Coach Chesswick
Quick Snapshot
You played 15 bullet games in the last session (10 wins 5 losses). The short-term rating dip (-64 in 30 days) contrasts with a long-term upswing, so you are trending back up but still shaking off some rust.
- Strength-adjusted win rate: ≈ 50 %
- Most common colours: White with 1.Nf3 / Black versus 1.Nf3 + 2.d3
- Result distribution: many wins on time, most losses by tactical knock-out
What’s Working Well
- Speed-conversions. When you reach a winning endgame you convert almost instantly – e.g. the smooth rook & pawn clean-up in the Semi-Slav win.
- Piece activity over material. You gladly return material for activity (e.g. 19.d5! in the Reti win); this keeps the initiative and burns little clock.
- Tactical alertness with the queen & knight. Motifs like Nxe6, Nd7⁺ and perpetual forks appeared in several victories and saved marginal positions.
Recurring Problems
- Loose king after early pawn storms. In several Black games you launched …g5/…g4 before castling. When it works it wins quickly (en passant!), but two losses came straight from the holes it created.
- Back-rank & corridor mates. The critical loss vs tactic ended after 32…Rc1? 33.Rc8# – a textbook back-rank oversight: . Similar themes appeared in three other defeats.
- “One-more-pawn” syndrome. Grabbing stray b- or a-pawns (e.g. 16…Nxa4, 26…Nxa4) cost you time and the initiative. In bullet the clock margin rarely repays the pawn.
- Clock management in equal positions. You flag opponents from winning positions but sometimes invest too much time in already lost positions, converting a tough save into a flag loss.
Opening Notes
Overall your openings are sound but could be streamlined for bullet:
- With White: The flexible Reti + King’s Indian Attack served you well. Consider pre-selecting one of two set-ups to save vital seconds: (A) 1.Nf3 g3 Bg2 d3 or (B) 1.e4 d4 Bb5 where you already know the pawn breaks by heart.
- With Black: The quick …g-pawn thrusts make sense as a surprise weapon, but balance them with a “solid default” (e.g. …d5/…e6 setups) so you can switch when the opponent is well prepared.
Action Plan for the Next 30 Games
- Drill 50 back-rank patterns. Load them into a puzzle rush set; target < 10 seconds per puzzle.
- Castle before pushing the g-pawn unless you have a forced tactical justification.
- Adopt a “10-second rule” on pawn grabs. If the pawn win costs > 10 seconds or allows a tempo-gain for the opponent, skip it.
- Pre-move in winning rook endgames. You already convert well – lean into safe pre-moves to win earlier and bank extra clock for tricky middlegames.
- Review two critical losses offline. (a) 32…Rc1? game – find one quiet alternative. (b) 44…Bxe7 recapture – identify the decision tree that led to the blunder.
Motivation Boost
Your 3-month trend line is still upward (slope ≈ 128), so the recent dip is statistical noise, not decline. Stick to the plan above and you should regain the 2400 + bullet range quickly.