Ottomar Ladva GM

Hi Ottomar, here is some tailored feedback to help you sharpen your online-rapid play.

1. Opening trends

• Your recent White games feature a mix of 1.e4 and 1.Nf3 systems, but the middlegame plans occasionally drift. Consider tightening your repertoire around one core structure so that pattern recognition kicks in faster under the 3-minute clock.
• Against …Nc6 e5 set-ups (e.g. Three-Knights), you handled the early Bg4/Bc5 pins well but allowed …g5 to chase the bishop and weaken your own king (see move 8 of the loss vs. LeondeKlerk). A quicker h3 or d4, or simply declining Bg5 altogether, keeps the centre intact.
• With Black you sometimes answer random flank openings too casually (…a6, …a5, …h6, …h5) and get hit by the cheap Qxf7/Qxf2 tricks. A simple rule: if the opponent’s queen can land on f7/f2 in one go, ensure that square is defended before playing a pawn move on the rim.

2. Tactical vigilance

Your wins show excellent conversion when you seize the initiative (e.g. 1.e3 Bc4 Qf3 Qxf7#). Yet several lost games are 10-move miniatures on the very same theme—evidence that you sometimes “mirror” the opponent’s bad play. Force yourself to ask one extra blunder-check question every move: “What is my least-defended square?”

3. Time management

Average clock usage in the win streak: 55–65 seconds remaining at finish. In the losses: often under 15 seconds by move 25, even when the position is equal. Concrete tip: commit to reaching move 15 with at least 1:45 on the clock; if not, tighten your opening prep or adopt a default safe move (…Nf6, …e6, castling) instead of burning time on perfect moves.

4. Psychological edges

• When facing sub-2000 opponents, you tend to experiment. That’s fine for variety, but sprinkle in a few “main-line” games each session to maintain discipline.
• Use the first three moves to gauge the opponent’s speed. If they premove instantly, switch to a solid, pawn-grinding structure—bullet instincts make it harder for them to shift gears.

5. Micro-goals for the next week

1. Play 20 games starting with 1.d4 as White; aim for 80 % score and zero games ended by cheap mates.
2. Daily 10-minute tactics session focused on queen sacrifices & back-rank motifs.
3. Record your thought process for one game and annotate three critical moments (
   ).

6. Progress trackers

Visualise your momentum with the widgets below—pin them to your dashboard so you immediately see when fatigue kicks in.

7. Quick reference

Your current peaks: Blitz 2853 (2020-04-26), Rapid 2543 (2018-03-13). Keep an eye on the Blitz mark; you are one solid session away from a new personal best.

8. Inspirational game to revisit

Replay your cleanest convert-to-rook-ending win (Paul66666, 27 Apr) and notice how early pawn breaks (d4-c5) secured space before the time scramble.

Good luck, Ottomar! Keep the energy high, the king safe, and the clock under control.