Berkant Ercan

Overview of your blitz play

You’ve shown a readiness to play actively and to press for initiative in mixed positions. When you get dynamic chances, you seize opportunities to create threats and keep pressure on the opponent. At the same time, a few games reveal a tendency to enter tactical lines where defensive resources are overlooked, which can bloom into costly mistakes in blitz time controls. The pattern suggests you’re comfortable fighting for advantages but could benefit from tighter practical decision‑making when the position becomes sharp or imbalanced.

Key areas to improve

• Blunder avoidance and calculation discipline: In several games, quick tactical shifts led to missing threats or overextending. Build a quick two‑step check before committing to a tactical tactic: (1) what opponent threats exist, (2) what concrete consequences follow from my candidate move.
• Time management in blitz: There are moments where the clock pressure probably influenced decision quality. Practice budgeting time so you have a small safety margin on every critical branch, and aim to avoid spending too long on routine moves.
• Opening structure and plan: Your openings show a willingness to fight in dynamic lines, but the resulting middlegame plans can be unclear. Lock in 2–3 openings with clear middlegame ideas and typical pawn structures, so you spend more energy on plan execution than on improvisation.
• Endgame awareness and conversion: In some losses, the endgame phase became a challenge. Strengthen basic endgame technique (knight vs bishop endgames, rook endings with active king) to convert even small advantages more reliably.

Targeted training plan

• Daily tactics: 15–20 minutes of pattern-based puzzles (focus on forks, discovered checks, overloaded pieces) to sharpen quick calculation under time pressure.
• Opening refinement: Pick 2 White setups and 2 Black defenses to study over the next 2 weeks. For each, write a simple one-page guide with your typical middlegame ideas and common pitfall lines.
• Endgame practice: Practice short rook endgames and basic king activity endings. Use 10–15 minutes a couple times per week to build practical conversion skills.
• Game review routine: After each blitz session, note 2–3 critical moments where the evaluation swung. Identify one better alternative move in each moment and try to recall it without the engine next time.

What to watch in your recent games

From your latest wins and losses, you showed readiness to attack when opportunities appeared, and you also faced positions where the tactical surface was complex. For future games, prioritize ensuring your king safety after initiating attacks and be mindful of opponent counterplay that targets exposed pieces or open files. Use your initiative to gradually improve your position rather than chasing uncertain tactical lines when time is tight.

Practical next steps (two-week plan)

• Work on a two-minute pre-movements checklist: identify immediate threats, verify your king safety, and confirm your plan before each aggressive capture.
• Complete a 7‑day opening focus cycle: day 1–3 for one White setup, day 4–6 for one Black defense, day 7 review with a quick summary of key middlegame ideas.
• Do 4 tactical puzzles sessions this week focused on pattern recognition rather than long calculations; then do 1 longer calculation drill (15–20 minutes) to deepen calculation depth.
• Review 2 past losses with a coach or engine to extract 2 concrete improvement ideas per game (one for the plan, one for defense against a specific tactic).

Notes on openings performance

Your openings show a mix of dynamic lines and solid setups. Consider prioritizing a compact repertoire with clear plans to reduce overanalysis in blitz. When you study a line, write down the main middlegame plan and 2 common tactical motifs you should look for, so you can recognize the ideas quickly in play.

Optional practice resources

You can add a sample practice game or a short Pgn to this plan to tailor your next sessions. For example, a focused drill on converting a small material edge in rook endings or a pattern-based puzzle pack aligned to your current openings can be placed here.