andrycos FM

Hi andrycos!

Congratulations on your recent climb toward 2000+ in live 3-minute increment games. Your attacking style and willingness to steer the game into dynamic positions are clear strengths. Below is some tailored feedback based on your latest games, aiming to help you convert even more of those promising positions into full points.

Your current form at a glance

• Peak rapid rating so far: 2060 (2020-04-05)
• Typical activity patterns:
   
• Most-played openings: French Tarrasch (White), Closed Sicilian (White), Caro-Kann (Black).

What you’re already doing well

1. Early initiative. In several wins (e.g. vs. maljevicmikan and nielsnybo) you seized space quickly with a3/Bd3/h4–h5 type plans and never let the opponent untangle.
2. Piece activity over material. You willingly give pawns for open lines (14.Bxh7!! in the Tarrasch game and 19.Nxd5! in the Closed Sicilian) — that courage often forces blunders in practical time controls.
3. Conversion technique in winning endgames. The rook endgame vs. practicexx shows good centralization and pawn-majority play.

Key areas to focus on next

1. Time management. Four of the last six losses were on the clock. Try the “30-second rule”: if you’ve spent half a minute and still don’t see a clear tactic, make the safest of your candidate moves and keep pressure.
2. Caro-Kann structures with …b6/…Bb7. In the loss vs. emanuelgch90 your queenside fianchetto left dark squares weak and the e6-pawn backward. Study model games in the Classical line instead (…Bf5 or …c5 breaks) and avoid drifting into passive setups.
3. Handling counter-attacks on your king. When you push g- and h-pawns (Closed Sicilian & English) remember king safety first. A single tempo to play Kh2 or h3 before throwing pawns can avoid the kind of back-rank tactics that cost material in your recent English losses.
4. Endgame calculation under fatigue. The long Scotch and English endgames were lost after a single tactical slip (e.g. overlooking the passed c-pawn or …Rxc3). Daily 5-minute sessions on simple rook-pawn endings will build muscle memory so you can rely on pattern, not calculation, when the clock is low.

Opening checkpoints for the next two weeks

• French Tarrasch: add the “Minority Attack” idea b4–b5 against Black’s …c5/a5 setup. Review one model game by Ulf Andersson.
• Closed Sicilian: prepare a queen-side plan with a4–a5 & c3-d4 as a flexible alternative to wing-pawns when Black castles queenside.
• Caro-Kann as Black: test the ...c5 break lines in blitz. They give you an immediate counter-punch and reduce the risk of long, cramped positions.

Suggested weekly routine

Quick tactic to try right now

From your French win (position after 13…Qa7):

Find the strongest continuation for White and compare with your game — can you improve on 14.Bxh7!?

Glossary refresh

Review the concepts of an outpost and prophylaxis — both arise frequently in the French and Caro-Kann structures you play.

Final words

You’re very close to stabilizing above 2000. Tightening your clock discipline and reinforcing a couple of critical structures will get you there. Keep the fighting spirit, and good luck in your next session!