Eric Yuhan Li IM

Hi Eric!

First of all, congratulations on consistently keeping your blitz rating near 2819 (2024-12-01). Your recent streak against titled opposition shows that you can beat anyone when you’re “in the zone.”

What you already do well

• Piece activity & initiative. In the win against FarewellToKings2112 you sacrificed a pawn, seized the open files and never let go. Your pieces flowed forward while your opponent’s were tied down.
• Tactical alertness. Moves such as 26.Nc6! (same game) or 63.g5!! in the marathon versus GaryColdman show quick calculation and courage.
• Opening flexibility. You switch smoothly between the King’s Indian as Black and Réti / Catalan / fianchetto systems as White, avoiding heavy theory wars and reaching playable middlegames you understand.
• Practical fighting spirit. Several games were converted from materially equal but messy positions by out-playing opponents under time pressure.

Key growth areas

1. Time management.
   Four of your last six losses were on the clock, including the Old Benoni versus Erekle Tabatadze. Even when winning you often reach <10 s. Try the “balanced clock” rule: aim to have at least 40 % of your initial time left after 15 moves and 20 % after move 30.
   Training idea: Play a daily set of 5-minute games where you must move before your clock dips below 30 s, even if the move is only 90 % good. This engrains faster decision cycles.
2. End-game technique.
   The diagram below is from a won position that drifted to … hxg4 and finally resignation because of low time and inaccurate technique. Build confidence with three-vs-two and four-vs-three rook-pawn end-games on one wing.
   Training idea: Use the “critical squares” drill on Chess.com’s Workout, or set up a weekly 30-minute session on a physical board.
3. Handling early flank pawn storms.
   Two quick losses (vs. ElliotAldersonTwitch and SinisterSnake) came after allowing …h5/h4 or …a5/a4 penetration. In both games your king remained in the centre with open diagonals pointing at it.
   Checklist: Before pushing a wing pawn, ask “Can the enemy open a file by force in the next three moves?” If yes, postpone or prepare with a prophylactic move (…h6/…a6/…b6).
4. Converting positional edges.
   When you reached the position below you were completely winning, yet needed 40 more moves:
   
   Practise turning these +3 positions into +7 quickly by using a “principle of two weaknesses” plan: double on the a-file and break with …b5.

Action plan for the next two weeks

1. Play 20 rapid (10 + 5) games focusing on staying above 40 % of starting time after move 15.
2. Finish the 100 Endgames You Must Know chapters on rook vs. pawns; then test yourself with 10 puzzles per day.
3. Add one classical main-line weapon as Black against 1.e4 (e.g. the Caro-Kann) to complement your King’s Indian vs. 1.d4, giving you a solid fallback when you don’t feel tactical.
4. Review each session with a single question: “Where did I first lose control?” Annotate that moment and save to a personal database.

Progress trackers

Keep an eye on your trends here:

Looking forward to seeing your next leap forward. Good luck and enjoy the journey!