1e41-O NM

Training Feedback for 1e41-O

Your Current Form

• Peak rating so far: 2577 (2019-11-13)
• Activity overview:
   

Key Strengths

• Opening depth. You routinely reach the middlegame with a space advantage or the bishop pair. In the recent Sicilian win against yakovshal you equalised by move 6 and were already playing for the initiative by move 11.
• Tactical awareness. Combinations such as 22…Ne3!! and 23…Nxc2! in that same game show excellent calculation and courage to sacrifice material for activity.
• Practical decision-making under time pressure. Even when the position is messy you keep the clock under control and force your opponents into difficult choices.

Growth Areas

• Endgame conversion. Several older losses stem from endings where you had sufficient material but slipped (e.g. the D11 Slav game that reached an equal rook ending). Regularly rehearse basic rook-endgame techniques.
• Prophylaxis. Try asking “What is my opponent’s next move?” every turn. In the 2021 QGA defeat you allowed …Qb3 and …Qb1#, an avoidable tactic that a single zwischenzug or back-rank luft would have stopped.
• Daily-game time management. Two tournament games were lost on time from playable positions. Set phone reminders or use the chess.com “move-clock” notification to avoid free rating losses.

Deep Dive: Last Win with Black

Critical moments:

1. 12…Nd4! Punishes White’s premature central tactics. Memorise this theme: when the e5-knight hops in the Sicilian, …Nd4 is often available.
2. 22…Ne3 → 23…Nxc2. Spotting the double attack earned you a pawn and the initiative. In similar positions evaluate forcing sequences two moves deeper – there was also a direct …Nf5 idea.
3. 30…Rf5! Quiet improvement before striking with …Rh5. Good example of accumulating pressure rather than rushing.

Action Plan for the Next Two Weeks

1. Spend 15 minutes/day on fundamental rook and queen + pawn endings (e.g. Lucena and Philidor positions).
2. Solve 20 tactics daily, focussing on back-rank motifs to eliminate oversights like the QGA mate.
3. Play three training games starting from the diagram after move 20 of your recent loss vs “semisem” and defend the inferior side; this will sharpen your defensive reflexes.
4. Before every rapid game, write one concrete opening goal (e.g. “If White plays English I will reach a Hedgehog setup and avoid early …d5”). Review afterwards to measure success.

Suggested Study Resources

• “Silman’s Complete Endgame Course” – skim up to your rating band.
• “Gritty Endgames” playlist – accessible via chess.com video section (internal).
• Custom puzzle rush with only fork and back-rank mate tags.

Keep up the strong attacking play, tighten the screw in technical phases, and your rating graph will climb steadily.