Coach Chesswick
Performance Review for Alex Steinberg (alexthechess)
Quick Stats
Personal best so far: 2213 (2023-07-17). Keep aiming higher!
Activity snapshots:
What You’re Doing Well
- Resilient play with Black. Your recent win over arielme64 in the Alekhine’s Defence showcased precise knight manoeuvres and a clean mating net:
. - Central counter-play. Against the English you quickly strike with …d5/…c5, preventing White from enjoying an uncontested centre.
- Endgame resourcefulness. Your rook-and-pawn ending versus Clarence Rodriguez highlighted proper king activity and the power of an outside passed pawn.
Priority Areas for Improvement
- Opening focus as White
You rotate between 1.c4, 1.f4 and even 1.c3. Losses to andreas1991 and nihartics suggest uncertainty in unfamiliar structures. Pick one main system (e.g. English with g3) and study 10 model games to internalise typical plans. - Structural decisions
In the andreas1991 game 16.axb3 left you with doubled isolated pawns that became targets. Before exchanging pawns, run a quick “pawn-structure test”: Will this capture leave permanent weaknesses I can defend? - Time management
Two games (e.g. vs. st090828) were lost on the clock. Adopt the 40-20-20 rule for rapid: ~40 % of your time for opening & early middlegame, 20 % for the late middlegame, 20 % plus increment for the endgame, keeping 20 % as a buffer. - Tactical alertness in quiet positions
The premature 9.g4? in the Saragossa Opening allowed …Bxf4 and quick collapse. Train daily with intermediate-level puzzles focusing on deflection, in-between moves and zwischenzug.
Four-Week Study Plan
| Week | Main Goal | Concrete Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solidify English Opening repertoire | Create a mini-repertoire file; annotate 3 GM games; play 10 training games from saved English positions. |
| 2 | Sharpen tactics | Solve 100 puzzles rated 2000-2300; review all failures; tag motifs such as fork & pin. |
| 3 | Endgame conversion | Study key rook-and-pawn endings; reproduce them against engine defence until fluent. |
| 4 | Practical time handling | Play 6 rapid games with a self-imposed 60-second “opening move limit”; review decisions and identify spots where you can trust intuition. |
Motivational Note
You already beat 2050-rated opponents and demonstrate crisp tactical vision when things get concrete. By streamlining your opening choices and refining clock management, reaching 2200 rapid is a realistic near-term goal. Keep analysing, stay curious, and enjoy the climb!