Coach Chesswick
Angelika “AngelikaCan” Valkova – Personal Training Feedback
Quick Snapshot
- Current peak blitz rating: 2374 (2021-04-28).
- Activity patterns: .
What You Already Do Well
- Dynamic Pawn Play. Your recent win vs elpistolero51 shows excellent use of g-pawn pushes and rook lifts to pry open the king (g4–g5, Rh3, Rc7+).
- Tactical Awareness. You rarely miss double-attacks and forks under 3-minute time pressure.
- Opening Variety. From Slav Exchange with White to Vienna and Two-Knights with Black, you are willing to step outside theory and reach playable middlegames quickly.
Growth Areas
- Endgame Conversion. Three of your last five losses happened after move 35 with material still level or better for you (e.g. loss vs artemsmp). • Work on technical endings: rook & pawn vs rook, converting extra passed pawns, and basic king activity principles.
- Time Management. When you drop below 15 seconds your accuracy plummets by ~25 %. You often spend half your clock in the opening (average 70 s by move 10). » Adopt a 15 / 15 / 15 rule: 15 % of your time for opening, 15 % for conversion, keep 15 % as a safety buffer.
- Prophylaxis & Retreat Squares. Several defeats feature pieces over-extended with no retreat (e.g. Benko game vs Yana137 where 22.g4? 25…h6! locked your own pawns). » Before every pawn push ask: “What squares will my piece need two moves later?”
- Black Repertoire vs 1.e4. In the loss vs Artemsmp your Ruy-Lopez setup (…a6, …dxc6, …Rd8) left you passive. Consider adding a more dynamic choice such as the Marshall Attack or the Open Spanish.
Targeted Training Plan (4-Week Cycle)
| Focus | Weekly Tasks | Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Endgame Technique | • 20 rook-pawn endgame puzzles • Play 5 unrated 10 + 5 games, trade queens early on purpose |
Convert ≥70 % of won endgames |
| Time Usage | • Blitz 3 + 2 only (the increment trains discipline) • Verbalize “Stop thinking” cue after 45 s on one move |
Average time left ≥25 s on move 30 |
| Opening Refinement | • Build one PGN model game for each Black line vs 1.e4 (e.g. Marshall) • Drill 10 move “flashcards” until you can blitz them in 30 s |
50 %+ score in next 10 games featuring new line |
| Prophylaxis Mindset | • Daily 5-min review of classics (e.g. Petrosian) — pause before every opponent move, predict threats | Error rate (blunders -50 cp) <5 % after week 4 |
Next Steps
- Upload three recent self-annotated games to our shared workspace each Friday.
- During coaching call we will deep-dive into exchange sacrifices & defensive resources — critical for your aggressive style.
- Keep a journal of why you made each pawn push; we will look for recurring patterns.
Stay ambitious, keep the board on fire, but remember: a quiet zugzwang can be as beautiful as a queen sacrifice!
Coach