Coach Chesswick
Quick summary
Nice run of rapid games — your Strength Adjusted Win Rate is solid (~64%) and your rating trend is upward. You convert active piece play and tactical chances well, and you punish king safety mistakes quickly. There are a few recurring areas to tidy up (calculation in sharp positions, guarding back‑rank and pawn structure), but overall your practical play in rapid time controls is effective.
Highlights — what you do well
- Active piece play and pressure — you consistently bring pieces to aggressive squares and create concrete threats (example: strong queen + knight coordination in your most recent win).
- Exploiting king safety — you punish unsafe kingside/centered kings quickly, finishing with a clean mating combination in the Alapin game.
- Opening variety — you have success with several openings (Alapin, Scandinavian, Alekhine). Keep the lines you understand well.
- Practical conversion — when you gain initiative or material you convert it without wandering into unnecessary complications.
Key weaknesses to target
- Calculation in sharp, tactical middlegames — a few losses came after tactical sequences where the opponent forced exchanges and exploited back‑rank or passed pawns.
- Back‑rank & escape squares — in some games the opponent’s counterplay started because one of the kings had limited luft or defenders tied up. Always check for back‑rank threats before the final capture.
- Handling blocked pawn structures — when the center locked, your plan choice sometimes let the opponent generate a strong pawn break and target your weaknesses.
- Opening follow‑up plans in some less familiar lines — lines like the English Symmetrical and Czech gave you trouble; not because the opening is bad but because the middlegame plan was unclear.
Concrete improvements (how to work on them)
- Before every capture or forcing move, ask: “Does this create back‑rank, fork, or discovered threats?” Pause one extra second to scan for enemy checks and tactical shots.
- When the center locks, choose a clear plan: which flank to operate on, which pawn break you want to prepare, and which pieces to trade or keep. If unsure, trade a minor piece to reduce counterplay.
- Study typical Alapin Sicilian plans (knights to d6/b5, rook on the c-file, pawn breaks on b4 or d5). Use this to convert your opening wins into comfortable middlegames — see Alapin Sicilian.
- For openings with low winrate (English Symmetrical / Czech): run brief postmortems and note the single turning move in each loss. Add two or three model games to your repertoire so you recognize typical ideas faster.
Short tactical checklist (use at your board)
- Checks, captures, threats — scan opponent replies to your last move.
- Back‑rank issues — does either king need luft or an escape route?
- Pawn breaks — which pawn push changes the structure or opens lines for you or the opponent?
- Exchanges — will an exchange reduce or increase the opponent’s counterplay?
Weekly training plan (practical)
- Daily tactics: 20–30 puzzles focused on mating nets, forks and discovered attacks (15–20 minutes).
- Opening review: 2 sessions/week — pick the Alapin and Scandinavian lines you play, review 5 model games each and write down 3 typical plans per line (30 minutes each).
- Game review: after each rapid session, annotate 1 loss and 1 win — identify the turning move and what improved/worsened your position (20–30 minutes).
- Endgame drills: short rook/queen endgame patterns and basic king and pawn endgames twice a week (20 minutes each session).
Practical homework (next 7 days)
- Do 50 tactics with a focus on mating nets/back‑rank patterns.
- Annotate your most recent loss and highlight the one move you should have calculated deeper. Save that note and revisit it in a week.
- Play three 10+0 rapid games where your goal is to follow a chosen plan from the opening rather than rush to tactics — focus on plan execution.
Game spotlight — recent win
Nice finish: you forced the opponent’s king into trouble and delivered mate by queen infiltration. Review the final sequence to internalize how piece activity and checks combined to decide the game.
Opponent: krabov-kalmarov — Opening: Alapin Sicilian
Follow‑up suggestions
- Keep the openings that give you high confidence (your Alapin/Scandinavian/Alekhine results are good). Formalize 3–4 typical pawn breaks and piece posts for each.
- When reviewing losses, aim to find one recurring theme (e.g., back‑rank, hanging pawns, missed tactic). Fix that theme with targeted exercises.
- Keep tracking the upward trend — your rating and trend slopes show momentum. Small, focused practice will compound quickly.
Placeholders & notes
- Profile link example: krabov-kalmarov
- Opening term example: Alapin Sicilian
- PGN viewer example included above — tap to review the decisive sequence.