Kendrick Knowles CM

Overview of your recent rapid performance

You’ve experienced a short-term dip in rating over the last 1 to 6 months, as shown by the negative rating changes. Over the full year, the trend slope suggests a slow upward drift, which means you are building a foundation for improvement even if a recent stretch feels tougher. Your Strength Adjusted Win Rate sits just under 50%, which is a signal to sharpen convert-to-win chances in tighter positions. Overall, you have a solid base, with room to tighten decision making in the middlegame and improve endgame conversion under time pressure.

What you do well

• You have a broad opening repertoire and have shown comfort with both solid and sharper lines. In particular, the Hungarian Opening (Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit) shows one of your stronger win rates among your listed openings, indicating you handle aggressive, tactical setups well.
• You’re capable of creating practical chances in the middlegame and keeping pressure on opponents who misstep in dynamic lines.
• Longer-term trend analysis hints at a positive development trajectory. With focused work on the last few months, you can translate that into more consistent results in rapid games.

Areas to improve

• Time management in rapid games. Allocate your clock to ensure you’re not scrambling in the middlegame or endgame; practice budgeting 1–2 minutes per key decision and sticking to a simple plan when under time pressure.
• Endgame conversion. Work on common rook and minor piece endgames so small advantages convert into wins more often.
• Midgame decision quality. When you win or lose a pawn, have a clear plan rather than trading into an unclear structure—aim to keep or create a small, concrete plan (active king, open files, targeted weaknesses).
• Pattern recognition and tactical discipline. Increase exposure to tactical motifs (pins, forks, double attacks) through focused puzzles to reduce blunders in tight positions.
• Opening choice alignment with style. Some lines show better results for you than others. Consider leaning into the sharper, more forcing lines you’re comfortable with (like the Hungarian or certain Goblin setups) while filling gaps in quieter, positional lines you struggle with.

Concrete plan for the next two weeks

• Daily tactics practice (15–20 minutes). Focus on motifs such as forks, pins, discovered attacks, back-rank issues, and endings that frequently appear in rapid games.
• Opening study (2 sessions per week, ~30 minutes each) on your two preferred sharp lines: Hungarian Opening and Dresden Opening: The Goblin. Annotate typical middlegame plans and common pitfalls, so you have ready-made ideas to apply in games.
• Endgame focus (2 sessions per week, ~25 minutes). Practice rook endgames and king activity typical in rapid games; learn a simple plan for converting rook endings when you’re ahead or simplifying when behind.
• Post-game reflection. After every rapid game, write 1–2 lessons you learned and one concrete adjustment you will try in the next game.

Quick tips you can apply in your next game

• Before the 15th move, establish a clear plan for the middlegame based on the opening you chose. Do not rush into trades that simplify into less favorable endgames.
• If you’re running low on time, switch to a simpler plan: target opponent weaknesses, control key files, and avoid speculative tactical sequences unless you’re sure of the tactic.
• Keep a small notebook or mental checklist for common endgame patterns you encounter in rapid games, so you can convert advantages more reliably.

Profile and opening notes (optional)

For quick reference, you can review your recent opening choices and performance. If you’d like, I can tailor a quick opening plan based on your preferences and recent results. kendrickknowles

Potential opening focus areas to explore: Caro-Kann Defense, Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit, and Dresden Opening: The Goblin.