Quick note
Hi Joachim. Nice work in your recent blitz session — you converted advantages and created real winning chances. Below I highlight what you did well, the recurring issues I saw, and a short practice plan so you make steady gains in future blitz games.
What you are doing well
Your recent games show several strengths to build on:
- Active attacking play and tactical alertness. In wins you create threats quickly and keep the opponent under pressure.
- Good use of queen and rook checks to keep the enemy king exposed and force concessions. See your clean finish here: Win vs glos75.
- Sharp opening choices that lead to unbalanced positions where you seem comfortable playing for a win.
- Practical conversion ability in complex middlegames. You often find the forcing plan to convert a material or positional plus into a decisive result, as in this win: Win vs paranga75.
Recurring weaknesses to fix
These are areas that cost you games repeatedly in blitz:
- King safety and back-rank/rook-file vulnerability. In your recent loss the opponent generated heavy pressure on open files and your king became exposed. Review this game: Loss vs lanza1834.
- Allowing opponent counterplay before finishing the attack. Sometimes you press forward but leave a pawn break or piece to reverse the situation.
- Time management in sharp positions. When the position gets messy you use too much clock on some moves and then make superficial moves later.
- Endgame technique in simplified positions. In the drawn game you reached a forced simplification that led to insufficient material. Make sure simplifications are in your favor: Draw vs andrej4.
Concrete improvements — move-by-move actions
Small changes you can implement immediately during blitz:
- Prioritize king safety before launching a pawn storm. If you are about to open files near your king, check for enemy counterplay and secure escape squares first.
- When you have an attack with big pieces, look for forcing sequences of checks and captures first. If a forcing line wins material or mate, calculate it before anything else.
- Before simplifying into an endgame ask: "Does the resulting pawn structure and king activity favor me?" If unsure, keep pieces on and play for the win only when you are sure the simplification helps.
- Use the increment. In critical positions spend slightly more time to calculate candidate moves. In quieter moments make fast practical moves to bank time for tactical fights.
- Make a quick tactical sweep before each move. Ask "Is any piece hanging? Are there forks, pins, or discovered checks?" This reduces oversights in blitz.
Short practice plan (4 weeks)
A focused routine you can apply between sessions:
- Daily 10 minute tactics (puzzles that finish in 1 to 3 moves). Focus on forks, discovered attacks, and mating nets.
- 3 blitz games every other day where you deliberately practice one theme: week 1 king safety, week 2 conversion and endgames, week 3 opening plans, week 4 mixed. After each game do a 5 minute review.
- Weekly endgame drill: 2 rook endgames and 3 pawn/king endgames. Practice basic fortress and opposition techniques.
- Study two model games in your favorite opening and extract typical pawn breaks and piece placements. This will speed up decisions in the opening phase.
Specific moments to review now
Go over these games with a calm engine pass and try to answer the "why" behind critical decisions:
- Win where you forced repeated checks and the opponent resigned: Win vs glos75. Look at the sequence of checks and see if any simplification earlier would have kept the win easier.
- Fast mate conversion with a rook finish: Win vs paranga75. Notice how you used open files and promotions effectively.
- Loss due to opponent activity on open files and a timely rook infiltration: Loss vs lanza1834. Identify where king safety could have been improved and which trade would have reduced their chances.
- Draw that ended with insufficient material. Check move choices that led to simplification: Draw vs andrej4.
Quick checklist before your next blitz game
- Have I safely castled or created air and an escape square?
- Are any of my pieces hanging or overloaded?
- Is there a forcing tactic available now?
- If I trade pieces, does the resulting endgame favor me?
- Do I need to spend more time on this move or can I move quickly?
Use this list as a 5 second mental pre-move routine. Over time it will reduce blunders and improve conversion rate.
Final note
Your overall play is geared toward fighting and creating chances. With a few targeted adjustments to king safety, simplification judgment, and time usage you will turn more close games into wins. If you want I can produce a short annotated version of one of these games with 3 concrete alternative lines to practice. Tell me which game to annotate.