Coach Chesswick
Feedback for AlbertoBarberini
What you are already doing well
- Resourceful tactics. In your most-recent win against sitenggeng you calculated 7.Qxg7! and converted the material edge without allowing counter-play. Your follow-up 20.f4 and the rook lift 40.Rcg1 showed good attacking vision.
- Consistent opening choices. As White you employ 1.e3/1.b3 systems; as Black you stick to Owen’s (…b6). Familiarity breeds confidence and it shows in the quick, correct moves you play in the early phase.
- Practical endgame skills. The rook-and-pawn ending versus laguilla was handled confidently; you activated the king, created a passed a-pawn and forced resignation.
Key areas to improve
- King-side pawn pushes. Several losses (e.g. vs toundey and omnweashe) began with …g5 or …h5 weakening the dark squares. Before advancing wing pawns, ask “Can my king still feel safe if files open?”
- Early queen adventures. In both wins and losses your queen comes out on moves 3-5 (Qf3, Qg3, Qf6). When opponents respond accurately, the queen gets chased and you fall behind in development (see loss to rangchan, moves 3-9). Try delaying queen moves until minor pieces are developed.
- Time management. Four of the last six defeats were on time. You often reach complex endgames with less than one minute. Practise playing simple technical endings vs the computer to reduce calculation time, and consider using premoves in completely forced lines.
- Central control out of the opening. Flank openings are fine, but you sometimes allow opponents to seize the centre uncontested. In the loss to Toundey your pieces were cramped while White’s pawns sat on d5 & e4. Add a classical queen-pawn or king-pawn line to your repertoire to experience symmetrical positions.
Concrete study plan
- Week 1 – Tactical sharpness
• 15 daily puzzles focused on double-attacks & pins.
• Review the critical sequence from your last loss (). Ask “Where did the attack go off-track?” - Week 2 – Safe development
• Play five rapid games where you promise yourself no queen move before move 6.
• Analyse with the engine afterwards to see if your pieces became more harmonious. - Week 3 – Endgame speed
• Solve ten rook-and-pawn endgame drills daily.
• Re-play the winning endgame vs laguilla and annotate pawn-race calculations. - Week 4 – New opening experiment
• As Black, try the French Defence (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5) in at least three games.
• Compare middlegame pawn structures with your usual Owen’s Defence; note the pros & cons.
Quick reference charts
Track your progress visually:
Motivational nugget
“Tactics flow from a superior position.” — Bobby Fischer
Keep building those positions; the winning combinations will continue to appear!
Good luck in your next games, Alberto—looking forward to seeing your rating climb past 1707 (2025-03-26) soon!