Coach Chesswick
Hi Nelson, here’s some personalized feedback based on your recent games.
What you’re doing well
- Tactical alertness. Your wins against players such as hersco and aquilesboy59 show you can spot combinations like 27.Nf7# and resource-grabbing ideas (e.g. 19…Nxe4!).
- Pressure on open files. In several Ruy/Italian wins you doubled rooks quickly and kept them active, a key reason you convert middlegame advantages into full points.
- End-game resilience. The conversion versus still_the0ry demonstrates solid technique with rook + pawn end-games—good practical skill.
- Rating trend. Your 2507 (2020-03-20) shows steady upward movement—evidence that study is paying off.
Key areas to focus on next
-
Choice of lines in the Two-Knights/Italian as Black.
In the loss to shritans you played …Ng4 and later …Nh6/…f4, giving White tempi and dark-square control. Consider:- Learning the main line 8…d5! 9.exd5 Na5 10.Bb5+ c6.
- If you prefer solid play, study the modern Polerio-Hungarian set-up with …Be7 instead of …Ng4.
-
French Tarrasch structures.
Two French games slipped away after early …c5 followed by exchanges that left weak dark squares (example: vs VladaSviridova). Work on:- Typical pawn breaks …f6 and …c5 timing.
- Keeping the bad bishop active by delaying …Be7 until the center is clarified.
-
Anti-Slav middlegame tactics.
Against 1.d4 you reach reasonable positions but tactics on f5/f6 or the c-file hurt you (loss to Pantata007). Spend a session on pattern recognition: minority attack ideas, e3 sacrifices, and typical e4-e5 break motifs. -
Clock management in blitz.
Three losses were on time with playable positions. Simple habits help:- Use increments to “buy back” 10–15 seconds after every tactical sequence.
- Adopt a move/second benchmark (e.g. never below 15 s before move 20).
Suggested study plan (4-week cycle)
| Week | Focus | Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian as Black | Build a forced-line flashcard deck; play 10 training games using only prepared lines. |
| 2 | French Tarrasch | Review 15 GM games; annotate your two recent losses looking for pawn-break moments. |
| 3 | Slav middlegame tactics | 100 tactics featuring …c5, minority attack, Bxh7+/e4 breaks. |
| 4 | End-games & time-management | Daily 10-min rook-pawn drills; play 20 blitz games with the goal “finish with 30 s on clock”. |
Progress dashboard
Use these to track improvement:
Motivation
“Small, targeted improvements compound quickly. Sharpen one opening and one end-game per month, and you’ll outgrow your current rating bracket before you notice.”
Keep up the good work, Nelson, and enjoy the journey!