Alexandru Calin FM

Hi Alexandru!

Great job maintaining a high-level blitz rating (2573 (2021-03-02)) and playing frequently. I reviewed your latest batch of games (Italian vs Ap0ll025, Pirc vs RockySala, recent losses to Mohamed_lotfy_842 and IMTomSawyer, etc.). Below is a concise, action-oriented report.

What’s working well

• Tactical Alertness. In wins you quickly exploit loose pieces (e.g. 23.Nd6! in the Nimzo-Larsen and the exchange sacs vs Ap0ll025).
• Piece Activity in Open Positions. Your Italian and French games show you understand piece coordination toward the enemy king.
• Practical Endgame Technique. Converting two pawn races (Ap0ll025 & RockySala) under seconds proves good calculation under pressure.

Recurring pain points

• Over-extension of flank pawns. Early g-/h-pawn pushes (loss vs Piluso1984, vs Ta2kas) weakened your own king. Ask “Will this pawn advance be an asset or a hook for my opponent?”
• Missing opponent counterplay. In the Sicilian loss to Mohamed_lotfy_842 you advanced the d-pawn to d6 without calculating 18…Qh4! → g-pawn storm. Incorporate one more blunder-check for forcing replies.
• Time-management asymmetry. Almost every defeat shows you dipping below 60 s while your opponent still has >90 s. You rely on “bullet mode” too early and the quality drops.
• Transition to favourable endings. Twice you traded into theoretically lost rook-pawn endings (vs Ta2kas & Kosak12). Identify basic pawn-ending schematics before simplifying. Review Lucena/Philidor and the drawing tricks in rook vs rook-pawn endings.

Opening radar

You handle 1.e4 e5 structures confidently, but positions after …c5/…g6 sometimes drift. Consider:

• Adding a main-line weapon vs the Modern / Pterodactyl (6.Be3 was fine, but the follow-up with 10.f4 and 12.Rf2 felt unfamiliar). Study the classical 7.O-O, 8.Re1 plans.
• Against the Sicilian Rossolimo, revisit model games where White keeps tension instead of 6.e5; stalling Black’s …d5 break is key.
• With Black, your Pirc/Lion setup is solid, but you sometimes misplace the queen (…Qe8 in the RockySala loss-turned-win). Drill typical manoeuvres: …c6/…b5 vs 4.Bc4, …Qa5 ideas, and king-side pawn breaks.

Concrete study plan (next 4 weeks)

1. Daily tactics: 20 mixed problems <5 min each. Focus on defensive themes (interpositions, perpetual checks).
2. Endgame Saturdays: Recreate R vs R+f-/h-pawn endings on an analysis board; solve them from both sides until you can play them on increment without thinking.
3. Opening tune-up: Build two “flashcards” per day: one critical tabiya + main three plans for each side. After 28 cards you will cover the problem lines above.
4. Clock discipline drill: Play 10 blitz games forcing yourself to spend at least 10 s on the first 15 moves (use a physical timer or note times between moves). Goal: arrive at move 20 with >75 s.

Illustrative game fragment

The following PGN shows both strengths (initiative) and the moment you allowed counterplay by hurrying :

Track your progress

Use these live dashboards after every playing session:

• Hourly form:
• Streaks by day:

Final encouragement

Your attacking flair is evident; polishing defensive technique and time use will push you to the next bracket. Let’s aim for a stable 2600+ blitz this season! Feel free to send any questions or sparring PGNs my way.