Aakanksha Hagawane WIM

Hi Aakanksha, here’s some tailored feedback based on your latest blitz sessions!

What you’re doing very well

• Dynamic, forward-looking play: In many of your wins (e.g. vs. Keeper0416) you seize space and keep your pieces active. Your willingness to push pawn breaks such as …f5/…f4 (Black) or g4/g5 (White) often puts the opponent under immediate pressure.
• Wide opening repertoire: You comfortably switch between 1.e4, 1.d4 and 1.Nf3, and as Black you employ both open-game defences (Ruy Lopez, Bishop’s Opening) and Sicilians/Scandinavian. That keeps opponents guessing and indicates healthy opening knowledge.
• Tactical alertness: Motifs like 22…Bxf2+!! (vs. SCIM), 34.Rh8# (vs. wannabe2700) and the exchange sac …Rxd5 (vs. infinitegiantkiller) show good calculation skills and confidence in concrete lines.

Biggest improvement opportunities

• Time management in won or equal positions. Four of the recent losses were on time in roughly equal endings. Aim to reach the final minute with a clear, simple plan so that you can pre-move safely rather than calculate fresh every move. A practical tip is to set micro-targets (e.g. 1:30 on the clock by move 25).
• Conversion technique once ahead. In the loss to Thecourseoisildur you were up an exchange yet allowed …f4-f3 and counterplay. Try the “no counterplay” checklist: 1) stop opponent pawn breaks; 2) centralise king; 3) only then push for material gain.
• Handling of loose pawns in flank structures. Games against Mikedannnn and Gareth-Bale11 showed b- and c-pawns becoming easy targets. Review similar structures in the Sicilian Taimanov and London-type set-ups to reinforce typical pawn placements.
• Defensive resourcefulness under attack. When White throws the kitchen sink (g-pawn storms, sacs on h6/h7) you sometimes stick to passive moves. Studying classic games with opposite-side attacks (e.g. Polugaevsky, Topalov) will give you more “pattern memory” to hit back with counter-threats rather than pure defence.

Recent illustrative games

Model win – excellent central control & king-side expansion

Tough loss – promising position slipped away

Training plan for the next 2-3 weeks

1. 30-minute end-game drill every day: play out 3-vs-2 and 4-vs-3 rook endings vs. an engine set to 2200. Goal: convert with >80 % success while keeping >30 seconds on the clock.
2. Opening tidy-up: pick two “go-to” lines (one with 1.e4, one vs. 1.e4) and refresh your files. Note three “critical but practical” improvements—lines that save you 20-30 seconds in blitz.
3. Blitz with self-commentary: record 10 games, speak your candidate moves out loud. Review to catch impulsive decisions; aim to reduce “I didn’t even look at that” moments.
4. Tactic theme of the week: deflection on the back rank. Solve 25 puzzles with this motif and tag them for future review.

Quick reference

Peak Blitz rating: 2519 (2022-05-17)

Activity patterns:

Keep up the great work!

Your creativity and fighting spirit are clear strengths. Sharpen the conversion and time-handling pieces, and you’ll nudge that blitz rating toward 2600+ in no time. Good luck in the upcoming events, and feel free to send any games you’d like a deeper dive on.