Coach Chesswick
Hi René Antonio (“CPOR3”) – Performance Review & Action Plan
What you already do well
- Dynamic piece play. Your Ruy Lopez win vs gs47 shows how comfortably you sacrifice structure for activity (e.g. ).
- Sense of initiative. You often keep the opponent on the back-foot with timely breaks such as …d5 in the English or …f6 in the Lopez Exchange.
- Never-say-die attitude. Even when worse you set practical problems and score many victories on the clock.
Main areas to improve
- Clock management.
8 of your last 10 defeats were on time. Adopt a “minimum time per move” rule (stay above 10 s until move 20 in 3 | 2) and play several 10 | 5 games where good habits matter more than ultrafast reflexes. - End-game technique.
Losses vs gmsodomov and indiansher reached drawable endings that slipped away. Spend three sessions a week on rook-and-pawn fundamentals, especially the Lucena and Philidor positions. - Chess960 unfamiliarity.
All recent 960 games were lost around move 20. Take 30 seconds at the start to map castling rights, develop minors before launching pawn storms, and avoid early queen forays. - Opposite-wing pawn races.
In the Queen’s-Pawn loss you were out-speared by …h5-h4. Insert prophylactic pawn moves (h3/h4) or trade the attacking minor piece before committing your own forces.
Opening snapshot
- White: Ruy Lopez Exchange, English/Réti set-ups.
- Black: 1…e5 structures vs 1.e4; King’s-Indian setups vs 1.c4/1.Nf3.
Build a two-line “quick-play” file for each opening to save precious clock time.
Stats & Trends
Peak rapid rating: 2098 (2025-03-15)
When you win and when you struggle:
4-Week Training Plan
- Daily tactics (15 min). 20 puzzles with emphasis on intermediate moves and forcing checks.
- End-game drill (3× week). Rook+pawn vs rook, minor-piece + outside pawn endings. Play each side against the engine until you convert/hold.
- Timed practice games. 10 | 5 sessions aiming to finish with >60 s on the clock. After each game, locate the first critical error, annotate it in your own words, then move on.
Practical tips
- When positions quieten, actively look for an improving move to avoid drifting into zugzwang.
- Pause before automatic captures; in your recent win 18.Bxc5 allowed …Qb7 and unnecessary counter-play.
Keep enjoying the journey, René. Consistent work on these points will break the 2300 ceiling soon. Good luck in your next games!