Coach Chesswick
Hi Andrew!
Congrats on your recent run of wins (including the spirited attack against hawkeye-86) and for pushing your blitz-960 rating close to 2480 (2024-07-09). The notes below highlight what is already working and what can be sharpened to break through the next rating band.
What you’re doing well
- Initiative-first mindset. Many of your victories start with energetic pawn breaks (…g6 / f-pawns in your Black games; g- and f-pawns as White) that open lines for active pieces. In the win below you combined pawn storms with a rook lift and created mating nets in time trouble:
- Tactical awareness. Exchanges such as 14.Rxf5! in the game against cvrckvrc show a good eye for loose pieces and intermediate moves. You are rarely afraid to sacrifice material when the resulting activity is obvious.
- Nerve in time scrambles. Even with only seconds on the clock you keep finding forcing moves, often converting completely winning positions that many players would flag in.
Key growth areas
- Opening structure & king safety.
• In several losses (e.g. vs Maptip) early pawn thrusts left holes that were exploited later. Try anchoring your plans around classic centre formations first, then unleash pawn storms.
• Playing a few standard starting positions will help you recognise typical plans more quickly in 960. Pick one e-pawn and one d-pawn structure to study in depth. - Move-order details.
Your tactics are sharp, but occasionally a missing Zwischenzug or overlooked counter checks cost material (see 22…Nd3+ in the loss vs MarioKapsarov). Habit: after selecting a move, spend two seconds asking “what is my opponent’s most annoying reply?” before you play it. - Time management.
Two recent defeats were on the clock in roughly equal positions. Aim to reach move 15 with ≥1:45 left. Practical tips:- Use your opponent’s think time to calculate your next two moves.
- When the position is stable, invest 3-5 seconds to build a plan so you can blitz out several moves later.
- Positional conversion.
When the sharp phase is over, slow down and switch to Prophylaxis: improve worst piece, restrict counter-play, only then chase pawns. In the Couillaccus game you grabbed material but allowed counter play on the queenside that became decisive.
Action plan for the next month
- Each session, annotate one win and one loss with a computer afterwards. Focus on the first 12 moves and every missed tactic of >1 pawn.
- Play 3-4 rapid games (10|0 or 15|10) weekly to practise deeper calculation without the clock pressure that masks strategic blind spots.
- Puzzle streak: 15-minute daily tactical workout. Prioritise themes you’ve missed recently (overloaded pieces, mating nets, deflections).
- Create a mini 960 repertoire notebook: for every starting position you face, jot down
- Castling options & safest king.
- First central pawn you want to move.
- Ideal minor-piece development squares.
- Review a handful of classical games featuring opposite-side pawn storms (Fischer–Benko 1963, Shirov attacking classics) to absorb timing of pawn pushes and piece sacrifices.
Progress tracker
Use these to spot when you play your best chess:
Final thought
Your attacking instincts are a real asset. Blend them with a little more opening discipline and clock control and you’ll be poised to cross the 1900 barrier soon. Enjoy the journey and keep the games coming!