Alex Byrne

What you’re doing well in rapid games

You have a knack for active, tactical openings that put immediate pressure on your opponent. Openings like the Amazon Attack and Slav Defense show you can seize the initiative and create practical chances right from the start. Your ability to navigate dynamic middlegames and keep options open under time pressure is a clear strength in rapid play.

• You handle sharp, tactical lines confidently and aim for concrete targets rather than slow maneuvering.
• You recover well in complex positions and often convert small advantages into decisive moments.
• You manage to keep the pressure up in the middlegame, which often unsettles opponents in rapid time controls.

Key improvement areas with concrete steps

• Time management under rapid: allocate your thinking time more evenly across the game and practice deciding between candidates quickly. Use a simple expected-time plan: 1–2 minutes for critical middlegame decisions, with a quick check for tactics before a big exchange.
• Decision quality in the middlegame: after the opening, write down a short plan for the next 8–12 moves and continuously reassess it as pieces come off. If you’re ever uncertain, switch to a simpler plan (activate rooks, target the king side, or queen-side minority attack) to avoid getting stuck in long tactical lines with little to gain.
• Endgame conversion: work on common rook and minor-piece endings and aim to convert any small material or tempo advantages into a win. Practice sensing practical transitions rather than chasing long theoretical lines.
• Opening breadth and predictable responses: while you have strong results in certain lines, broaden your repertoire slightly to avoid being too predictable. Learn 1–2 reliable responses to the main defenses you face and be prepared for typical middle game ideas arising from those openings.

Opening performance insights and practical plan

• You perform especially well in tactically rich lines (e.g., Amazon Attack and Slav-like setups). Lean into those when you’re comfortable, but also add 1–2 solid variations for diversity so opponents can’t easily steer you into a single type of position.
• For openings that show more draws or losses, build a quick-reference plan: identify the typical middlegame pawn structures and common tactical motifs you should watch for (e.g., early piece activity vs. solid pawn armor) and practice those themes in short training games.
• Establish a small set of “rule-of-thumb” ideas after each opening—what rooks typically do in the resulting middlegame, where to launch counterplay, and where to look for a simplification that keeps you with practical chances.

Two-week, actionable training plan

• Focus on time management: practise 15–20 minute rapid games with a strict per-move plan. After each game, note where you spent excessive time and what decision point caused the delay.
• Daily tactical drills (10–15 minutes) to sharpen spotting of forcing moves and tactical tricks that commonly appear in your favored openings.
• Review 2–3 recent games to identify recurring middlegame decision mistakes and endgame transitions; summarize 3 concrete improvements from them.

How we’ll track progress

We’ll monitor two practical indicators over the next two weeks: (1) improvement in time management metrics during rapid games, and (2) a higher rate of decisive results in your favored openings. After two weeks, we’ll review your latest games to identify if you’re converting more advantages into wins and whether your endgames are becoming more reliable.

Next steps

• Share a couple of recent rapid games you’d like reviewed in detail, focusing on points where time pressure hit or where you felt unsure about the plan.
• Tell me which two openings you want to deepen next (beyond your current strengths), and I’ll prepare targeted lines and a short plan for them.
• We can schedule a 20–30 minute focused session to drill the two-week plan and adjust based on how you’re progressing.