Valdis Saulespurens FM

Hi Valdis Saulespurens!

Your current form is impressive – you are consistently holding your own in the high-2600 blitz pool and have already reached .
Below you can see when you score best:

What you are doing well

• Fearless opening choices. The Old Benoni and the Sicilian Pin-Variation score nicely for you (e.g. the clean win against bulletcloud).
• Sharp tactical vision. Your victories often come from concrete calculation, as in the miniature against sebagiacomelli where you converted material with flawless technique.
• Practical end-game handling. The rook-and-pawn ending vs Zane Nasir was a textbook display of converting an extra pawn.

Main areas to target next

• Time management. Three of your last five losses were on time while you were still competitive on the board. Playing 3|0 means that every non-critical decision must be made in under two seconds. Consider adding a few 3|2 games each day to train yourself to move on the increment.
• Prophylaxis  prophylaxis. In the loss to Tchebytchev you allowed the knight to land on e6 and the queen to penetrate to e7. A single consolidating move (…Ne5-c6 or …a6) would have kept the position solid.
• Old Benoni move-order traps.
  A recurring problem is the early …c4 followed by …d5 without finishing development. Compare the critical fragment below with a recommended line that keeps tension in the centre.

Critical moment (recent loss)

Instead of 15…Ne5, consider the calmer 15…dxc4 followed by …Rc8 & Nd5. You remove White’s centre and keep the dark-squared bishop on the key diagonal.

Opening tune-ups for the coming week

• Old Benoni vs 2.dxc5: Add the Knight tango plan (…Na6-b4) to meet 5.b4. It scores well in master practice and avoids the cramped structure you sometimes get.
• Wing Gambit clean-up. Your 3.b4 idea is fun, but if Black knows 3…Nxb4 4.c3 Nc6 5.d4 you often end up with an equal pawn structure and less time. Prepare the quieter 3.Bb5 or test 3.c3 against higher-rated opponents.
• Alekhine’s Defence repair. In the game vs abhijithpran 15.Rc1?! let the queen invade. The main line 15.Re1 keeps control and saves valuable seconds.

Practical training plan

1. 15 min of Puzzle Rush Survival every morning – aim for 40+. This will hard-wire quick pattern recognition.
2. Play two 3|2 games daily and focus on staying above 50 s on the clock until move 20. Annotate one of them briefly.
3. Review one master game in the Old Benoni and one in the Alekhine each week; build a mini file with key ideas and common traps.
4. Finish each session with a quick end-game drill (e.g. rook vs pawn races) on an engine-free board to keep your conversion technique sharp.

Final thoughts

You already have the tactical firepower to beat anyone in your rating range. By spending a small, regular amount of time on clock discipline and prophylactic thinking you will remove the last major obstacles to crossing the 2700 blitz barrier.
Keep the games coming, and enjoy the climb!