Coach Chesswick
Quick summary
Good work — you’re still winning complicated positions and handling active counterplay. Recent games show: strong tactical vision when the position opens (your win vs Amudan Mangudi), but also a tendency to grab material or slow down when the opponent has active pieces and mating ideas (loss vs frenchretreat). Your overall strength-adjusted win rate (~0.515) and long history show you understand practical blitz chess — now it’s about tightening a few predictable leaks.
Example games (click to explore)
Win vs Amudan Mangudi — Caro‑Kann game where you defended through a sacrificial attack and converted the endgame:
- Board viewer:
Loss vs frenchretreat — an English/central game where a queenside pawn grab let Black gain decisive activity:
- Key position: after Black brought rooks and queen to the 2nd/1st rank, your king became vulnerable and you lost coordination — consider reviewing the final phase (20.Qxb7 Qc2).
What you do well
- You see tactical shots in messy positions — your win shows good calculation when pieces are enmeshed and the kings are exposed.
- Strong practical sense: you keep creating complications that maximize practical chances in blitz.
- Your opening base is solid — your repertoires (Sicilians, English, Dutch) contain well-practiced lines where you get playable middlegames.
Recurring weaknesses to fix (with concrete actions)
- Over-grabbing pawns / ignoring opponent activity — example: in the recent loss you took a queenside pawn (20.Qxb7) while the opponent had heavy pieces ready to invade. Action: before grabbing material, ask “Can my opponent create immediate threats (checks, mates, forks)?” If yes, decline the pawn or prepare an escape.
- Back‑rank and mating threats in open middlegames — you sometimes leave the king’s back rank or 2nd rank weak. Action: nightly drill — 10 back‑rank / mate-in-2 puzzles; before every move, quickly scan opponent checks and sacrifices.
- Time management in blitz — you allow positions to become chaotic late on the clock. Action: practice 3|2 and 5|0 with the goal to keep 20–30 seconds on the clock after move 20. Play with a simple plan (develop, castle, connect rooks) to avoid huge time sinks.
- Endgame simplification judgment — sometimes you trade into endings where opponent’s piece activity dominates. Action: study 10–15 basic endgames (rook + pawn endings, minor piece vs passed pawn) and practice converting / defending them.
Short drills (10–20 minutes each)
- Tactics: 20 mixed tactical puzzles with emphasis on forks, pins and back-rank mates (set a 12–15 minute timer).
- Mini‑training games: 10 games at 3+2, but force yourself to play the first 10 moves at 10 seconds each — focus on safe king and piece activity.
- Opening review: pick one opening line you play (example: Caro-Kann Defense or the English Variation you used) and go through 5 model games — note typical pawn breaks and piece maneuvers.
- Endgame warmup: 5 rook-and-pawn positions (defend / convert) — keep each position under 4 minutes to simulate blitz stress.
Opening & repertoire notes
Your openings are varied and successful in many lines (your Openings Performance shows strengths in several Sicilian and English lines). A few quick tips:
- Condense your blitz repertoire to 2–3 reliable systems you know well — that reduces early errors and saves clock time.
- For the Caro‑Kann: study typical piece activity after the exchange sacrifices (like the Bxf7+ motif your opponent tried). Know when to simplify vs when to hold tension.
- Against queenside pawn grabs: when the opponent’s queen and rooks are already eyeing infiltration squares (2nd rank), prefer prophylactic moves (king step, rook lift, or minor piece to block) over immediate pawn grabs.
Psychology, tilt and blitz mindset
- When you lose a tactical skirmish, take 10–20 seconds to breathe and reset. One calm move prevents a cascade of mistakes.
- Use increment: even one second per move helps. If you’re getting flagged or in huge time trouble often, reduce pre-move use and avoid “mouse‑slip” errors.
Plan for your next 2 weeks
- Daily: 15–20 minutes tactics (focus on forks, back‑rank and mating nets).
- Every other day: 2–3 rapid practice games (5+0 or 3+2) implementing the “no pawn grab with active opponent” rule.
- Weekly: review one lost game in depth — write down the critical moment, candidate moves, and the right defensive idea.
Small checklist to use during blitz games
- Before capturing: are checks, forks, or mates available for opponent?
- Do my pieces have safe squares after the exchange?
- Is my king safe from immediate invasion on the back rank or along open files?
- Can I force simplification if behind on the clock?
Next steps & resources
- Use the included board viewer to replay the win and mark the turning points —
- If you want a targeted plan, reply and I’ll create a 2‑week training schedule tailored to your openings and time availability.