Coach Chesswick
Hi alokchittoria7! Here’s some personalised feedback to help you climb beyond .
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
- 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. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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!