Coach Chesswick
Quick overview
Nice work, Brice — your rating trend is solid (up ~30 in the last month, +160 over 3 months) and your games show strong practical play in blitz. Your overall win/loss record and opening database show clear strengths to build on. Below are targeted, practical suggestions based on your recent games and your opening performance.
What you're doing well
- You convert advantages confidently: in your recent win you turned activity on the back rank and a queen infiltration into a decisive attack and mating threats. See a replay of that game:
- Good repertoire choices — you have high win rates in many openings (for example strong results with French Defense: Advance Variation and Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation). Use those results: they indicate positions you understand well.
- Active piece play and tactical awareness. You tend to find forcing continuations (discoveries, sacrifices) when the position becomes sharp.
- Resilience in long sessions — your multi-month slope and long-term data show consistent improvement rather than big swings.
Recurring mistakes / areas to fix
- King safety in closed middlegames: in a recent loss you allowed a pawn break that opened lines around your king (the game vs Gigsixstring). When the opponent has space and pawn storms, prioritize king safety and timely exchanges to reduce attacking potential.
- Pawn-structure care: several losses happened after accepting or allowing central pawn breaks that gave your opponent connected passed pawns or free activity. Before taking on d5/c5 or opening files, ask: “Does this create a passer or open lines to my king?”
- Time management under increment: you often reach very low time (seconds) when complex tactics appear. That increases blunders and forces rushed trade decisions. Don’t spend too long on non-critical moves early — save time for tactical moments.
- Exchange choices in endgames: you sometimes trade into endgames where your opponent’s king or pawn structure is more active. Evaluate king activity and pawn majorities before simplifying.
Concrete drills and study plan (weekly)
Short, focused sessions are best for blitz improvement. Do these 5 days/week:
- 15 minutes — tactics (pins, forks, discovered attacks). Focus on 5–7 puzzles where you must calculate forcing sequences.
- 10 minutes — endgame fundamentals: king + pawn vs king, basic rook endings and how to convert a queen advantage. Drill 3 positions per session.
- 15 minutes — opening review: pick 1 line you play (example: Caro-Kann Defense or Pirc Defense: Classical Variation) and review model games and one typical middlegame plan.
- Play 3–5 blitz games with a clear task: e.g., “avoid creating doubled pawns” or “keep king safe and prioritize development.” Then review only the critical moments (5–10 min).
Weekly target: 3 clean reviews of losses — identify the one tactical or strategic turning point and write a 1–2 sentence plan to avoid it next time.
Blitz-specific tips
- Use the 2-second increment: when ahead materially, aim to simplify quickly but not hastily — trade into a winning endgame while keeping a comfortable clock margin.
- Avoid long think-outs in the opening. Pick reliable, familiar lines and play them quickly; save thinking time for critical tactical or endgame junctures.
- If your opponent is low on time and the position is equal, keep tension and avoid unnecessary simplifications — practical chances increase in time scrambles.
- Pre-move selectively (captures when recapture is forced), but avoid pre-moves that allow tactics or forks.
Opening adjustments (practical)
- Keep playing what works — your best win rates are in the French Defense: Advance Variation and Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. These are great to keep as core repertoire lines.
- If you want to raise your consistency, tighten the Caro-Kann work: your Caro-Kann Defense win rate is moderate — study one typical Tartakower/Tartakower-style plan and one defensive resource versus quick opening aggression.
- Add one short sideline to surprise opponents in your most-played defenses. Learn a single idea (a pawn break, a piece maneuver) rather than a long move-by-move book line.
How to review the three recent games (actionable)
- Win vs Monluis: replay the game and mark the moment you took the initiative (the rook/queen infiltration phase). Note how you used piece activity to create direct threats — repeat the same motifs in training games. Opponent profile: Luis Sánchez.
- Loss vs Gigsixstring: identify the pawn break that created the decisive passer. Ask whether a prophylactic move (king to safer square or an exchange) could have reduced his attack. Replay the critical sequence slowly, then practice similar pawn-break positions from textbooks.
- Loss vs aleksander555: this game shows the danger of letting the opponent create a passed pawn while your king remains passive. Practice rook+king endgame play and avoid allowing pawn breakthroughs when you're short of time.
Small checklist to use during every blitz game
- Move 1–10: develop quickly, keep king safe, and keep eyes on opponent’s tactical threats (20–30 seconds total).
- When material is equal: trade if it reduces opponent’s initiative; avoid trades that activate their king or passers.
- If you have 30 seconds or less: simplify if winning, create complications if losing on time but equal on board.
- Before each capture: check for enemy forks, discovered checks, and your king’s escape squares.
Summary & next steps
Focus the next 2–4 weeks on: 1) tactics daily, 2) one endgame (rook endings), and 3) a tidy refresh of your favorite opening(s) — especially the lines where you already score well. You have good momentum; small, focused habits will convert that into steady rating gains.
Want a personalized mini-plan for one of your openings (example: a 2-week Caro-Kann plan)? Tell me which opening you want to prioritize and I’ll send a drilled schedule and key model games.
Extras / quick resources
- Replay your win vs Monluis: Luis Sánchez
- Replay your game vs GranalumnoGA (useful examples of conversion ideas): granalumnoga