Artem Arikov FM

Artem Arikov – Constructive Feedback

Quick Snapshot

• Peak blitz rating: 2398 (2024-06-11)
• Activity trend:
   

What You Already Do Very Well

• Fast tactical vision. Many of your wins come from sharp combinations that you calculate quickly, e.g. the miniature ending with 18.Qa8+ Nb8 19.Na7#.
• Initiative-oriented opening choices. With White you reach dynamic Ponziani and open Sicilians; with Black you steer into the Sveshnikov where you know the typical …e5/…d6 ideas.
• Conversion once the enemy king is exposed. When you smell a mating net you rarely let go, as shown in the following fragment:
  
  
  
• Resourcefulness in inferior positions. Even in losses you often generate counter-chances that force your opponent to find only moves.

Areas To Improve Next

1. Time management. Two recent defeats (e.g. vs. Fabian Vivas) were pure time forfeits in defensible positions. Aim to:
   • Spend no more than 25 seconds on any single move before move 20.
   • Use forced or obvious recaptures to pre-move when safe.
2. Prophylaxis & king safety. In several Sicilian games you pushed queenside pawns early (…b5, …a5) without first asking “What does my opponent want?”. Study the concept of Prophylaxis and annotate five of your own games, writing down the threats you missed.
3. Handling the Rossolimo / Anti-Sicilians. Loss to Alan Pichot shows discomfort when White delays d4. Prepare a crisp plan (…g6 or …e6 followed by …d5) and create a mini-file with the five most common traps so you can blitz out the first 10 moves confidently.
4. Endgame finesse. When queens come off early (loss vs. Fernando Asensio) pawn-structure decisions became costly. Weekly routine:
   • 30 minutes of rook-and-pawn endgame drills.
   • Play two 10 + 5 games focusing on converting a pawn up without tactics.
5. Decision-making under pressure. Consider adding a “blitz thought checklist” taped next to your monitor:
   1. What changed with the last move?
   2. Checks, captures, Zwischenzug possibilities.
   3. King safety – mine and theirs.
   4. Time remaining.
   Run through it in under five seconds each move until it becomes automatic.

Next-Week Training Plan (≈3 hours total)

Motivational Note

You're hovering near IM-strength blitz ratings; polishing the small leaks above will push you toward that next peak. Keep the confidence in your attacking play, but balance it with a dose of calm endgame technique and clock discipline. Good luck, and enjoy the grind!