Coach Chesswick
Hi alexishalamadrid – here’s some personalized feedback on your recent games!
Your emerging strengths
- Opening discipline with White. You are consistently starting with 1.d4 Nf3 e3 Bd3, producing solid Colle / Zukertort-style positions. This gives you a comfortable, familiar structure almost every game.
- Sense for forcing tactics. Great examples are 14.Nxc7+ followed by 15.Qd8# (vs Lizhbear) and 24.Bxf8 winning material in the East-Indian game. You spot forks and double attacks quickly when they are obvious.
- Confident end-game technique. In your marathon versus Evgen330 you converted K+B+P vs K even after queens promoted. Keeping calm in long endings is a big plus.
Main improvement areas
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Blunder prevention in the first 10 moves
• Three of your last five losses came from dropping major material before move 10 (e.g. 6.Nd5! in the loss to IamIam247).
• Habit to fix: “SCAN before you MOVE.” After your opponent moves, consciously ask:
✓ What is checked? – Any immediate king threat?
✓ What is captured? – Are any of my pieces now en prise?
✓ What is forked? – Knights on e5/d5/c6/f6 often double-attack.
Train this with 3-minute tactics—speed isn’t the goal; accuracy is. -
Piece activity vs. pawn grabbing
Against benghi0825 you grabbed two pawns (12.Bxb7, 19.Bxb4) but fell behind in development, leading to back-rank issues and mate on move 48.
Guideline: until all pieces are out and king is safe, “ignore sideways snacks.” Count tempi as valuable assets, not just material. -
King safety when you play …e5 systems as Black
In the loss to Saaddin535 your king stayed in the centre with open e- and f-files. Memorise this rule: “If the e-file opens, castle this move or close the file immediately.”
Recommended line: in the English Four-Knights try 5…g6 (Modern setup) or 5…e6 (solid) to avoid early pressure from Nd5/F4. -
Time management
Two recent games were lost on the clock while you were better. Try mixing in 10-minute or 15-minute games to practice deeper thinking without feeling rushed. Gradually the habit of quick but complete blunder-checks will carry over to faster time-controls.
Concrete training plan (4 weeks)
- Tactics: 20 puzzles/day focusing on rating 400-800. Aim for 85 % accuracy rather than speed.
- Middlegame themes: Each week pick one motif (forks, pins, discovered attacks, back-rank mates). Watch one 10-minute video, then solve motif-specific puzzles.
- Endgames: Alternate days between K+P basics and rook endings. Use the 3-check rule to remember opposition.
- Annotated review: After every session, choose one win and one loss, run them through the Chess.com analysis, and write one “What I will do differently next time” note. (You’ve already started saving PGNs—excellent!)
Highlights for inspiration
Your miniature versus Lizhbear shows the power of rapid development and tactical awareness—strive to replicate that clarity in every game.
Your stats snapshot
Peak rapid rating: • Most active hour: check • Day-by-day momentum:
Key concepts to keep at hand
- Centralisation – the fastest route to activity.
- Minor-piece coordination – bishops and knights work best when they share targets.
- Back-rank safety – avoid self-made mating nets; see back-rank weakness.
- Zugzwang awareness in pawn endgames – learn how opposition forces the issue (zugzwang).
Final encouragement
You’ve climbed from sub-400 to 570 rapid in just a few days—a fantastic leap! Keep the momentum by prioritising blunder-free openings, staying curious, and reviewing every game, win or lose. Your tactical eye is already sharp; combine it with consistent king safety and you’ll break 700 very soon.
Enjoy your chess journey, and feel free to reach out any time you plateau. Good luck!