Coach Chesswick
Hi Nelson!
Congratulations on the steady climb to 2654 (2022-11-20) and some eye-catching wins against titled opposition. Below is a snapshot of your current form, followed by targeted advice to help you push through the next rating ceiling.
Quick performance glance
- Your best playing hours:
- Weekly rhythm:
What you’re doing well
- Dynamic piece play.
In your recent win against FM Roel Abelgas you seized the initiative with 18…Nd3! (see mini-diagram below) and kept White under pressure until the flag fell.
- Confidence in flexible openings. Whether you start with 1 b3 or meet it as Black, you understand the Larsen/Réti structures better than most opponents at your level.
- Practical endgame technique. The rook-and-pawn conversion versus RoeDeus showed good patience: you improved the king first, then created multiple passers before cashing in.
Growth opportunities
- Time management.
Four of the last six losses (two examples below) were decided by the clock, not the board position.
• Loss vs Yasser Hadj Khoulti – flagged in an equal rook ending.
• Loss vs StrackedAktonamee – resigned with <10 seconds in a drawable bishop ending.
Action plan: add incremental time controls (3 + 2, 5 + 5) to training so each move gets at least one second of reflection. - Handling central breaks. In the loss to FMCoach (25…Qd5! & 28…Qxb3) Black’s …d4 thrust decided the game after you had committed c5 and b5. You often push wing pawns early, leaving the center loose. Drill: play out 20 rapid training games starting from the diagram on move 23, forcing yourself to stop …d4 or exploit it when you have Black.
- Tactical prophylaxis. The checkmate vs chesskingdragon came from overlooking a quiet …h4-h3 deflection. Regular doses of “Blunder-check” (final scan for forcing moves before pressing the clock) will save 2-3 points per week.
Three-step improvement roadmap
| Phase | Focus | Exercises |
|---|---|---|
| Next 2 weeks | Clock discipline |
• Play 15 + 10 sessions, annotate & flag every move that took >30 s. • Finish each session with 20 chess-tempo easy puzzles in <30 s each. |
| 1-2 months | Central pawn structures |
• Study model games from the Caro-Kann Panov and Queen’s Gambit to see ideal pawn levers. • Weekly sparring starting from IQP and hanging-pawn setups (custom Lichess “position” feature). |
| 3-6 months | Opening depth + repertoire breadth |
• Add one classical e-pawn line as White (e.g. Italian or Scotch) to complement 1 b3. • For Black, prepare a sharper reply to 1 e4 so opponents can’t steer you into comfort zones. • Record critical novelties with annotations & space for Zwischenzug alerts. |
Mindset takeaway
Your creativity already equals 2400-level; the next leap is converting that creativity into points by slowing down at the right moments and guarding the center. Trust the process, and keep the board noisy—just do it with 15-20 seconds still on the clock!
See you over the board,
Coach