Recent blitz performance snapshot
You’ve shown clear potential in your blitz play. A positive one-month trend suggests you can capitalize on momentum, while the longer three-month dip indicates there were a few tougher runs or riskier decisions during that stretch. Your overall strength across a year remains solid, and your strength-adjusted win rate is respectable. The openings data shows you’re comfortable with a few solid Black choices and you can press when you seize the moment. The key is to keep alignment between early decisions, middlegame plans, and endgame technique, even when the clock is tight.
What you’re doing well
- You can convert aggressive positions into decisive outcomes, as shown in your most recent win where quick piece activity and a forcing sequence led to checkmate. This shows good calculation under pressure and the ability to finish when your opponent is under fire.
- Your opening choices demonstrate solid understanding of mainstream structures. Against the Caro-Kann setup and similar defenses, you reach playable middlegames with practical chances, and you’re comfortable navigating typical middlegame plans.
- You keep practical chances in a variety of endgames. Even in complex lines, you look for active king and rook activity and seek to convert small advantages into practical winning chances.
Areas to improve
- Consistency under time pressure: blitz can tempt you to overshift into long tactical sequences. Practice keeping a simple, robust plan in the first 20 moves and reserve deeper calculations for when you have more time or a clear target.
- Endgame technique and conversion: in some longer games you end up in rook-and-pawn endings with unclear plans. Strengthen fundamental endgame patterns (rooks on open files, king activity, pawn structure) to convert advantages more reliably.
- Pattern recognition in openings: your Caro-Kann and related lines are solid, but you benefit from broadening the repertoire and studying common middlegame ideas in your go-to openings. This helps you reach favorable positions more quickly and avoid missteps in the transition to the middlegame.
- Time management during critical moments: develop a habit of quick, safety-first checks before committing to a tactical shot, especially when the position looks tactically rich but murky. A simple “threat check, plan check, material check” before each move can reduce avoidable mistakes.
Practical plan for the next 2 weeks
- Post-game review routine: after each blitz session, pick 2-3 critical moments from every game and analyze alternative safe lines. Focus on where you could have protected your king, avoided overextension, or found a simpler winning route.
- Endgame practice: dedicate 15 minutes per session to rook endings and king activity exercises. Use common rook endgame drills to improve technique in practical blitz endings.
- Pattern drills: complete 15 minutes of tactical puzzles daily, emphasizing motifs that appeared in your recent games (back-rank ideas, rook lifts, forcing sequences, and mating nets).
- Opening refinement: pick one Caro-Kann and one Scandinavian/Munch-like line you play as Black, and study 2-3 typical middlegame plans and common endgames from those lines. This helps you reach confident middlegames faster.
- Time-management drill: play short practice games (5+0 or 3+2) focusing on finishing within the time control with at least a 60-second buffer on the clock in the final 5 moves.
Openings and plan adjustments
Your openings show a healthy base with solid results in several lines. Notably, Scandinavian Defense and some Sicilian lines have produced strong win rates. Caro-Kann remains a workhorse, but its win rate is closer to your overall performance, suggesting room for sharpening specific sub-ideas. Consider the following:
- Continue using the Scandinavian and Sicilian-leaning lines where you’re comfortable, since they currently provide you with good winning chances.
- Strengthen one or two Caro-Kann setups more deeply. Build a small set of go-to middlegame plans against the common replies so you reach strong positions more quickly in blitz.
- Be prepared with a simple fallback if an opponent plays unexpected sidelines. A few pre-manned responses help you avoid being taken out of rhythm in the opening phase.
Personal growth notes
1-month rating change shows a positive uptick, suggesting current focus is paying off. The 3-month trend highlights a period of volatility, so the priority is stability and consistent decision-making under time pressure. The 6- and 12-month trend data indicate long-term growth potential, so keep building a sustainable routine that reinforces good habits rather than short-term spike plays.
Profile and further practice
For quick access to your profile and ongoing training materials, see alexanderjasson.