Boris Rozhin FM

Overview for Boris Rozhin

You play blitz with a willingness to fight for sharp, tactical positions. Your recent games show you can seize initiative and press hard when the position is dynamic. Now is a good time to tighten decision making under time pressure and to make your plan more consistent across openings and middlegame transitions.

What you’re doing well

• You pursue active play and don’t shy away from complex middlegames, which keeps your opponents on their toes.
• You demonstrate resourcefulness in tactical skirmishes, often creating tangible chances even when the position is unsettled.
• You have a capacity to convert pressure into wins when you keep the attack coherent and forceful at the right moments.

Key areas to improve

• Time management in blitz: aim to build a quick, repeatable process for the first 15 moves so you have reliable time for the critical middlegame and endgame.
• Opening consistency: choose a small, practical repertoire you’re very comfortable with and study typical plans in those lines to reduce decision fatigue in fast games.
• Pattern recognition and blunder avoidance: after entering a tactical sequence, pause to check for forcing counterplay or hidden traps before committing a key tactic.
• Endgame technique: practice common rook and minor-piece endings so you can convert wins or hold draws when material or activity shifts in late stages.
• Strategic discipline in the middlegame: balance tactical opportunities with solid structural plans; avoid over-ambitious pawn pushes that create weaknesses without a clear follow-up.
• Post-game discipline: review each blitz game briefly after playing, focusing on one or two concrete lessons (time handling, critical decision points, or endgame technique) to internalize progress.

Opening choices and practical plan

Your openings show a mix of dynamic lines and solid setups. A targeted plan can reduce blunders and time spent in unfamiliar positions:

• Deepen your London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation as a reliable, solid weapon that still offers active chances in many blitz games. This can provide a comfortable platform when you’re short on time.
• Develop a compact Sicilian approach for Black against both e4-based players who test you with aggressive setups, with a focus on Najdorf or a straightforward firm structure that you can navigate quickly.
• Keep one or two flexible replies against common White setups so you can stay within your preferred plans and avoid overthinking in the opening phase.

Two-week practice plan

• Daily 15-minute quick-fire training focusing on a single opening line and its main plans, plus a few typical tactical motifs you’re likely to encounter.
• Blitz review: after every two sessions, spend 10 minutes reviewing two games to identify where time was spent unwisely or where the plan broke down.
• Endgame drills: practice common rook endings and minor-piece endings so you can convert or hold in short time frames.
• Time management drill: during practice games, set a rule to decide on the first candidate move within 15 seconds, then use a second quick check (another 15 seconds) before committing.
• Pattern recognition: create a small checklist for tactical awareness (look for forcing moves, checks, captures, and threats to your king) and apply it in every game.

Next steps

Commit to a focused two-week cycle of opening consolidation, time-management drills, and post-game reflection. If you’d like, I can tailor a concrete 14-day schedule around your current practice time and preferred formats.