Coach Chesswick
Hi Adnan!
Great job keeping your blitz rating around 2300-2400 (2730 (2021-04-27)). Your recent games reveal many strong points, as well as several clear growth opportunities. Below is a concise, actionable report.
What you already do well
- Opening familiarity – Whether it’s the London/Colle as White or flexible Queen’s-pawn defences as Black, you reach playable middlegames quickly and score well when the clock isn’t a factor.
- Tactical alertness – You spot combinational ideas quickly. The miniature against AntonioCordero shows how comfortably you handle early imbalances ().
- Practical calculation – In your wins you’re not afraid to sacrifice material to keep the initiative (e.g. 22.fxg5! in the DrRiebert game).
Key areas to improve
- Clock management – 5 of your last 6 losses were on time. Even when objectively winning (see positions vs SpeedDoFlux & AbsoluteCinema420) you flagged. Work on:
- Switching to 3 + 2 or 5 + 3 for training so every move extends your reserve.
- Using “easy-move” pre-moves in forced recaptures.
- Avoiding deep thinks in the first 15 moves; trust your repertoire.
- Endgame technique – Strong middlegame play often leaves you in winning endgames, yet conversions stall. The loss to Rishi_Kadam illustrates missing a simple Rd4-d1+ perpetual save and then flagging.
Recommendation: drill basic rook-endgame themes (Philidor, Lucena) and study pawn races – it will also speed up your decision-making under pressure. - Pawn-thrust discipline – In several defeats the early
h4/h5org4/g5lunges back-fired (e.g. 12.h4?! vs Rishi_Kadam). Ask yourself whether the thrust gains concrete targets or merely creates hooks for your opponent. - Move-order efficiency – The London sequence
6.Qb3 c4 7.Qc2 8.Qc1wasted three tempi. Memorise one crisp plan (e.g. 6.dxc5 & e4 ideas) to conserve clock and maintain the initiative.
Suggested training plan (2-3 weeks)
- Daily 15-min tactic rush – Use a strict 30-second limit per puzzle to mimic blitz calculation speed.
- Play 10 slow games (10 + 5) focusing on not dropping below 2 min on the clock before move 25.
- Endgame flashcards – 20 positions covering key rook- and pawn-endgame methods.
- Review every loss for 5 minutes, asking “Was this a clock, tactical or strategic mistake?”. Label and track patterns.
Glossary
• Zeitnot – severe time trouble.
• Zugzwang – a position where any move worsens your game.
Progress trackers
Check these after a week to verify improvements:
Good luck! Keep the pieces active, the king safe, and the clock under control. Feel free to share any annotated games if you’d like deeper analysis.