Borek Bernard FM

Hi Borek!

You have put together an impressive streak of games around the 2300-blitz mark (see 2432 (2021-05-21)). Below is some personalised feedback drawn from your most recent session with chessbeer17 (Jan Trepka).

What you are already doing well ✅

• Opening variety. You comfortably switched between the Caro-Kann, Slav, and flexible …c6/…g6 setups, keeping your opponent guessing.
• Practical decision-making. In several wins you simplified into favourable rook endgames instead of chasing flashy tactics (e.g. 20…Rxd6 in your Black win from the A40 game).
• Tactical alertness. The sequence 17…e5! 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.cxd5 exd4! showed excellent calculation under 60-second pressure.

Main growth areas 🚧

1. Clock management. Four of your last five losses were on time while still drawable or better. Blunders are expensive, but flags cost entire points instantly.
2. Converting winning positions. • Up a rook in the King’s Fianchetto game, you allowed perpetual checks before flagging.
   • In the Caro-Kann Exchange you reached an extra pawn endgame yet let the position drift to 0-1 on time.
   Precise, simple technique would have netted two extra wins.
3. Defensive alertness against direct king attacks. The miniature below ended in mate on move 16 because 12…Na5? weakened control of h7: [Pgn|12...Na5 13.Bc2 Nc4 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Qd3 a5 16.Qxh7#] Spend a moment in unfamiliar structures to check loose squares and pieces.

Action plan for the next two weeks 🗓️

• Structured time split. Aim for 15-20 sec in the opening, 25-30 sec for middlegame decisions, and save ≥10 sec for simplified positions. Practise with a visible countdown during tactics to simulate stress.
• Endgame sprints. Each day play three “pawn-plus endgames” against the computer, forcing yourself to convert with ≤15 sec on the clock. This hardwires quick technique (opposition, triangulation, zugzwang).
• Opening hygiene. • Versus 1.e4 keep the Caro-Kann but add a quick review of the Nf3/Nc3 lines—your opponents score best there.
  • As White, your King’s Fianchetto is solid; prepare a backup main-line d4 repertoire so you can vary.
• Self-review routine. After every session export a single critical position and solve “What did I miss?” in 5 min. One snapshot a day is enough to build pattern memory.

Progress dashboard 📊

Keep an eye on when you score best:

Final thought

You are already playing at an FM-level blitz rating; ironing out clock usage alone could push you into the 2400s. Good luck, enjoy the grind, and feel free to share your next critical game for deeper analysis!