Gustav Törngren FM

Short summary

Nice run — your recent wins show clean tactical calculation and good piece coordination, while your losses point to recurring time-pressure and endgame/conversion issues. Below I highlight concrete patterns, what to keep doing, and specific drills you can start this week.

Representative game (visual)

Here’s a quick interactive snippet of one of your recent wins so you can replay the decisive sequence:

Opponent in that game: Esgata Grunf

What you're doing well

• Quick tactical reading — you spot combinations and trades that win material (see the exchange sacrifice and queen win in the game above).
• Active piece play — you consistently put rooks and bishops on active files/diagonals instead of passively waiting.
• Opening choices suit blitz: you play dynamic systems (for example the King's Indian Defense structures and the English Opening), which yield practical chances and imbalances.
• Strong conversion when you have time — when you keep a comfortable clock you convert advantages cleanly.

Recurring weaknesses to fix

• Time management — several recent games end with you with under 10 seconds, which forces superficial moves. The most recent loss vs Kops_Tudor ended in time trouble rather than a simple tactical refutation.
• Rook-endgame technique and rook activity — opponents often penetrate on the fourth rank or trade into rook endgames where your opponent’s rooks are more active.
• Tendency to repeat small maneuvers (move repetition) instead of making a concrete plan when the clock is low — this costs you momentum and time.
• Not forcing simplification when short on time — when ahead on material or position, simplifying (trade queens or major pieces) with a few accurate moves will reduce risk in time trouble.

Concrete drills (daily & weekly)

• Daily: 10–15 tactical puzzles (3+ minute blitz-style tempo). Focus on pattern recognition (pins, forks, discovered attacks).
• 3× per week: 15–30 minutes of supervised blitz where you force yourself to keep 10+ seconds on the clock at move 20 — aim to make faster opening moves (pre-knowledge) and slow down only where critical.
• Weekly: 6 rook-endgame positions — practice basic textbook wins and defense (cutting off king, active rook behind passed pawn, Lucena and Philidor ideas).
• Once per week: 20–30 minute session reviewing 3 of your own recent games — identify the moment you first got low on time and write down an alternative quick plan you could have used.

Practical checklist to use in blitz (before every move)

• 1) Are any captures or checks available for either side? If yes, calculate immediately.
• 2) What does my opponent threaten next? (one-sentence answer)
• 3) Do I need to trade pieces or simplify to reduce complexity and save time?
• 4) If I'm below 20 seconds, choose a safe, active move — avoid long calculations unless it's decisive.

Opening and middlegame adjustments

• Keep your blitz repertoire lean: learn 3–4 typical move orders and plans (not endless theory). For example, against the Caro-Kann and English lines you already play well, memorize one safe anti-trick and one active plan each.
• In pawn-structure battles (King’s Indian/closed center), set a concrete plan on move 10–12 (target squares/pawn breaks). Your c5 and b4 breaks are good — use them as planned themes rather than reactive pushes.
• Avoid repeated small bishop/knight shuffles when the time is low — pick a purposeful target square (b5, d5, f5) and go there.

Mini training plan for the next 7 days

• Day 1: 15 tactics + 20 min blitz (focus on staying above 30s on clock).
• Day 2: Rook endgame drills (30 minutes): 3 Lucena setups, 3 Philidor setups.
• Day 3: Review the loss vs Kops_Tudor — find the exact move when time went critical and write an alternative 2-move plan.
• Day 4: 15 tactics + 3 rapid (10|0) games focusing on simplification when ahead.
• Day 5: Opening tidy-up: pick your most-used line (Caro-Kann or English) and write down 6 key move-orders and 3 typical plans.
• Day 6: Play a 30-minute mixed session (10 blitz games) and apply the “before every move” checklist.
• Day 7: Reflect & replay — pick best and worst game, note two habits to drop and two to keep.

Quick tips you can apply right now

• If your clock is below 15 seconds: trade queens or enter a simpler rook/knight ending when you're slightly better — you win on technique rather than calculation.
• Use pre-moves sparingly — only when there is absolutely no risk (e.g., recaptures after a known capture).
• When you see a pawn break (c5, f4, g4 etc.) evaluate immediate tactical consequences — many of your tactical wins came from timely pawn pushes that opened lines.

Follow-ups & resources

• Specific openings to review: Caro-Kann Defense and English Opening — keep the plan-based approach rather than memorizing lines.
• If you want, paste 2–3 recent games (or game links) and I’ll mark 3 turning points per game and give precise move alternatives you can memorize for blitz.
• Opponents to review: Kops_Tudor (recent loss), Esgata Grunf (recent win).

Nice work — your calculation and active play are the foundation. Fix the time-management leaks and shore up rook-endgame technique and you'll convert many more of those small advantages into wins. Want a short annotated review of one of the games above?