Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis GM

Overall Performance and Recent Form

Stamatis, your recent results in blitz chess show a solid level of play with a strength adjusted win rate just above 50%. This suggests that you are competitive against opponents of similar rating and continue to improve steadily.

• Your rating has increased by 92 points in the last month, reflecting positive momentum.
• Over the past three and six months, you've also made noticeable gains of 32 and 186 points respectively.
• The upward slopes in your rating trend—from about 7.3 points per month recently to roughly 14.5 over three months—indicate accelerating improvement.

These statistics affirm that your chess skills are on a promising upward trajectory.

Strengths Highlighted in Your Recent Wins

Your winning games emphasize several key strengths:

• Strong opening choices, including solid systems like the English Opening and Pirc Defense, setting up comfortable middlegame positions.
• Effective transition from opening to middlegame, where you steadily build pressure, as seen in timely pawn breaks and piece improvements.
• Sharp tactical awareness in critical moments, converting advantages into decisive victories through precise calculation.
• Good endgame technique, including active king play and exploitation of weaknesses, which led you to force resignations or win on time.

For example, in one game you skillfully handled exchanges and outmaneuvered your opponent’s king in an endgame position leading to checkmate or resignation.

Areas for Improvement Based on Recent Losses

Despite your good results, a few recurring themes emerge from your losses that can guide your training focus:

• Watch out for tactical vulnerabilities in slightly cramped positions; sometimes pressure on your pieces leads to decisive attacks by opponents.
• In a couple of games, the transition from opening to middlegame was less smooth, allowing your opponent active counterplay. Review your plan after exchanges and consider improving positional understanding to maintain initiative.
• Time management was a factor in some games; improving faster decision making under blitz time controls will help avoid losing on time or making rushed mistakes.
• Against strong opponents, consider learning more defenses and counterattacking ideas against popular opening lines they choose, to avoid early positional concessions.

Next Steps for Continued Growth

To build on your progress and address weaknesses, here are some practical suggestions:

• Analyze both your wins and losses deeply to understand critical moments — where you gained advantage or allowed counterplay.
• Practice tactical puzzles daily to sharpen calculation speed and accuracy, especially focusing on defense tactics.
• Refine your opening repertoire by studying main lines and typical middlegame plans, ensuring you avoid early strategic pitfalls.
• Train time management strategies, such as allocating thinking time wisely and pre-moving safe pawns or captures where appropriate.
• Consider periodic coaching or sparring with higher-rated opposition to expose yourself to diverse styles and sharpen competitive edge.

Maintaining a steady upward rating trend like yours is great, and focusing on these areas could help push your results even higher.