Navid Khurshid

Hi Navid Khurshid!

First, congratulations on the wins you have been collecting lately — you clearly have a solid grasp of classical principles and a fighting spirit. Below is some focused, constructive feedback to help you keep climbing. Whenever you need a quick definition, feel free to click the glossary pop-ups such as zwischenzug or fork.

Quick glance at your numbers

• Peak rapid rating: 1607 (2010-02-27)
• Most active hours & win rate:
• Day-to-day consistency:

What you are already doing well

• Piece activity: In several games you rapidly mobilise both bishops and rooks, often seizing open files before your opponent realises the danger.
• Practical king safety: Castling is rarely delayed, and in your featured win you kept the king tucked away behind pawns while your rook invasion decided the game.
• Persistence in complex positions: Your best victories come from out-calculating opponents in sharp, unbalanced middlegames — a valuable skill that we will continue to refine.

Priority #1 — Time management

Five of your last six recorded losses were on time, some in positions that were still equal or even favourable. Improving here will instantly raise your rating without learning a single new opening line.

1. Adopt a move-timer ritual. Glance at the clock after every move, even at the start of the game, to create awareness before a crisis hits.
2. Critical moment rule (CMR). Allow yourself one prolonged think per game (e.g. 5-10 minutes in daily) when the position truly demands it; otherwise keep moves under 2-3 minutes.
3. Set reminders. Calendar alerts 24 hours before daily-game deadlines often prevent accidental flags.

Priority #2 — Opening repertoire & early middlegame

Your wins show comfort in Queen’s Gambit structures, yet your openings as Black vary widely. Streamlining will save time and cut blunders.

• With White: Keep building on the Queen’s Gambit Declined — study plans where ...d5 is answered by cxd5 and e4, exactly as in your best win.
• With Black vs 1.e4: Losses start 1.e4 … (no reply) and 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 (flag). Select one defence (Sicilian, Caro-Kann or French) and stick to it for 30 games; muscle memory will slash decision time.
• With Black vs 1.d4: Consider a single solution such as the Slav, which keeps positions solid and familiar.

Priority #3 — Endgame conversion

Your checkmating technique in the following game is excellent, but required nearly 60 moves. Sharpening endgame fundamentals will help you finish sooner and conserve clock.

Notice how you:
  • traded queens on your terms (move 18),
  • centralised the king early (moves 28-33),
  • created an outside passed a-pawn to distract the opponent (moves 37-45).

To convert faster next time:

• Memorise the winning technique of rook + bishop vs rook pawns.
• Practise basic king-and-pawn endings until they feel automatic; this lets you exchange into them confidently once you are a pawn ahead.

A 3-week improvement plan

1. Week 1: • Build a 15-move opening notebook for White and for each Black defence. • Solve 20 tactical puzzles per day focused on motifs that match your openings (e.g. hanging queen on d8 after Qxd5).
2. Week 2: • Play 10 rapid games using a “no-think” opening sequence to ingrain moves. • Start each game with at least 50 % of total time banked for moves 15-40.
3. Week 3: • Endgame mini-matches: choose a friend or bot and play rook-and-pawn vs rook 10 times from both sides. • Review and annotate every game you flagged on time to identify the exact moment lost.

Final encouragement

Your strategic understanding already outpaces your clock discipline. Fix the latter, and you will very quickly see daylight between your current rating and your new ceiling. Keep enjoying the journey — and remember: every move is a fresh chance to learn.