Coach Chesswick
Performance Snapshot for Antifish7
Your tactical, forward-pressing style has produced some excellent attacking wins. Keep an eye on these numbers as you continue to climb:
Peak so far: 2602 (2018-09-24)
What you are doing well
- Sharp tactical awareness. Games against holgitch and stefanbusch were decided by well-timed piece sacrifices (e.g. 29.Rxb7+).
- Opening consistency. As White you steer positions toward Slav / QGD structures you understand; as Black your Caro-Kann set-ups reliably reach middlegames you enjoy.
- Conversion of passed pawns. In your latest win you shepherded an outside passer from c-pawn → c6 → c7 with calm rook coordination—textbook technique.
Key areas to improve
- King safety before pawn storms. The loss to Mi-Wan (…Qxh2#) shows the danger of wing expansion without a “blunder-check.” Build the habit: before pushing any pawn in front of your king, spend 5 seconds asking “What checks, captures, or threats did I just allow?”
- Off-beat gambit defence. The Englund gambit caught you out. Prepare one clean line (e.g. 3.dxe5 Nc6 4.Nf3 f6 5.Nc3!) so you can punish it on autopilot.
- Clock management. You lost on time vs yukinoy after burning 40 s on quiet moves 18-21. Try the “30-second rule”: if the position is stable and you are still calculating after 30 s, make the safest of your candidate moves and save the rest of the time for later.
- Rook + minor-piece endgames. In the English vs zaitsev_evgeny the active-rook principle was missed. Study one classic example each day this week; pay special attention to concepts like zugzwang and the defensive umbrella.
Opening checklist for the next two weeks
| System | Mini-goal |
|---|---|
| Slav / QGD (White) | Rehearse plans vs …c6 …a6 (your 5.a4 lines) and store them in your notes. |
| Caro-Kann Advance (Black) | Add the modern …c5 idea vs 4.Nf3 5.Be2 (Short Variation); memorise key manoeuvres. |
| Anti-gambits | Create a one-page trap sheet vs Englund, Budapest & Scandinavian; drill it until you can recite the moves blindfold. |
Weekly training plan
- ⏱ 3 × 20 min Puzzle Rush focusing on defensive resources and mating nets.
- ♟ 2 blitz games per day immediately followed by engine review; tag positions where a zwischenzug was missed.
- 🕒 One 15 + 10 rapid game each weekend to practise the endgames you are studying.
Drill this position
Replay the finishing sequence from your win vs Holgitch. Pause after every move and ask “Was this the only win?”—turns a victory into a calculation exercise.
Next milestone
With tighter king safety and faster decisions you’re on track to break the 2300-blitz barrier again this season. Keep up the focused work—good luck!