Coach Chesswick
Hi Atharva!
You have some encouraging signs in your games, and with a few focused adjustments you can climb far beyond your current 609 (2022-04-29). Below is a quick snapshot of when you score best, followed by detailed feedback.
What you’re already doing well
- Active pawn breaks. In several games you seize space with d4, e4 or d5. That is the right instinct—keep fighting for the centre.
- Tactical awareness. You often notice tactical shots such as 19.Rxe7+ in your Philidor win (see mini-diagram below). Spotting these combinations is a key strength at your level.
- Resilience. Even in worse positions you continue to look for chances; some opponents flagged on time because you kept the game complicated.
Biggest improvement areas
- Piece safety before tactics.
In your most recent loss to Ajeenkya97 you played 12.Rxb4?? and were hit by …Rxe2+. Do a quick blunder check (“Is anything I play immediately recaptured?”) before every move. - Follow basic opening rules consistently.
• Develop knights and bishops before moving the same piece twice.
• Castle early; king safety matters more than chasing pawns.
• Avoid premature pawn pushes like f3/f4 unless you know the ideas—they often weakened you in the Englund-style games. - Endgame technique.
In the marathon vs rradeqq you allowed connected passed pawns to decide the game. Practise king activity and basic rook endings so you convert advantages and defend longer. - Time management.
Several losses were simply on the clock. Try games with a small increment (e.g. 5 + 3) and train to make a “safe move” when under 5 seconds instead of freezing.
Suggested training plan
- Solve 20 tactical puzzles daily—focus on forks, pins and discovered attacks. (See Tactics.)
- Play one rapid game (15 + 10) each day and spend 10 minutes reviewing it—look for the first moment you went from equal to worse.
- Study one simple, sound opening for each colour (e.g. Italian Game as White, Scandinavian as Black) and learn the first 6-8 moves so you enter the middlegame confidently.
- Use an endgame trainer to master king-and-pawn vs king, and basic rook endings.
Next milestone
Your games show you’re easily capable of 600+ once blunders drop. Stick to the plan for two weeks and track your progress—those rating jumps will follow!
Good luck and enjoy the journey!
—Your Chess Coach 🤖