Alan Kantor NM

Hi Alan!

Your recent run of games shows steady Rapid strength around 2263 (2019-02-09), excellent fighting spirit and a healthy mix of openings. Below is a balanced review based on the six latest wins and three latest losses in the PGN bundles you supplied.

What you’re doing well

• Active piece play. In your wins against Eagle011984 and Daveholt2020 you consistently placed rooks on open files and minor pieces on outposts (e.g. Nxe5 in the Old Indian). This keeps constant pressure on opponents.
• Central pawn breaks. Moves such as 20…f5 (vs youken77) and 24…c4 (vs kalidanakonda) show good understanding of when to strike in the centre.
• Conversion technique in winning positions. The rook-and-pawn endgame win vs youken77 was smooth: you kept pawns rolling while the clock ticked down for White.

Key themes to improve

1. Tactics that hit undefended pieces

Your only Rapid loss on 6 June vs vito_dj turned when 23…Qxd4! picked off an unguarded pawn and forced an unpleasant exchange-down endgame. Similar motifs occurred in the May losses (e.g. 24…f4+ in the QGD). Add 5-minute sessions of puzzle rush focusing on “loose pieces drop off”.

2. Calculating forcing sequences to the end

Positions where you initiate complications sometimes backfire. Versus Vito_Dj the sequence 25.Bxc6 a5 26.bxa5 Bxc6 27.Rxc6 Rxa4 left your back rank loose. Train deeper visualization: after each candidate move ask, “What is the most forcing reply my opponent has?” (checks, captures, threats). Practise with the blindfold knight tour or 5-move-deep calculation drills.

3. Endgame awareness: rook activity & king safety

In the June 2 QGD you reached a rook endgame a pawn down but resigned with the rook still active. Often Rapid games are saved by perpetuals or unlikely stalemates; fight on unless the evaluation is crystal clear. Study the “third-rank defense” and the Lucena/Philidor rook-pawn endings.

4. Opening housekeeping

• Alapin vs Sicilian (as White). After 10.Bf4 a6 your setup was fine, but 14.Ne5?! let Black reroute the knight. Review model games by Giri/Grischuk on rapid-play Alapins: plans centre on c4-d5 breaks and queenside pressure rather than early knight hops.
• Caro-Kann Advance (as Black). In multiple wins you replied with the rare 3…c5. Good surprise weapon, but also test the mainline 3…Bf5/4…e6 so you’re not forced into the Benoni-type pawn structure every game.

Mini-practice plan (2 weeks)

1. Daily – 10 rated puzzles + 5 minutes of spaced-repetition flash-cards on motifs (forks, pins, zwischenzugs).
2. Alternate days – play one 15 | 10 game with post-mortem. During review, locate one moment where you could have asked “What can go wrong?” and note it.
3. Week-end – pick one critical rook endgame (e.g. your win vs youken77) and replay it against an engine from equal position to practise defence and counter-play.

Motivation corner

Your win rate climbs after 15:00 UTC according to

; consider scheduling important sessions there. Overall weekday performance is strongest on Wednesdays – see . Use that insight for rated streak attempts.

One illustrative finish

The mating net 22…Rb1 23.Rf8# against Anilshirali2083 shows clean coordination. Keep a mental library of such patterns – they reappear surprisingly often!

Good luck chasing the next rating milestone, and remember: every loss is a master-class when reviewed with curiosity.