Carlos Barrero Garcia IM

Quick summary

Carlos — good run recently: you're converting winning chances and mixing solid opening choices with practical, tactical play. Below I highlight what you did well in your recent blitz games, recurring leaks to fix, and a concrete 4‑week practice plan to push your blitz score up.

What you're doing well

• Opening preparation: you reach comfortable middlegames from solid systems like the Caro-Kann Defense and French-type setups. That gives you a reliable structure to play for advantage quickly.
• Tactical alertness in sharp moments: in your recent wins you found energetic knight and rook ideas to create decisive threats (example: the win where you finished with a forcing rook invasion — review:
  ).
• Practical time use: you generally keep enough clock for the middlegame and use the increment to calculate critical sequences — a big plus in blitz.
• Attacking instinct: you push kingside pawn storms and knight infiltrations at the right moments (example: the game where Ng7 + f5 created decisive pressure).

Recurring weaknesses to fix

• King safety and coordination: a few times (especially in tense middlegames) your king ended up exposed or you delayed connecting rooks. In one loss the opponent exploited a back‑rank / infiltration idea after your rook got stuck on the edge — review that sequence:
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• Occasional tunnel vision: when you see one plan (e.g., pawn storm or piece sacrifice) you sometimes miss simple defensive resources for the opponent — pause a beat when the position becomes forcing and check opponent replies.
• Handling sacrifices and simplifications: when you have the initiative you sometimes allow counterplay by not completing the simplification (exchanging the right pieces), which gives the opponent tactical chances.

Concrete habits to adopt (immediate)

• Rule of thumb for king safety: if you castle short and start a flank attack, keep at least one rook connected (or be ready to create luft or an escape square). Ask: "if my opponent gives a check here, do I have to lose material?"
• Before making forcing-looking moves, force yourself to ask: "What is my opponent's best reply?" — visualise two replies quickly in your head. If you can't, spend a little time — these are the moves that swing blitz games.
• When ahead in material: simplify into an endgame or liquidate one attacking piece — convert rather than keep complications unless you see a clear finish.
• When down on the clock: avoid speculative sac moves unless they are truly forcing. Opt for checks and captures if you must play quickly.

Tactical and calculation drills

• Daily: 20–30 tactics on mixed difficulty (focus on mates, forks, pins, deflections). Time each batch to simulate blitz pressure.
• Visualization drill (3× week): set up a quiet position and calculate a 4‑move variation in your head, then check on the board.
• Blitz puzzle rush: 10 minutes at fast time to train speed, then 10 minutes slower with explanation for mistakes.

Opening work (practical, 15–30 minutes)

• Keep the main lines you play but add one "anti‑trap" line per opening: for example, in the Caro-Kann Defense and French systems review typical traps your opponents use and how to neutralize them.
• Build 5 move playlists: memorize typical middlegame plans arising from your openings (pawn breaks, ideal squares). This reduces calculation load in blitz.
• Study one opponent-style idea per week — e.g., how to respond when White plays an early Bg5 vs your Caro‑Kann.

Endgame / conversion checklist

• If ahead by a pawn: exchange into a rook + pawn ending when safe; keep the king active.
• Avoid "passive winning" — if you are up, watch out for counterplay along open files and long diagonals.
• Practice simple theoretical wins (king + rook vs king, rook + pawn endings) so you convert instinctively under time pressure.

4‑week blitz improvement plan

• Week 1 — Tactics and calculation: 30 min/day tactics, 3 visualization sessions, review 10 recent games for missed tactics.
• Week 2 — Practical openings & model middlegames: 20 min opening review + 20 min of thematic middlegame studies from your favorite systems.
• Week 3 — Endgames & conversion: 30–40 min practicing key endgames, plus 2 blitz sessions where your goal is to convert +1 positions.
• Week 4 — Integration: 5 blitz games/day, post‑mortem 15–20 minutes each, focus on repeating mistakes, keep a short log of recurring errors.

Game study suggestions (use these examples)

• Study your recent loss vs Francesco Bentivegna — the final sequence shows how a back‑rank/infiltration idea can finish the game. Replay it here and try to find defensive resources for Black:
• Replay a recent win (the game where you used Ng7 + f5 style attack) and mark the turning points — what made the opponent's position collapse? Use that pattern again in your blitz games: lexcorp1234

Practical blitz tips (one-line reminders)

• When you see a forcing tactic, pause for a second and verify the opponent's best reply.
• Prefer simplifying to an easily winning endgame when materially ahead in blitz.
• Use pre-moves sparingly — only when there's no counterplay.
• If the position is unclear, steer to low‑risk moves that keep options open (develop, centralize, exchange a piece if it reduces opponent threats).

Final encouragement

Your rating trend and opening performance show you're doing many things right. Tightening up king safety, sharpening the habit of checking opponent replies, and focused tactics/endgame drills will turn more close games into wins. Keep a short post‑game note (1–2 lines) about "why I won / why I lost" — that alone accelerates improvement in blitz.

Want a short personalized training calendar I can generate for you (with daily tasks and links to puzzles)? Reply and I'll make a 4‑week calendar tailored to how many minutes per day you want to train.