Coach Chesswick
Hi Bollhavet!
Great job keeping an active playing schedule and collecting a solid set of wins. Below is some tailored feedback based on your most recent games. Use it as a roadmap for the next few weeks of training.
Quick profile snapshot
- Peak blitz rating: 1299 (2024-12-12)
- Favourite Black defence: Scandinavian (…Qd8 retreat line)
- Favourite White weapons: 1.e4 and occasional 1.d4 / 1.g3 systems
What you are already doing well
- Tactical eye – Your wins often come from spotting forks (e.g. 24.Ne5!! in your win vs treponat).
- Good practical aggression – You’re not afraid to launch pawn storms (g- and h-pawns) or exchange material for activity.
- Semi-open openings – The early …Qd8 Scandinavian positions you reach are generally sound; you score well when you keep the game simple.
Main improvement areas
-
King safety & pawn hygiene
In Bollhavet–Thabang_L and Bollhavet–ruhul0074 the advance of the g-/h-pawns before castling created holes that were exploited.
Action: Make castling a priority by move 10 whenever possible. Before pushing a wing-pawn ask: “Will this square still be covered after my king castles?” -
Handling early queen sorties
Moves like …Qf6 and …Qf5 gave you problems because the queen harassed multiple pawns simultaneously.
Action: Drill the mini-module “Queen checks on f6/f5” on a tactics trainer and practice develop-with-tempo moves (e.g. Nc3, zwischenzug e5). -
Time management
Two of your recent losses were on the clock. You often spend 45-60 seconds on obvious recaptures.
Action: a) Switch to 3 + 2 for a week; aim to keep ≥ 50 % of your initial time by move 15.
b) Adopt a “two-speed” thinking routine: 10 s for forced moves, up to 30 s for choices. -
Endgame conversion
In winning positions (e.g. vs pink54321) extra pawns were dropped and the game was lost on time.
Action: Work through 20 basic king-and-pawn endings; especially outside passed pawn and shouldering ideas. -
Refine your Scandinavian repertoire
The manoeuvre …Nc6-a5-b7 against 5.Nf3/6.d4 cost valuable tempi.
Action: Learn the modern plan 6…Bg4 7.Be2 e6 8.h3 Bh5 with quick …Nd7-b6 instead of hopping to a5.
Illustrative mini-lesson
The following critical moment from your loss to Thabang_L shows how a single tempo can decide everything:
[[Pgn| [FEN "2kr4/pp3pp1/2p1p3/3P4/2P2n2/2N2P2/PP3K2/R6R w - - 0 22"] 22. dxc6?! bxc6 23. Rhd1 Nxh3+- ]]Instead of 22.dxc6?! consider 22.d6! first, deflecting the bishop and preserving the passed pawn. Always look for forcing continuations before automatic recaptures.
Training plan (4-week micro-cycle)
| Day(s) | Focus | How |
|---|---|---|
| Mon / Thu | Tactics burst | 30 puzzles, theme “queen forks & deflections” |
| Tue | Opening clean-up | Play 5 games starting from move 5 of your Scandinavian; annotate without engine |
| Wed | Endgame basics | 15 minutes on king-pawn endings; redo until perfect |
| Fri | Practical play | Match vs 3 + 2 opponents; focus on clock discipline |
| Weekend | Review & reflection | Select 2 wins + 2 losses, create one improvement note each |
Motivation corner
Your rating graph shows steady upward spikes — proof that work pays off. Keep your king safe, play fast when the move is forced, and the next rating milestone is yours.
Good luck, and see you at the board!