Coach Chesswick
Hi Alexander (Alzhur)!
You are already a strong rapid player (current peak: 2208 (2023-06-19)), and your games show an energetic, initiative-oriented style. Below are some observations drawn from your most recent sessions, followed by an action plan to help you climb to the next band.
What you’re doing well
- Initiative-First Mind-set. In wins such as vs nechkinsa (Giuoco Pianissimo) you constantly posed problems and converted the extra activity into tactics like 22.f4! and 26.Qxf6.
- Tactical Vision. Your mating combinations (e.g. 29.Bh7+!! followed by 32.Qxf7#) show that you are comfortable spotting multi-move forcing lines.
- Time Management. You usually keep a ≥3-minute reserve, so “blitzing” at critical moments is not costing you games.
Main improvement themes
-
Pawn-Storm Discipline
• In the Vienna loss to babyshka_boy you launched 14.f4, 15.g4, 17.g5 & 20.h4 before completing development.
• Black’s simple …b5–b4 created a counter-hook and your king became the target.
Rule of thumb: storm only after your king is safe and the centre is closed. Re-watch the critical phase: . -
Central Squares vs. Knights
• Twice this week opponents used …Nd4 (vs Vienna) or …Nf4 (Alekhine endgame) to seize dark-square outposts.
• Your pieces were forced into passive squares and pawns became targets.
Training tip: add 20 puzzles tagged “outpost” & “knight” to your daily routine and study the model game Capablanca–Yates 1930 (prophylaxis against …Nd4). -
Endgame Technique
• In the Alekhine Defence game you reached a rook + minor-piece endgame that was objectively equal, but drifted after 31…Rb8.
• Missed chances: 38…Rxd6! simplifying; 49…Nc2+? allowed White’s a-pawn to queen.
Action: 15 minutes/day on rook-and-pawn basics (Philidor, Lucena) and practise conversion vs. Stockfish level 5 from the diagram below.
Opening micro-targets for the next 30 games
| Colour | First move | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1.e4 | Play one of: Italian (+d3 c3 lines) or Vienna without early g-pawn pushes until 15 pieces developed. |
| Black | …e5 / …c5 | After …Nf6 in Alekhine or Najdorf, make an “automatic” safety check: king, centre, loose pawn count = 0 before launching counterplay. |
Measured goals
- Reduce games lost to players <200 elo below you to ≤10 % (current sample: 40 %).
- Score ≥80 % in “easy” tactics (rating ≤2100) with < 30 s per puzzle.
- Track progress with and .
Next steps
- Re-play each loss once with an engine, once without. Note first moment evaluation swung by >1.5.
- Create a mini repertoire file; add one comment per move explaining its purpose.
- Schedule a training game vs. a 2200-2300 sparring partner each week and annotate together.
Stay disciplined with your pawn structure and you should break 2300 soon. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!
Glossary: prophylaxis, outpost, Philidor position