Alcorazado

Hi Alcorazado! 👋

First, congratulations on maintaining a high-2200 blitz rating (2520 (2025-04-09)) and an overall positive score against titled opposition. Your recent wins show a healthy mix of strategic play (Catalan vs NormanLongjas) and sharp tactics (33.Qxh7# vs HCMotorCB). Keep building on these strengths!

What you already do well

• Opening breadth: You handle 1.d4 and 1.e4 structures comfortably and show good understanding of fianchetto systems (Queen’s Indian, Catalan, Modern).
• Tactical awareness: Many victories finish with direct mating nets or decisive piece grabs—your tactical radar is strong.
• Clock management: You often win on time with >40 s left, proving that your pace is generally efficient.

Key growth areas

1. Sicilian Four Knights as Black
   All three latest losses with Black arose from this line. The common pattern is an early …Bg4-Bh5-Bf5/Bg6 plan that leaves the dark-squared bishop off-side and weakens the kingside.
   • Consider tempering …Bg4; many GMs prefer 6…d6 or 6…e5 to keep the centre compact.
   • After 9.exd5 exd5 you repeatedly allowed White’s Bd3-Bf5-Bg5 ideas without a useful counter. Study model games by Karjakin/Giri on how to reroute the knight to e5 and keep the bishop pair.
   • Mini-exercise: load the critical position after 18…Ne5 from your loss to ManolacheTudoroiu and calculate a safe plan for the next five moves.
2. Pawn-structure sensitivity
   In the Slav Exchange loss you advanced …g5 and …h5 too early, loosening the king and dark squares. Add a short “sanity check”:

   “Does this pawn move create more weaknesses than it fixes?”

   Drill the concept of prophylaxis—sometimes the best move is a quiet improving move like …Kg7 or …Rac8 instead of a pawn thrust.
3. Conversion technique with material advantage
   Your win against cukricek reached a won knight endgame but took ~40 moves and relied on opponent’s flag. Review:
   
   Try calculating clear winning plans (create a passer, centralise king) instead of repeating moves.
4. Back-rank & piece coordination
   Several defeats ended with back-rank mates (e.g., 50.Re4#). Add the habit of giving the king luft with h6/a6 and doubling rooks on the back rank sooner.

Suggested training routine (4-week micro-cycle)

Performance snapshots

Hourly momentum:

Quick reminders before each blitz session

• 30-second warm-up: two easy tactics to switch on calculation.
• Use your increment: if ahead on the clock, spend it on king safety checks.
• When up material, trade pieces ▶ simplify pawn structure ▶ activate king.

Keep enjoying the game, and feel free to share any annotated games for deeper feedback. Good luck in your next push toward 2400!