Coach Chesswick
Hi Arya – personalised post-match feedback
What you’re already doing well
- Versatile opening choices. Your Reti/KIA set-ups (Nf3-g3-Bg2) give you an immediate, familiar middlegame; the win vs Simeon Todev is a textbook example of converting the space edge.
- Tactical alertness. 24.Nd6! and 25.Qxe5!! in that game show you spot loose pieces quickly.
- Conversion skills when ahead. Once pieces are coordinated you seldom let the advantage slip; see the neat finish .
Recurring issues to fix
- Clock management. Three of your last five losses were “flag losses” in still-playable positions (lamomiajunior, icy ×2). Enter every queen-less ending with ≥ 45 s and practise premove protocols for forced recaptures.
- Stranded king in sharp lines. In the Alekhine game vs lamomiajunior your king wandered e8-g7-c7. After 12…Be6 you could have castled long and avoided the later time-scramble.
- Pawn-structure looseness. Against purpurice the pawn chain g6-f5-e4 fixed weaknesses on f6/d6. Before pushing a central pawn ask: “What square am I weakening?”
- Endgame precision. The rook endings you lost featured missed switch-checks and late king activation. Daily drilling of Lucena, Philidor and ‘rook on the 7th’ motifs will net quick rating points.
4-week action plan
| Week | Main focus | Concrete task |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clock awareness | Play 10 blitz games forcing yourself to move (<10 s) after move 20; review only time usage. |
| 2 | Black vs 1.e4 repertoire | Build a mini-file of 5 model Alekhine/Scandinavian games; note typical plans after …d4. |
| 3 | Rook & pawn endings | Solve 30 positions from Silman’s Endgame Course chapters 5-7 and replay them OTB. |
| 4 | Healthy pawn breaks | Annotate two of your own games focusing only on pawn moves – highlight premature advances. |
Quick stats
Peak blitz rating: 2794 (2025-08-31)
Mindset reminder
“Strong moves first, fast moves second.”
Implement the plan, keep enjoying the struggle, and message me whenever you want game-specific feedback.