Hengyi Zhu NM

Quick summary

Nice run — your rating jumped sharply (+147) and your recent results show a strong ability to convert advantages and finish attacks. You win both by clean tactical finishes (a queen mate) and by calmly grabbing loose material and simplifying. Strength‑adjusted win rate (~57%) shows your results are solid against comparable opposition.

What you're doing well

• Spotting tactical shots and finishing attacks — the Qg5 mate is a good example of accurate attacking play and awareness of back‑rank / mating nets.
• Material awareness — in your most recent win you punished loose pieces and converted the material edge without getting distracted.
• Opening variety and preparation — good scores with the French Advance and several gambit lines. You’re comfortable switching systems and finding practical chances.
• Momentum — rapid improvement over the last months, consistent upward trend and confidence in converting advantages.

Key moments from your most recent win

Black (you) won by exploiting White’s unprotected pieces and using tactical captures to win material. A few instructive features:

• You recognized a knight penetration to e4 and followed up with exchanges that left White with awkward piece placement.
• You were willing to trade into an endgame where your extra material and safer king made conversion straightforward.
• That sequence demonstrates two recurring strengths: tactical alertness + simple, correct simplification once ahead.

Replay the decisive sequence here to review key tactics and follow‑up decisions:

Main weaknesses to fix

• Loose pieces / hanging targets: several wins came from punishing unprotected pieces — good for you, but check your own piece safety. Avoid leaving knights and bishops vulnerable to tactics (watch forks and pins).
• Early king moves and coordination: moves like Kf1 (in some games) can be practical but often signal awkward development. Try to keep the king safe while completing development and connecting rooks.
• Specific opening gaps: the Najdorf cost you a loss — prepare mainlines and typical pawn breaks so you don’t get surprised. The Alapin/Sherzer games were mixed; polishing the theory and typical middlegame plans will pay off.
• Time distribution: you sometimes spend a large chunk early and get low on the clock later (examples around move 18). Aim for steadier tempo so you have time for critical positions.

Concrete 4‑week improvement plan

• Week 1 — Tactics focus: 20 tactical puzzles per day emphasizing forks, pins, and skewers. After each puzzle, write a 1‑sentence pattern label (fork/pin/overload).
• Week 2 — Opening consolidation: pick 2 problem openings (Najdorf & Alapin) and memorize 6 typical plans/ideas each (not just moves). Use model games to learn pawn breaks and piece plans. Start with the Najdorf basic pawn breaks (b5, d5, e5 ideas) and common tactical motifs.
• Week 3 — Practical rapid training: play 20 rapid games (10+0 or 10+5). For each loss, do a 10–15 minute post‑mortem: find the first mistake and the critical tactic missed.
• Week 4 — Endgame and conversion: study 10 basic endgames (rook+pawn vs rook, bishop vs knight in simplified positions) and practice converting a small material edge in 10 training positions.

Drills and habits to adopt

• Before each move in your games, do a 3‑question habit: (1) Is any piece hanging? (2) What are checks/captures/threats? (3) Which piece can be improved?
• When ahead, simplify if simplification keeps you clearly winning. Trade pieces, not pawns, unless pawns create a passed pawn.
• Spend ~2–4 minutes on opening moves 1–10 to keep 6–8+ minutes for complex middlegames in a 10‑minute game.
• Keep a short notebook: after each session list 3 recurring mistakes you want to eliminate (e.g., "I leave knights en prise").

Opening and study suggestions

• Solidify your French Advance repertoire — you already score well here; convert model games into a quick mental checklist of typical pawn breaks (f6, c5) and piece placements.
• For Sicilian Najdorf: study the main strategic ideas rather than memorizing long move‑orders — pawn structure, minority attack plans, and when to castle kingside vs queenside.
• Review games where you lost to see whether the loss came from opening theory, a tactical oversight, or time trouble — this tells you what to prioritize.

Next steps — short checklist

• Start daily tactics (15–20 puzzles) and track accuracy.
• Pick 1 opening to clean up (Najdorf) and learn typical plans, not just moves.
• Play 20 rapid games with focused post‑mortems (10–15 min each).
• Keep a one‑item error list and eliminate the top recurring mistake in your next 10 games.

Want targeted help?

If you want, I can:

• Annotate 2 of your recent losses and show precise turning points.
• Build a 2‑page opening cheat sheet for the Najdorf or Alapin tailored to your style.
• Give a 4‑week personalized training calendar with daily tasks and example positions.

Tell me which of the three you prefer and I’ll prepare it.

Reference

Opponent from the most recent game: avenaven555 — review their games to find patterns you exploited. Opening name in that game: Indian Game Knights Variation.