Coach Chesswick
What Anna does well in blitz
Anna shows a readiness to fight for dynamic, tactical positions. In openings that lead to sharp, active play, you maintain pressure and keep options open for creating threats. You also demonstrate resilience in complicated middlegames and the ability to convert opportunities when your opponent overreaches. In blitz, having a willingness to take the initiative and seek tactical chances is a strong asset.
Key areas to improve
- Endgame technique: work on converting advantages and finishing off games cleanly. Focus on rook endings and simple king-and-pawn endings to improve consistency when material is balanced or you’re ahead.
- Time management: in blitz, early time pressure can lead to mistakes. Practice keeping a modest pace in the first 15 moves and reserve time for critical decisions later in the game. Develop a routine to quickly scan for threats after each move.
- Tactical vigilance: ensure you pause to verify tactics before making forcing moves. A quick two-step check after a complex tactic (threats on your king, material dynamics, and counterplay) can prevent costly blunders.
- Opening repertoire consolidation: you perform well in several sharp lines, but occasional uncertainty from unfamiliar continuations can lead to uncomfortable middlegames. Narrow your opening choices to 2–3 solid lines and study the typical middlegame plans and pawn structures that arise in them.
- Post-game review habit: after each blitz session, review 1–2 critical moments from each game. Note the turning points and consider alternatives you could have played more accurately under time pressure.
Opening performance highlights
Based on your openings data, some patterns stand out. Here are a few takeaways you can use to guide practice in blitz:
- Sicilian Defense: Closed (White or Black) shows a healthy activity level and a win rate around 52%. This suggests you’re comfortable navigating sharp, dynamic positions; continue refining the typical middlegame plans from this line.
- Alekhine Defense: about 119 games with a win rate around 54.6%. This indicates you perform well in unbalancing, tactical structures—keep building a crisp in-hand sense for these positions.
- Unknown openings: a broad category with roughly 50.7% win rate. This often corresponds to unfamiliar lines or less defined repertoires. Consider standardizing 2–3 reliable lines to reduce uncertainty in blitz.
- Caro-Kann Defense and other solid lines generally show lower win rates in this sample. If you want steadier results, you might pair 1) a sharp, tactical option (like Sicilian Closed or Alekhine) and 2) a solid, solid-sounding alternative to switch gears when the position asks for quieter play.
- Other named lines (Vienna Gambit, Dutch, Colle variations, etc.) show mixed results. Use these as occasional bets rather than your primary blitz weapons until you’re confident with their main tactical motifs and typical endgames.
Practice plan for the coming weeks
- Deepen 2–3 core openings: pick Sicilian Defense: Closed and Alekhine Defense as Black, plus one reliable White system (such as English or Colle) and study their typical middlegame plans for 15–25 moves.
- Daily tactics: complete 15–20 minutes of tactical puzzles to sharpen calculation under time pressure, focusing on motifs that frequently appear in your chosen openings.
- Endgame drills: dedicate 2 sessions per week to rook endings and king-and-pawn endings to improve conversion in the blitz finish.
- Post-game review: after each practice block, review at least 1–2 blitz games to identify the main blunders or missed opportunities and write down 1-2 improvements to apply next time.
- Blitz simulation: schedule 1 focused blitz session per week where you practice 5–10 games with a fixed time control and a specific plan for early middlegame transitions (e.g., aim for a sharp middlegame in 15 moves, then test endgame technique).
Tips to apply in your next games
- At the start of a game, commit to a pace that allows you to decide on the first 12–15 moves with enough clarity before time pressure mounts.
- When you sense you’re entering a tactical melee, pause for a moment to check for immediate threats to your own king and material balance before committing to a sequence.
- Use a concise “threat-check” rule after every capture: what can my opponent do next, and is there a forcing line I should be aware of?
- Keep a short repertoire cheat sheet for your 2–3 main openings so you can recognize standard ideas quickly and avoid getting bogged down in unfamiliar lines.
Next steps
If you’d like, I can tailor a personalized, two-week or four-week study plan based on your current openings performance and your rating trend. I can also create a simple, printable one-page opening and endgame checklist to use during blitz sessions.