Chess Coaching Advice for IM Rene Marcial Alonso García

Coach Chesswick

Strengths in Recent Games

Rene, your recent blitz games showcase several notable strengths that contribute to your success:

Opening Preparation: Your familiarity with openings such as the Ruy Lopez Morph Defense and the Alapin Sicilian is evident. Activating your pieces swiftly by castling early and pursuing a strong center control demonstrates good theoretical knowledge.
Active Piece Play: You show a tendency to improve your piece activity by maneuvering knights and bishops to influential squares, as well as supporting pawn breaks at appropriate moments.
Pressure Application: In the wins analyzed, you effectively put pressure on your opponents, particularly by targeting weaknesses and forcing resignations when they are down material or positional options.
Time Management: You manage your clock reasonably well throughout the games, especially in complex positions where quick and sound decisions are needed.

There are aspects where improvement could make your play even stronger:

Handling Time Pressure: In some losses, the games ended due to time forfeits. You could benefit from practicing faster calculation under time constraints and prioritizing simpler plans when the clock is low to avoid time losses.
Endgame Technique: Some positions indicate potential gains in endgame precision. Working on fundamental endgames and practical converting techniques can increase your chances of holding or winning close games.
Reducing Draw and Loss Frequency: Your strength adjusted win rate is just below 50%. Focusing on minimizing inaccuracies in the middlegame and capitalizing on small advantages may increase your consistency.
Opening Variety and Flexibility: While your primary openings are well prepared, exploring more varied lines could make you less predictable and better prepared against diverse opponents.

Looking at your recent rating trends and performance:

Your overall rating has seen a healthy six-month increase of about 68 points, showing steady progress.
Although there is a slight dip in the last three months, the positive slopes over 6 and 12 months suggest you are maintaining a strong overall level.
Your balanced approach between wins and losses indicates competitive resilience; improving focus in critical moments could tilt tight games in your favor.
In popular openings you employ, such as the Caro-Kann Defense, your win rates are above average, exhibiting solid preparation. Continuing to refine play in these lines can yield even more success.

Analyze Your Time Management: Review games lost on time to develop a plan for improved pacing in blitz, such as allocating more time to key moments and simplifying when behind on the clock.
Endgame Training: Dedicate practice sessions to mastering key endgame concepts relevant to your level, focusing on King and pawn endings, as well as minor piece endgames.
Expand Opening Repertoire: Experiment with related opening variations to surprise opponents and improve adaptability, especially in your high-priority openings.
Post-Game Analysis: Spend time analyzing both your wins and losses to identify recurring patterns and tactical or strategic mistakes to work on.
Mental Preparation and Focus: Blitz games require quick thinking; practicing mindfulness and concentration techniques may help maintain clarity in fast-paced play.