cjlammert

Quick summary of the last games

Nice run — several clean wins and a couple of fast decisive games. You’re converting advantages and you’re comfortable playing for concrete targets (passed pawns, mate nets). Recent highlights: a technical queenside breakthrough and a good endgame conversion, plus a sharp tactical finish by mate in the opening from the black side.

• Most-recent win vs zsckook — a long middlegame battle that ended with you queening/king activity and a time win. See the final position below.
• Win vs giovanniaco — you converted a material/positional edge into a resignation.
• Loss vs vlajan — an early queen sortie punished you; a reminder to watch early tactics and queen checks.

What you’re doing well

• Closing out winners: you convert endgame/technical advantages reliably — several resignations and a final push that forced the opponent off the board.
• Practical awareness in time trouble: you win on the clock when needed — useful in rapid (but see caution below).
• Opening variety: you have strong results in several systems (Caro-Kann, Australian, English) — that breadth makes you hard to prep against.
• Tactical alertness in sharp positions: you find mates and combinations (example: the quick Qa3# game vs ypey).

Main areas to improve

These are recurring themes from your recent games and the season stats — small changes here will raise your conversion rate and reduce sudden losses.

• Opening safety early on — avoid leaving your king exposed to early checks and queen incursions. In the Vlajan game an early queen move (Qe4) created tactical problems; prioritize simple development when the opponent has active queen checks.
• Time distribution — you sometimes rely on flagging. That works, but it’s risky. Spend a consistent small amount of time each move early (build an opening rhythm), and leave more time for sharp moments later.
• Loose pieces / hanging tactics — you have the tools to spot combinations, but occasionally a piece becomes en prise after a sequence. Drill pattern recognition for forks, pins and skewers (the usual suspects).
• Transition play: when you win material, simplify accurately. A clean path from advantage to endgame (trade sequence, pawn structure) reduces chances for swindles.

Concrete next steps (weekly plan)

Small focused habits give the biggest rating gains in rapid.

• Daily tactics: 15–20 minutes on tactical puzzles (forks, pins, discovered attacks). Focus on recognition, not just speed. Use mixed difficulty; finish every missed puzzle by reviewing the motif.
• One opening refresher per week: pick 1 line you play often (example: your English/Caro setups). Review 5–8 typical move orders and the common tactical shots for both sides. Add 1 new short plan (pawn break or piece rerouting).
• Endgame basics twice a week: king+pawn endings, basic rook endings and outside passed pawn technique. Practice the Lucena and basic opposition patterns — these pay off when you convert material edges.
• Play 5 rapid games with the specific constraint: “no flagging”. Try to stop moving instantly in the last 30 seconds; force yourself to use time earlier. Review one game in depth (15–20 min) after each session.

Practical tips for the next game

• Move 1–10 checklist: develop minor pieces, castle, avoid premature pawn moves that create holes. If the opponent brings their queen out early, ask: "Can I chase it with tempo?" or "Do I drop material running after it?"
• When ahead: exchange pieces to reduce counterplay unless you gain a concrete plan (passed pawn, mating net). Simpler positions = fewer swindling chances.
• Time handling: on ambiguous middle games, take an extra 10–20 seconds to calculate candidate moves instead of instant replies — that saves time later.
• Tag to watch for: Loose Piece — if a move allows tactics that hit an undefended piece, pause and recalc.

Example position (most recent win) — replay

Replay the final sequence to study how you transformed activity into a winning plan.

Notes & next-review targets

• Short-term: reduce "fast loses" from early queen tactics. Spend 1–2 training sessions on opening traps and opponent queen checks.
• Medium-term: aim to convert more wins without relying on time; track how many victories come from flagging vs resignation. (You had a recent time win — useful, but convert earlier if possible.)
• Long-term: keep the current opening breadth but deepen 2 favorite systems into real repertoires — pick a main and a sideline to study 2 hours each per month.

When you want, send one game (PGN) you lost where you felt unclear — I’ll do a focused error-by-error postmortem.