Quick summary
Nice run — your recent blitz shows the elements of a strong club player: active piece play, a willingness to simplify into winning endgames, and improving ratings over the last months. You are trending upward, so the goal now is to turn those gains into more consistent conversion and fewer late-game slip-ups.
Concrete examples (review these games)
- Good win to review: Win vs manipun1 — nice use of piece activity and forcing simplifications.
- Key loss to review: Loss vs Nich — instructive endgame where passed pawns and king activity decided the game.
What you are doing well
- Active piece play and tactical sharpness — you create threats and often force exchanges that favor you.
- Opening familiarity — you repeatedly reach comfortable structures (for example the Caro-Kann and various Sicilian lines) and get playable middlegames.
- Good conversion instinct — several wins ended by resignation rather than blunders, showing you press advantages properly.
- Positive momentum — your recent rating trend is up, so your training and habits are paying off.
Main areas to improve
- Endgame technique under time pressure — in the loss vs Nich the opponent converted with a passed pawn and king activity. Practice basic king and pawn vs king, opposition, and using the bishop against pawns.
- Pawn-structure awareness — some games show missed chances to stop opponent passed pawns or to create your own connected passers earlier.
- Opening choice vs opponents — your results in closed Sicilian lines are weaker relative to other openings. Consider refining your plan in those pawn structures or switching to lines where you get clearer plans. See Sicilian Defense: Closed and Caro-Kann Defense for targeted review.
- Time management in blitz — aim to avoid large time gaps after the opening. Keep a small reserve for complex positions so you do not get tunnel vision in the endgame.
Short-term action plan (this week)
- Analyze the two linked games right after play: find one moment in each where a different plan would change the evaluation. Make one note per game and repeat the idea next time you play that opening.
- 10 minutes/day of endgame drills: king and pawn basics, opposition, and a few bishop+king vs pawns positions. Focus on technique you can execute quickly under time pressure.
- 20 tactics puzzles/day with emphasis on mating nets and forced exchanges. That keeps your calculation sharp when you simplify into winning endgames.
- Pick one problematic opening line (e.g. closed Sicilian) and prepare 3 reliable plans for recurring pawn structures so you always have a go-to plan instead of guessing.
Medium-term habits (1–3 months)
- Weekly review session: 3 wins and 3 losses. For each loss write a one-sentence improvement plan and practice that plan in 3 training games.
- Endgame study twice a week: cover Lucena/Rosen positions, basic rook and minor piece endgames, and king activity concepts.
- Openings: consolidate your repertoire around 2 main responses so you deepen understanding rather than memorize many sidelines. Use your strong lines (where your win rate is higher) as anchors.
- Blitz discipline: practice with a 5+3 time control occasionally to buy time to practice technique without losing the feel of fast chess.
Concrete drills and resources
- Daily tactical set: mixed puzzles with 5–10 minute timed sessions to simulate blitz decision speed.
- Endgame mini-sessions: 10 positions per session, play them out from both sides until technique becomes second nature.
- Opening plans: create one-page summaries for your main openings listing typical pawn breaks, bad square targets, and common piece trades.
- Post-game routine: after each session, mark the single biggest mistake and write one sentence on how to avoid it next time.
One-line reminders to use at the board
- Ask: who has the more active pieces? If it is you, simplify; if not, avoid trades that make your pieces passive.
- Stop passed pawns early. If the opponent has potential passers, make a plan to block or trade them.
- Keep your king active in the endgame. A single tempo towards centralization often decides pawn races.
Follow-up
If you want, I can:
- Annotate one of the linked games with 5 key moments and suggested improvements.
- Create a 2-week blitz training plan tailored to the Sicilian closed structures you play.
Tell me which option you prefer or paste a game you want annotated and I will prepare focused feedback.