Annagozel Mekanowa WFM

Hi Annagozel!

Great work recently – your attacking flair and willingness to play sharp positions are paying off. Below is a concise review of your current strengths, common trouble spots and an action-oriented improvement plan.

What you do well

• Tactical alertness. Your last win (C53 Italian) shows excellent calculation – the Bxf4 / d4 pawn break on move 14 opened files exactly when your opponent’s king was still in the centre. (
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• Central space with e4 – d4 pawns. Most of your White games feature healthy centre control that lets you choose when to attack or simplify.
• Piece activity over material. You often give a pawn (or the exchange) to keep pieces coordinated – a key trait of strong practical players.

Recurring issues

• Clock management. Two of the last five losses were on time while the positions were playable or even better for you. Blitz requires “decision speed” – avoiding 20-second thinks on non-critical moves.
• Caro-Kann & QGD structures as Black. In several losses you traded the c-pawn early, then struggled with cramped light pieces (e.g. …Qd7+…g5 plan that left your king exposed). A sounder scheme would be …c6–c5 or …e6–c5 in one go, following classical Carlsbad ideas.
• Pawn over-extensions. Pushing g- and h-pawns before completing development invited tactics against your own king (see the B07 loss where …g5 …h5 backfired). Work on king safety first.

Training roadmap

1. Time-use drills. Play 5+3 games and force yourself to move within 15 s for the first 12 moves. The habit of quick, confident openings will carry into faster formats.
2. Refresh key Black repertoires.
   • Caro-Kann: study the mainline 4…Nf6 5.Nf3 Nc6 ideas to avoid passive …e6 lines.
   • Queen’s Gambit Declined: practice typical minority-attack plans; avoid early …cxd4 unless you are ready for isolated-pawn play.
3. Endgame conversion. In winning positions you sometimes keep pieces you no longer need. Trade into simplified endings when up material and use zugzwang themes. zugzwang
4. Daily tactics set (15 min). Focus on defensive puzzles as well – spotting your opponent’s threats will reduce blunders.
5. Self-review routine. After every session pick one win and one loss, annotate without an engine first, then compare to the computer. This accelerates pattern recognition.

Progress trackers

• Peak blitz rating: 1926 (2020-08-18)
• When do you score best?

Next focus game

Revisit move 14 of your loss vs officialm_o (D26). Ask: “Which piece is undeveloped, and can I improve it instead of launching …g5?” Spotting these prophylactic moments is the final step from strong tactical player to well-rounded competitor. prophylaxis

Keep the energy and creativity flowing – with steadier time management and a solid Black blueprint you’re well on your way to 1900+ blitz.

Good luck, and enjoy the journey!