Charles Wynn NM

Charles Wynn – Personalized Chess Feedback

What You Are Doing Well

• Opening Repertoire: You comfortably switch between 1.e4, 1.d4 and 1.c4 as White, and answer 1.e4 with both Caro-Kann and 1…e5. That flexibility keeps opponents guessing and is a real asset.
• Piece Activity: Your recent wins show a clear intent to seize the initiative (e.g., early …e4/e5 pawn thrusts in the English and Zukertort games). Once you gain space you rarely shy away from tactical complications.
• Time Management: In most blitz games you reach move 25 with ∼60–75 seconds, giving yourself a buffer for the critical phase. That is above average for your rating group.
• Conversion vs lower-rated players: You score consistently when you obtain a material edge; your technique on the “+2 pawns & rooks” type endgames is solid.

Priority Improvements (Next 4–6 weeks)

1. King Safety, especially after pawn storms.
   In several losses you advanced the h-pawn (8.h4 vs MartinMasoller, 14…h5 in the KID) without a clear follow-up. Before pushing a wing pawn, ask: “What squares am I weakening and how will I meet a check on the back rank?”
   ➔ Drill the “hook” structure g4/h4 with the exercise set “Stop, evaluate, then push”.
2. Transition from Initiative to Technique.
   When the attack fizzles you sometimes run out of steam (see most recent loss where …Qg5-h5-e2 led to overextension). Work on converting an extra pawn with calm moves like centralisation & trades instead of continued pawn throws.
3. Handling Zugzwang zugzwang & Zwischenzug zwischenzug ideas.
   Several tactics against you involved an in-between capture or check (22…Qxb5+ in the Caro-Kann loss). Add 10 daily puzzles filtered for “zwischenzug”.
4. Endgame Coordination.
   In the KID game you reached a rook+minor-piece ending but allowed the passed e-pawn to promote. Practice the classic Lucena and Philidor positions; aim to recognise drawing resources sooner.

Opening-Specific Pointers

• Caro-Kann (White side): After 8.h4  hook  is tempting, but consider the main line 8.Nh4 instead; it keeps the king safer.
• English (Black side): Your …Bb4xc3 ideas are good, but be wary of leaving d6 and b7 loose when the knight hops to c5 (see game vs AberkaneAli). Study 9…d5 setups to reinforce the centre.
• Indian structures: In Fianchetto lines you often push …g5 early. Try the slower plan …Re8, …c6, …a6 first; it scores +7% in master practice.

Micro-Goals for Your Next 20 Games

• Avoid advancing the h- or a-pawn before move 12 unless there is a concrete tactical gain.
• Spend at least 5 seconds on every move where your opponent just changed the position in the centre.
• Reach an endgame with any extra pawn and convert it without dropping material in ≥70 % of attempts.

Progress Tracking

Model Game to Review

Study how you converted the passed a-pawn in your latest English-Defense victory:

Final Thought

Your tactical vision already wins many games; pairing it with improved prophylaxis and endgame polish will push you well beyond the 2200 blitz mark. Keep your training sessions focused and track the micro-goals above—looking forward to your next leap!