Arnash Bauyrzhan WFM

Quick overview — Arnash

Nice stretch of wins today: you converted small advantages, created outside passed pawns and used active rooks to put pressure. Your recent losses often come from tactical blows when the clock gets low. Below are focused, practical points you can start using immediately.

What you're doing well

• You convert tiny advantages reliably — your technique to trade into favorable rook/pawn/endgame lines is strong (seen in games vs Niklas Pajuste and sheaplayschess).
• Active rook play and use of open files: you repeatedly invade second/seventh ranks and create decisive entry squares for rooks.
• Creating and pushing passed pawns at the right moment — you turn dynamic chances into concrete threats rather than hoping for swindles.
• Practical play under imbalance — you take good practical chances (winning by resignation and on time in several games), which is essential in blitz.

Key areas to improve

• Time management / Zeitnot: many games show sub-20s on the clock in complex positions. Work on quicker routine decisions in typical structures so you have time to calculate tactics.
• Tactical vision when under pressure: the loss to ariseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee had forcing check sequences where your king was exposed. Before each move, scan for checks, captures and threats.
• Opening-specific weaknesses: your QGD (Exchange) performance is weaker than your Sicilian lines. Do a short refresher on plans in the QGD Exchange (typical breaks, where to park bishops and when to play c5).
• Occasional loose pieces / hanging tactics — make the quick “are my pieces en prise?” habit (spotting Loose Piece or En prise saves a lot of games).

Concrete moments & practical fixes (from the recent PGNs)

• Vs sheaplayschess (QGD-type structure): You won by converting a passed pawn and using rooks on open files. Repeatable fix: when the center clarifies, ask “can I double rooks or create a passed pawn?” — if yes, simplify to that plan.
• Vs Niklas Pajuste: Good use of a passed b-pawn and active rook on the 6th/7th ranks. Practice routine: in similar positions practice the technique of advancing a passed flank pawn while keeping the king safe.
• Vs leogrindsyou (you won on time after a long endgame): solid endgame defense and piece activity forced the opponent into time trouble. Don’t overcomplicate — convert to simple winning plans earlier to avoid relying on clock-only wins.
• Loss vs ariseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (Alapin/Sicilian type): you allowed a series of checks and a final decisive queen infiltration. Quick habit: whenever the queens are traded or near trades, verify back-rank vulnerabilities and knight forks before committing to pawn moves.

Targeted 2‑week training plan (15–30 minutes/day)

• Days 1–3: Tactics — 20–30 puzzles/day (focus on mates, forks, pins). Build pattern recognition for checks and forks.
• Days 4–6: Endgame drills — 10 minutes reviewing rook + pawn endgames (Lucena/Philidor) and king + pawn vs king basics. Practice converting a single passed pawn.
• Days 7–9: Openings — study 3 typical QGD Exchange games (model how to play both sides). Create 5‑move repertoires for common Sicilian/Alapin replies you face, so you play fast out of the opening.
• Days 10–14: Blitz practice with goals — play 10 blitz games with rules: no mouse slips, 3s to decide if a move is immediate candidate, otherwise spend 10–15s. After each game, do a 5-minute self-review: one blunder, one good idea, one opening takeaway.

Opening work — where to focus

• QGD (Exchange) — learn the typical plan of playing for c5 break, keeping minor pieces active, and avoiding unnecessary exchanges that hand opponent counterplay. See Queen's Gambit Declined for the family of ideas.
• Sicilian/Alapin lines — your historical results here are stronger; keep sharpening typical pawn breaks and knight outposts. Reinforce one reliable move-order so you save time in the opening.
• Make a 1‑page cheat sheet for your 3 most-played openings: main move order, 2 central plans for each side, one trap to avoid.

Practical blitz tips

• Before you move, do a 3‑second checklist: checks? captures? threats? hanging pieces? (This catches many tactical losses.)
• Use pre-moves only in safe captures or trivial recaptures. Avoid long tactical sequences with pre-moves enabled.
• If you reach 20 seconds in a complex position, simplify: trade queens or reduce calculation burden to avoid blunders in Zeitnot.
• Keep an opening “speed file” so first 8 moves are almost automatic — saves 30–60s per game on average.

Short checklist to use during games

• One-scan for checks and captures before committing.
• Is any piece undefended? (think Loose Piece).
• Do I have a forced plan (passer, infiltration, mating net) or just “hope chess”?
• If <20s left: simplify or play safe, don’t try flashy sacs unless forced.

Next steps (actionable now)

• Today: 15 tactics + 10 minutes of rook endgames.
• This week: make a one‑page opening cheat sheet for QGD Exchange + your favorite Sicilian replies.
• Track one metric: average time remaining after move 15. Try to increase it by 30–45s over two weeks.

Resources & reminders

Keep the focus on pattern training (tactics), simple endgame technique, and a small, fast opening repertoire. Small, consistent improvements in those three areas will raise your blitz win rate and reduce losses due to tactical oversight or time trouble.

If you want, send me one specific game (link or PGN) you felt unsure about and I’ll give a 5‑move-by-5‑move pocket analysis you can use next time.