Coach Chesswick
Hi Mohamed Ilias Saim — personalised coaching report
You have a dynamic, initiative-oriented style that creates practical problems for your opponents. During the last session you scored convincing wins such as the Caro-Kann miniature below, yet a few rapid-time losses show recurring patterns that can be fixed quickly.
What you already do well
- Piece activity early on. You routinely push d5/d4 or launch kingside pawn storms (g4, h4) to seize space and initiative.
- Converting when ahead. In winning positions you keep trading into simpler endings and finish with accurate tactics (see the mate on move 55 below).
- Opening variety with both colours. 1.d4 systems as White and Caro-Kann/Indian setups as Black give you flexible pawn structures—good for long-term growth.
Key improvement areas & concrete fixes
- Time management. Six of the last ten losses were on time or in severe time trouble. Use a simple “30-second rule”: if the position is quiet, make a sensible move within half a minute and bank the saved time for sharp moments.
• Train with increment (e.g. 3 + 2) for a week to break the “think-too-long” habit. - Don’t over-extend pawns before full development. In the loss vs TheCubanfrom you played 10.d5 followed by Nxf5/Bxb7, but the loose pawn chain allowed …dxc4 and …Nd5, costing central control.
• New habit: before pawn storms, ask “are all my minor pieces out & connected?” - Exchange evaluation. Twice you grabbed a rook for two minor pieces in unclear positions and the bishops dominated the endgame. Run quick material checks: two minors ≈ rook+pawn if the minors have squares.
- Endgame technique. A few winning rook-endgames drifted into perpetual checks. Spend 15 min/day on basic rook endings (Philidor/Lucena) so you can blitz them out while low on time.
Opening report (last 20 games)
- White: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 is your main line (60 % score). You score best when you fianchetto the light-squared bishop vs Queen’s Indian but stumble when you push an early d5. Recommendation: add the quiet 5.e3 lines to vary the pawn structure.
- Black: Caro-Kann (B15) produced a 100 % score this week — keep it! In Indian setups, stop playing the automatic …Na5 vs Catalan until you’ve studied the resulting pawn race; instead try the solid …Bd7 idea.
Illustrative win
The final mating pattern shows your tactical alertness:
Performance snapshots
Check when and how you win most often:
Quick reference stats
Your peak rapid rating so far: 2286 (2021-02-20). Aim to beat it by +50 in the next 30 days.
Next-week training plan
- Daily 10 min tactics on motifs you missed (forks near your king, exchange sacs).
- Replay five master games in the Queen’s Indian and identify where they break with your move 10 plans.
- Endgame flashcards: Philidor & Lucena + rook vs pawn on the 6th.
- Play two rapid (10 + 5) games focusing on clock discipline; annotate immediately after.
Stay curious, keep notes, and let me know which position types still feel uncomfortable. Looking forward to your progress!