Cacatai NM

Hi Cacatai – performance review & improvement plan

Quick stats

Your current blitz peak: 2424 (2024-12-17).
Activity snapshots:

What you are doing well

• Dynamic opening choices. Switching between Sicilian Canal-Attack, Caro-Kann Fantasy and 1.e4 e5 Scotch keeps opponents guessing and shows good theoretical range.
• Tactical alertness when on the attack. In the win against badzurka you found 12…Nc5! and 17…f6!, seizing the initiative despite the cramped Caro–Kann structure.
• Practical endgame play. Your rook-and-pawn conversion in the English game versus Pablo Albores was clean — you coordinated the minor-piece attack (…Bh3!) and transitioned into a winning K+P ending.

Main themes to address

1. Time-management discipline
   Three recent losses (vs Noam Feinberg, Liuber Gongora and badzurka as White) were from healthy or winning positions that flagged. Adopt a “30-20-10” rule: no move should leave you below 2:30 in the first 10 moves, below 1:40 by move 20, or below 0:40 before any queen trade. This alone should net you 15–20 rating points.
2. Caro-Kann Fantasy lab (White)
   Both defeats to paalbatroemel and tgp63 arose from the same structure after 3.f3. Opponents punished over-extension with …Ng4 and …e5 or …Ne4. Memorise the modern antidote 5.dxe5  Qxd1+ 6.Nxd1!; you keep a slight pull without the risky pawn storm. Drill this line in your repertoire file.
3. Rook-endgame technique
   In the Sicilian loss you reached the diagram below a pawn up but allowed …Qh7#:
   . Review basic Lucena and Philidor positions and remember the umbrella checks concept to hide the king behind its own pawn.
4. Over-expansion with flank pawns
   Games vs Liuber Gongora and the French Tarrasch win show that early g- and h-pawn thrusts are double-edged. Before pushing, ask “What is my worst-placed piece and can I improve it instead?” Often the answer will save tempo and king safety.
5. Calculation depth & forcing moves
   In the Nimzo-Indian loss you missed 29…Rxb2+! when your queen already eyed f7. Make a habit of looking for zwischenzugs and forcing captures whenever the opponent’s king, queen or rooks sit on open files.

Targeted weekly plan

• 🕑 15 min/day tactics — focus on 3-move combinations involving back-rank ideas & piece traps.
• 📚 Opening patch-work — create a mini-file for Caro-Kann Fantasy with two safe sub-lines and play them exclusively for one week.
• ♟️ Endgame Friday — solve 5 rook-endgame studies; then replay Capablanca’s “third-rank bridge” game.
• 🎯 Sparring — two 15 | 10 training games vs a friend or bot where you verbalise candidate moves to slow down impulsive pawn pushes.

Motivation corner

You’ve oscillated between 2380-2420 for a month — ironing out the time-trouble resignations alone is enough to push you past 2450. Stick to the plan, celebrate small milestones, and keep your fighting spirit!

Good luck in your next session, Cacatai. I’ll be rooting for you!