Coach Chesswick
Feedback for Arsene Dragomirescu (arsenedu)
1. What you already do well
- Active piece play. In your win against sc_from_or your rooks doubled on the open d-file at the first opportunity – a textbook example of seizing an open file.
- Tactical alertness. The sequence …Bxf6 followed by …Bxg4 showed confident calculation under pressure.
- Strategic patience. Your Caro-Kann game versus daoism illustrates how you are willing to manoeuvre for many moves before launching the decisive pawn storm.
- Broad opening menu. You handle 1.e4 as White and answer 1.d4 with both the Grunfeld and Queen’s Gambit Declined, making you difficult to prepare for.
2. Priority areas to address
- Time management. Four of your last six losses were on time. Daily chess still requires a routine: try logging in at fixed hours and keep at least 24 h on the clock for every game.
- Opening depth vs strong players. In the Grunfeld loss to BMcC333 (2600 +) you followed theory only to move 9, after which 9…c5 allowed White an easy d5 push. Refresh critical lines, especially the 7…c5 systems.
- Technical conversion. You often reach winning positions but need many extra moves—or a timeout—to claim the point. Regular end-game drills (rook endings, opposite-coloured bishops) will make your play cleaner and faster.
- Pawn-break timing. Several missed chances arose because a key pawn break (…e5 as Black or d4–d5 as White) was delayed by one tempo. Add “Which pawn break is thematic and what must move first?” to your thinking checklist.
3. Recent trend
Your rating peaked at 2316 (2010-01-05) and has stabilised around 1750-1800. The chart below shows a small dip at weekends—likely connected with slower move frequency.
4. Mini-lesson from your latest win
Holiday Invitational 2010 – Round 2 (Black)
12…e5 13.f4 Rd8?
Instead 13…exd4! 14.e5 Qb6 wins the e-pawn and equalises fully.
Take-away: when central tension exists, always calculate the forcing captures before opting for a quiet improvement move.
5. One-month training plan
- 15 min/day of tactics rated 1800-2000 aiming for ≥ 80 % accuracy.
- Pick any game you won on time, set up the final position and play it out against an engine until mate to sharpen end-game skills.
- Create a mini-file on the Caro-Kann Exchange (4.Nf3) with three tabiyas and typical plans for Black.
- Play two rapid (15|10) games each week to practise clock handling under moderate pressure.
- Review the Philidor and Lucena rook-endgame techniques; they appear frequently in your games that reach move 40.
6. Keep the motivation high!
Your games show imagination and fighting spirit. Cleaning up the practical issues above should be enough to push you back past the 1900 mark. Keep enjoying the process—feel free to send any tricky positions my way.
Good luck with your training!