Coach Chesswick
Hi Ali, here’s a focused review of your recent blitz play.
Quick Snapshot
- Peak strength: around 2405 (2018-09-01).
- Preferred colour schemes: 1.e4 with aggressive pawn storms; King’s Indian setups as Black.
- Game length: many results decided before move 30—either by checkmate or the clock.
What You Already Do Well
- Initiative-first mindset. In your win vs ptolemaiosz the sequence 8.Qh5+ Kf8 9.Qxh7! launched a powerful attack:
. - Piece activity. You rarely allow passive pieces; doubling rooks and planting knights on outposts (e.g. N d5 vs LuckInTheRain) is a recurring strength.
- Killer instinct. Once the opposing king is exposed you convert quickly—five recent mates before move 25.
Main Areas To Improve
- Time management. Five of your last six losses were on time in playable or winning positions—a chronic case of zeitnot.
• Adopt a “60-second rule”: never let the clock dip below 1:00 before move 15.
• Use the opponent’s think-time to calculate, not to admire the position.
• Practise 1-minute “guess-the-move” drills to sharpen pattern speed. - Opening economy. Experiments like 2…f6 in the French (loss vs Robert Caponpon) invite needless risk.
• As Black, trade 2…f6 for sound French lines (…Nf6) or the Caro-Kann.
• As White, balance your Bishop’s/Vienna hybrids with a solid Italian or Ruy Lopez backup for must-win games. - Endgame conversion. You outplayed beppumop cleanly, yet flagged in other winning endings. Spend 10 minutes/day on rook-and-pawn basics and tablebase checks to tighten technique.
Opening-Specific Pointers
- Pirc/Modern as White. Your h-pawn storms (win vs sotu911) work when timed with 11.e5!—push only once pieces are ready.
- Najdorf as White. The Nd4-f5 idea vs luckintherain was strong; add classics with 12.Be3 & g4 to broaden plans.
- King’s Indian as Black. The …b5 pawn sac in the Saemisch (loss vs alchop99) is thematic, but finish development before …f5. Study Kasparov’s model games for move-order nuance.
Four-Week Micro-Plan
- Week 1 – Tactics: 30 puzzles/day, focus on mates ≤3 moves.
- Week 2 – Openings: annotate 3 master games/day in your main lines.
- Week 3 – Endgames: daily rook-vs-pawn & minor-piece technique, plus engine sparring.
- Week 4 – Clock discipline: 20 blitz games with the sole goal “finish each move with ≥2 sec increment still in stock.”
Progress Tracking
Keep the attacking flair, tighten the clock and the openings, and 2400+ is within reach. Good luck & enjoy the journey!