Hi Blake!
Great job keeping an aggressive, initiative-oriented style. Your recent peak of 2278 (2022-02-09) proves that the work you’re putting in is paying off. Below is a snapshot of what you’re doing well and where the next rating gains will likely come from.
What’s working
- Early initiative: In several wins (e.g. 1-0 vs personnal and vs MuadDibUchess) you seized space with
g4/h4pushes or a quickf4/f5. You’re comfortable converting dynamic positions into tactical shots. - Piece activity over pawns: You rarely leave your pieces passive. Notice how
22.Rxd8+in the win vs personnal jolted Black’s coordination and forced mistakes. - Opening range: As White you switch between the English Attack, Richter-Rauzer and 1.e4 sidelines; as Black you handle both Caro-Kann and Sicilian. Opponents won’t prepare easily against you.
Biggest opportunities
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Endgame technique
In the loss vs homelessKramnik you reached a drawn rook-and-minor ending but mis-coordinated your rook activity (29…f3idea was excellent, but timing the pawn break earlier would have simplified to a fortress).
➡️ Action: 15-20 minutes daily on simple rook endings; one practical drill is the “side pawn, wrong rook” motif you faced on move 34. -
Time management
Multiple losses on move 40+ show you drop below 10 seconds with still-equal positions (see games vs Armata1922).
➡️ Action: Use a “red-zone” rule: once the clock hits 45 s, play only forcing or clearly improving moves; skip unnecessary checks. -
Conversion vs strong defence
In the loss to murst you won material early but allowed counter-play on the dark squares (…Qh4, …Rab8).
➡️ Action: Insert a quick blunder-check after every capture; ask “what’s the simplest technical line?” before choosing the flashy one.
Opening fine-tuning
| Line | Current theme | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sicilian English Attack (9.f4) | Often delay h4-h5 until Black castles |
Study 11…b5 plans; prepare 12.g4 with Kb1 |
| Caro-Kann Advance | Good at storming the g-pawn | Add the quieter 6.Be3 lines to vary structure |
| Petrov as White | Sharp f4/f5 push (game vs sverrirhak) |
Keep an eye on early …Qd4+ tricks; memorize the antidote |
Suggested weekly plan
- ⏱ 2 rapid games (10|10 or 15|10) focusing on time balance.
- ♟ 3 endgame studies (rook + pawn vs rook, knight vs pawn).
- ⚔️ 20 tactical puzzles rated 2200-2400; aim for 85 % accuracy.
- 🎯 Annotate one of your own PGNs weekly—start with the loss to homelessKramnik.
Your performance trends
Explore when you’re scoring best:
Keep it up!
Your attacking flair is your brand—just add the technical polish. Small improvements in endgame conversion and clock handling should lift you 100 + rating points quickly.
Good luck and enjoy the climb!
—Coach