Feedback for Dave Harrington (Dad-rudy2001)
Current Snapshot
- Peak rapid rating so far: 683 (2025-05-27)
- Typical openings as White: Italian Game / Giuoco Piano, occasional Scotch.
- Typical openings as Black: Scandinavian Defence, Two-Knights defence setups vs 1.e4.
What You’re Doing Well
- Opening familiarity. You consistently reach sound positions out of your favourite lines. Sticking to a narrow repertoire is good for confidence at this stage.
- Quick tactical strikes. Several recent wins feature nice forks and mating nets (e.g. 26.Rxb7+ – 28.Rbxc7+ followed by 29.Nb7#). Your eye for immediate tactics is a real asset.
- Keeping the initiative. You rarely shy away from sacrificing a pawn to keep the attack going, which is excellent for learning dynamic chess.
Key Growth Areas
1. King safety comes first
Three of your recent losses started with opposite-side castling races where your king was the first to get hunted. Develop all minor pieces before pushing too many pawns in front of your king, and avoid leaving it in the centre beyond move 8.
2. Calculating one move deeper
In the loss to chacheone you walked into …Bxf2+ and …Nxg3+, losing material and king safety together:
When you see a forcing line (checks, captures, threats) always pause and ask, “What does my opponent reply next?” A quick blunder check would have revealed the double attack on move 13.
3. Piece activity over pawn-grabbing
You often win a pawn early but fall behind in development, inviting strong counter-play (see the Alekhine’s Defence loss where …d4 & …Nc4 punished you). Remember the value of tempo tempo often outweighs material at this level.
4. End-game technique
Games against etbinbaja and hasankalo reached simplified positions where basic king opposition, outside passed pawns and rook activation would have saved half-points. Adding 15 minutes per week to end-game drills will pay off quickly.
Action Plan (next 4 weeks)
- Opening hygiene: Play the first 10 moves with the “Three golden rules” mindset: develop pieces, control the centre, castle. If any pawn move violates two of those rules, double-check it.
- Tactics diet: 20 puzzles/day focusing on forks, pins, and discovered attacks. Theme search: “Double attack” and “Deflection”.
- Micro-end-games: Solve 5 basic king-and-pawn endings every session (Opposition, outside passer). Use the drill mode on Chess.com.
- Post-game self-review: Right after each game, mark one move you’re proud of and one you would change. This builds reflective practice.
Suggested Study Resources (within Chess.com)
- Lesson: “Mastering King Safety” (Beginner → Intermediate track).
- Puzzle Rush 3-minutes to sharpen quick tactics.
- Drills: “Lucena & Philidor rook endings” to reinforce end-game fundamentals.
Final Encouragement
Breaking 700 rapid is well within reach. Keep your king safe, develop first, calculate one extra move, and your natural attacking talent will shine even brighter.