Grigory Seletsky FM

Hi Grigory!

Below is a personalised review of your recent blitz games together with an action-oriented improvement plan. Data are drawn from the latest sample of wins and losses you shared.

1. Strengths to Keep Leveraging

• Opening repertoire consistency. You score well with the Closed Sicilian and Caro-Kann Advance, showing good knowledge of typical pawn structures.
• Piece activity. In the wins, you frequently seize the initiative with moves such as 14.a3 and 29.e5 in your most recent game, indicating healthy board vision.
• Tactical alertness under time pressure. Several victories were clinched while both sides had <20 s on the clock, proving that your calculation speed is a real asset.

2. Recurring Issues in the Losses

• Pawn-structure neglect. Losses versus Noumenon724 and pratham1111111111 show you taking on long-term weaknesses (…f5 in an English, early …b5 in a Benoni) without sufficient compensation.
• Defending passive positions. When the initiative flips, your pieces sometimes drift (e.g., …Bf6–g5–h7–g6 cycle) instead of consolidating. The result is a slow squeeze rather than an immediate blunder.
• Conversion in technical endgames. You resigned several roughly equal rook-and-pawn endings. This hints at confidence, not skill – the positions were still holdable.
• Time-management swing. You often go from >2 min to <25 s within a 5-move span, especially when calculating forcing variations. Blitz rewards good enough decisions delivered fast.

3. Thematic Example

Study the turning point in your latest win:

4. Action Plan for the Next 4 Weeks

1. Pawn-Structure Focus
   • Play one training session per day where you stop after move 15 and annotate pawn strengths/weaknesses.
   • Revisit model games of the Benoni and English to understand when …b5/…f5 type breaks are sound.
   
2. Defensive Technique
   • Solve 5 defensive puzzles daily (use the “survival”-type mode).
   • During post-game review, identify the first move where you moved the same piece twice while under attack – ask “what solid alternative did I have?”.
   
3. Endgame Holding Skills
   • Play 10 rook-and-pawn endings vs engine set to ≈2100 and practise the Philidor/Lucena setups.
   • Memorise key drawing techniques such as the Vancura and the short-side defence against a bishop pawn.
   
4. Clock Discipline
   • Adopt a simple rule: never dip below 1 min before move 20 unless the position is completely winning.
   • Every three moves, glance at the clock and consciously decide whether you are thinking or playing.
   

5. Micro-targeted Opening Tweaks

• With Black, add the Hedgehog setup (…e6, …c5, …b6, …Bb7) to your Closed Sicilian repertoire to avoid early Nc4/a5 from White that troubled you.
• With White, in the Caro-Kann Advance Short variation, prepare 14.g4!? plans instead of the slower Qh3 ideas – it scores better statistically and suits your attacking style.

6. Progress Tracking

Glance at your performance trends to spot improvement windows:

7. Motivational Snapshot

Your blitz peak to date: 2568 (2022-10-05). Aim to add +50 by next month using the plan above.

Stay disciplined, keep the games flowing, and enjoy the journey. Message me any time you want a deeper look at a specific game.