Coach Chesswick
Hi Andres!
You hover around 2400+ blitz (2474 (2024-04-02)), which already puts you in strong master territory. The sample of recent games highlights an enterprising style, but also a few blind spots that cost half-points – or full points on the clock.
What you’re doing well
- Active, flexible openings. Your English / Réti setups (1 Nf3, 1 c4) reliably reach middlegames you understand. As Black you aren’t afraid of sharp French & Berlin lines.
- Initiative first. In the win vs BabageldiAnnaberdiyev you kept queens on, sacrificed a pawn, and dictated play until the flag fell in your favour.
- Resourcefulness under fire. Against the Grob you found …g3 and …gxf2⁺ with seconds left, turning a messy position into a win.
Recurring pain points
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Clock management – your #1 leak.
Four of the six listed losses were on time from playable or even better positions. That’s pure Zeitnot.
• Adopt a “0-1-2” rhythm (0 s for forced recaptures, 1 s for obvious moves, 2 s for anything non-critical) until you’re under 30 s.
• Use pre-moves in winning technical positions – especially king walks and pawn pushes. - Berlin sideline choice. In the loss to rikchessmx the sequence 4…Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.dxe5 Nxb5?! handed White open lines and tempo. Stick to 6…Nf5 or consider the solid 4…Bc5 to dodge this minefield.
- King safety vs early g-pawn thrusts. Against Romkachess (English) 18…Qh4 allowed Ng5! with multiple threats. Model games by Kramnik/Anand show that meeting g4-g5 with …h6 and immediate central counterplay is safer.
- Technical endgames. Even in the win with two extra rooks you spent >40 s finding routine manoeuvres. Regular “rook & pawn vs rook” drills will free up precious clock time later.
Mini-exercise
In the Berlin game, find an improvement for Black after 11.Bf4:
Try setting this up on a board and aim to decide on your move in ≤30 seconds.Two-week action plan
| Day | Focus | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Mon-Wed | 10 blitz games with strict 0-1-2 clock rule | 0 time losses |
| Thu | Study 3 model Berlin games & update PGN file | Pick a safe main line |
| Fri | 20 endgame drills (R+P vs R, R+N vs R) | Convert in <30 s |
| Sat-Sun | 30 tactical puzzles, 3 min max each | >80 % accuracy |
Track your progress
Keep the creativity, Andres, but make the clock your ally—your rating will thank you!