Alok Chittoria

Hi alokchittoria7!  Here’s some personalised feedback to help you climb beyond 901 (2025-01-11).

1. What you already do well

• Active piece play. Your wins show a willingness to seize space with moves such as c4, f4 and a4, then switch pieces onto aggressive squares.
• End-game determination. In the victory against mathiiisglbt you converted a Q vs R+N ending methodically, keeping checks going until resignation.
• Opening discipline (when it works). You have a clear favourite set-up (Nf3–d4–e3–b3–Bb2/Bb5). Sticking to a structure helps you reach middlegames you understand.

2. Repeating problems that cost you games

• King-side light-square holes. Four recent losses ended with …Qxh2/​Qxh3#. They all had the same recipe: you castle short, play g3 or f3, push the b-pawn, and forget that h2/h3 becomes undefended.
• Pawns before pieces. Early pushes such as 10.b4, 6.h4, or 12.b4 (vs AgentOrange001, yargote & others) weakened your own camp more than they hurt the opponent.
• Tactical blind spots. Example:
  Here 17. Ra3 overlooked Black’s Rac8/Rxc1/Qb2 idea. One extra “opponent’s move” check would have revealed it.
• Re-using the same piece. Several openings feature the bishop sortie to Bb5+, immediate exchange, then you spend three moves picking up the pawn with a knight/queen. Meanwhile the rest of the army waits on the back rank.

3. Quick fixes for the next sessions

1. Adopt a 20-second blunder-check routine
   Before every move ask: “What does my opponent threaten next? What will be hanging after my intended move?” A forced habit cuts 75 % of the cheap mates you are suffering.
2. Delay side-pawn thrusts.
   • Play b3 only after your king-side is firmly protected (bishop on e2/f1, queen covering h5–e2 diagonal).
   • Skip h4 / g3 unless you have a concrete attacking plan.
3. Repair the light squares.
   After castling short, keep at least one defender on g2/h2. Typical methods:
   • Place a knight on f3/h2.
   • Re-route the dark-squared bishop to e2 or f1 instead of trading it off early.
4. Broaden your opening menu.
   Play a few games with c4 → Nc3 → Bg5 (London-style) or a straight Queen’s Gambit (c4 d4 Nc3). It will teach you different pawn structures and reduce predictability.
5. 90-minutes/week of tactical sprints.
   Aim for 200–300 puzzles/week at your current puzzle rating. Emphasise
   • Queen sacrifices on h7/h2
   • Double attacks/forks on the back rank
   • Defensive resources (interpositions, perpetual checks)

4. Longer-term study plan

• Game review cadence. After every session pick one win and one loss. Replay them without engine, writing down why each critical move felt attractive. Only then turn Stockfish on.
• End-game foundations. Practise the textbook K+P vs K and basic rook endings. Even Rapid players drop points here—your conversion vs MathiiisGlbt was good, but make it replicable.
• Introduce prophylactic thinking. Five times a game pause and ask: “If my opponent had the move twice, what could hurt me most?” This inoculates you against sudden tactics.

5. Track your improvement

Keep an eye on your activity graphs:

Enjoy the climb, stay curious, and good luck at the board!