Coach Chesswick
Hi cikera! Here is some constructive feedback to help you climb to your next 2410 (2020-04-28).
What you already do well
- Creativity & surprise value in the opening. Lines such as 1…a6 b5 (St-George) and early …a5/…h5 unsettle opponents and have given you several quick tactical wins (see move-by-move highlight below).
- Tactical alertness. You sniff out loose pieces and back-rank tricks quickly. In your win vs viktordovzhenko you spotted 30…Rxb2! followed by a passed a-pawn that decided the game.
- Willingness to play unbalanced positions. You seem comfortable when the position is sharp and material is imbalanced, an asset at fast time-controls.
Where the points are slipping away
- King safety & pawn pushes. A common theme in recent losses is weakening your own king with early flank pawns (…h5, …a5) before castling. In the loss to BidakBaruwing the loosened squares on g6/h6 allowed a direct assault.
- Conversion & end-games. In several wins you needed an opponent’s flag to fall rather than a technical finish. Strengthening basic end-game technique will let you convert earlier and with less stress.
- Time management. You often reach critical positions with <15 seconds, forcing “only-move” blunders (e.g., 38…c5?? under 5 s vs Slave Trajkoski). Even a small buffer (15-25 s) dramatically lowers error-rate.
- Central control. The creative flank play shines when the centre is stable. When opponents hit back with …d5/e5 breaks you sometimes react late. Review model games in the Caro-Kann and Pirc to see how the centre can be kept under tighter control.
Targeted training plan
- Opening refinement (½ h/day).
• Keep the surprise systems but add one “solid” option with early development and castling (e.g. Classical Caro-Kann as Black, Catalan as White).
• Build a mini-repertoire file; test it in unrated games. - Structured calculation drills (15 min).
Use the “blindfold mate-in-2/3” or Visualization Circles to sharpen calculation without moving pieces. - End-game essentials (15 min).
K+P vs K, basic rook endings and Lucena/Philidor should be second nature. Ten solved positions a day is enough. - Clock discipline.
• Decide on an opening branch before the game starts to save 10-15 s.
• Adopt a “Stop-Think at <30 s” rule: spend an extra 3-4 s to avoid the tactical blunder that costs the whole game.
Recent illustrative moments
Win: 30…Rxb2! created a mating net and unstoppable passer:
Loss: queenside pawn storm left king exposed on move 22:
Progress tracker
Your best rating surge often comes when you play during your peak focus hours. Monitor when you win most:
Next milestone
Break through the 2350-blitz barrier by tightening king safety and time management. Your tactical flair will do the rest!Good luck, and enjoy the journey to your new personal best!