Bhagishwor Chemjong

Hi Bhagishwor Chemjong!

You’ve been playing a lot lately – great job keeping the board busy. Let’s look at what’s going well and where a few targeted tweaks could help you jump to the next level.

🎯 What you’re already doing well

• Activity over material: In several wins you happily gave a pawn to grab the initiative (e.g. 14.dxc5 & 16.Bxd6 in your last Benoni game). That fighting spirit is excellent.
• Tactical alertness when opponents over-extend: You’ve started punishing premature queen raids against your f-pawn. The game vs thinh789987765 shows you spotting …Nxg4 and winning in 10 moves.
• End-game stamina: Your marathon vs nakamoto-shusuki proved you can convert technical positions when you stay focused.

🛠️ Biggest growth areas

1. King safety in the opening
   Five of your recent losses ended before move 15 because the f7 square was unprotected. Avoid pawn moves like 1…b6/…g6 together before you have any minor pieces covering f7. A simple classical set-up (1…e5 2…Nc6 3…Nf6 4…Bc5) will save dozens of rating points.
   
   Typical danger pattern you should recognise instantly:
   
   
2. Piece efficiency
   Knights that hop back and forth (e.g. Ng8–h6–g8 or Nb8–c6–b8) waste tempos and let opponents seize the centre. Follow the “develop each piece once” rule until your rooks are connected.
3. Opening repertoire simplification
   Right now you juggle Owens (1…b6), Caro-Kann with …b6, and off-beat Benoni lines with …Na6. Pick one main defence vs 1.e4 and one vs 1.d4 and study 15–20 model games each. Suggestions:
   • Against 1.e4: Classical 1…e5 leading to Italian / Two Knights.
   • Against 1.d4: The solid Queen’s Gambit Declined or the straightforward King’s Indian Setup.
4. Tactical scanning routine
   Before every move ask “What are the checks, captures, threats for both sides?”. This 10-second habit stops oversights like 10.Qxf7+ or 6.Bxf7+.
5. Clock management
   Many of your games finish with 6–7 minutes still on the clock. Invest an extra 30–40 seconds in the critical early moves; it’s cheaper than losing to a three-move tactic.

🔍 Mini practice plan (2 weeks)

1. Watch one short video or read one article on “How to avoid Scholar’s Mate”. Recreate the pattern on a board until you can defend it blindfolded.
2. Solve 15 basic mates-in-2 every day. Use the same tactical theme each day (forks Monday, pins Tuesday, etc.).
3. Play 20 games this week only using the opening lines you chose above. After each game, annotate the first 12 moves – no engines, just your thoughts.
4. Review all decisive mistakes on Friday and add the motifs to your flash-cards.

📈 Motivation corner

Your current peak ratings:

• Rapid: 395 (2025-02-09)
• Blitz:

Let’s aim to add +100 points in the next three months. Consistency matters more than any single result – keep playing, reviewing, and the rating will follow.

⏱️ When you win the most

(Explore your performance patterns and schedule sessions when you’re sharpest.)

👍 Next step

Play three training games this week and send me the PGNs. We’ll dive deeper into the critical positions together. Keep enjoying the journey and good luck on the board!