analysing every move of the two losses above with an engine & coach notes. Save critical positions to a flash-card deck.
- Play 20 blitz games restricting yourself to zero flank pawn pushes (a/h-pawns) before move 15 unless theory demands it. This will reinforce disciplined king safety.
- Solve 30 rook-endgame puzzles (Chess.com → “Rook Endings”, Difficulty 2200–2600).
- Add the 3…Nf6 Scandinavian and review one annotated model game each day.
Progress tracker
Keep an eye on your trends via the built-in stats below. If the Hourly Win Rate drops after adopting these goals, revisit your openings or time management.
Final thought
Your tactical vision and opening creativity are already GM-level strengths; polishing the defensive and endgame facets will push you well beyond the 2400 blitz barrier. Good luck, and enjoy the climb! 🔥