Blažo Kalezić IM

Positive Aspects in Your Recent Blitz Games

You've demonstrated strong tactical awareness and aggressive play, especially evident in your wins against lower-rated opponents where you maintained pressure and capitalized on inaccuracies effectively. Your opening choices, such as the French Defense and Scandinavian Defense, show confidence in your preparation and lead to favorable middle-game positions.

• Good control of the center early on, especially with pawn breaks in your openings.
• Effective piece coordination and timely exchanges which simplify into winning endgames.
• Utilization of opponent time trouble to maintain initiative and press advantages.
• Solid understanding of common variations leading to good positional play.

Areas to Improve for Better Results

Your recent rating trend and performance indicate some challenges. Here are key points to focus on to regain consistent results and improve overall playing strength:

• Time Management: Winning games on the clock is valuable, but better time allocation during critical positions will improve quality of moves and reduce blunders.
• Handling Complex Positions: In games you lost, there were moments where better calculation and defensive technique could have saved or even turned the game around. Exercises in calculation and defensive resourcefulness would help.
• Opening Variability: While your favored openings have good win rates, broadening your repertoire could reduce predictability and help against tougher opponents.
• Endgame Technique: Ensure endgame fundamentals are rock solid to convert advantages without rushing, which is particularly important in blitz.
• Psychological Resilience: The recent drop in rating suggests some inconsistency — implementing routines for focus and maintaining confidence under pressure will assist performance.

Specific Focus: Opening Performance

You perform best with:

• French Defense: Advance Variation (~57% win rate) - Keep refining your understanding here, especially key pawn breaks and piece maneuvers;
• Scandinavian Defense (~55% win rate) - This could be a reliable weapon; practice common traps and tactical themes.
• Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation (~57% win rate) - Continue to deepen knowledge as it yields good results.

Consider reviewing ideas in openings where results are below 50%, such as the Benoni Defense and Slav Defense, to either improve or replace with alternatives.

Next Steps for Improvement

• Dedicate time to tactical puzzles focusing on calculation intensity and pattern recognition.
• Analyze your losses carefully to identify recurring mistakes or opening weaknesses.
• Practice time management in blitz by playing slower rapid games, aiming to increase thinking depth for key moves.
• Expand your opening repertoire gradually to include a few surprise weapons.
• Work on endgame studies and technique to close out winning positions confidently.

Encouragement

Rating fluctuations are natural in competitive chess, especially in fast-paced formats like blitz and crazyhouse. Your experience and previous peak ratings show you have the capacity to rebound strongly. By focusing on the suggested improvement areas with your evident tactical skills and strategic understanding, you can regain momentum and continue your upward progress.