Coach Chesswick
Hi Aidana!
At-a-glance
- Peak blitz rating: 2222 (2025-07-15)
- Favourite openings: Smith-Morra Gambit (White), Caro-Kann & Sicilian Schemes (Black)
- Your play-time trends:
What’s working well ✅
- Tactical eyesight. In the win against Ivashentseva Dominika you spotted 22.Rxb7!! under 60 s, converting a pawn storm into a material win.
- Initiative in gambits. You frequently reach positions with rapid development and open lines – perfect for your style.
- Pressure management when ahead. Once you gain the upper hand you usually keep pieces active and avoid passive play.
Patterns to fix 🔧
- Time trouble. Three of your last five losses (vs Adriano Levano, Luis Fernández Siles, Khushal Moinzai) came from the clock, not the board. You average <3 s per move after move 25.
- Over-extension. Aggressive pawn pushes (e.g., 31.Rxh4? vs Rebeca Jiménez Fernández) leave your king and back rank loose.
- Endgame conversion. In the knight + pawn ending vs Moeinzai_khoshhal you resigned an objectively drawable position. Basic rook-pawn and knight-pawn technique will net free points.
- Benoni/Benko structures as Black. Pieces often drift to the edge (…Na6, …Nc5) without a clear plan; meanwhile White builds central pressure.
4-week micro-plan
| Focus | Method | Weekly Target |
|---|---|---|
| Clock discipline | Play 10 3|0 games starting with a 30 s deficit; aim to keep >15 s after move 20. | 100 rapid-fire moves |
| Endgame basics | Solve rook-vs-pawn and knight-pawn studies; then test vs engine. | 30 positions |
| Opening depth | Update Smith-Morra line after 8…Nge7 and prepare 8…g6; refresh Caro-Kann Advance (…c5 ideas). | 15 critical branches |
| Defensive technique | Play training games from –2 eval positions; practise “worst piece first”. | 3 sparring sets |
Replay a highlight
Ask yourself at every ply: “What did I stop my opponent from doing?”
[[Pgn|1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 e6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bc4 Bb4 7.O-O Nge7 8.e5 Bxc3 9.bxc3 a6 10.Qe2 b5 11.Bd3 Bb7 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 g5 14.Bg3 Nd5 15.c4 bxc4 16.Bxc4 Nf4 17.Qd2 Nh5 18.Rab1 Qc7 19.Rfc1 Nxg3 20.hxg3 Rc8 21.Qe2 Qa5 22.Rxb7 Ke7 23.Rd1 Rhd8 24.Qd2]Quick tournament checklist
- First 10 moves: spend no more than 40 s total unless out of book.
- Opponent’s move time = your planning time (no “brain freeze” watching the screen).
- In scrambles follow the “CCT” rule: Checks → Captures → Threats.
Keep embracing your creative style, Aidana. Marry it with steadier clock use and sharper endgame technique, and a new personal best is around the corner. Good luck!