Frode Elsness IM

What stands out in your recent blitz games

You often pursue active, sharp middlegame play and are comfortable creating complex situations. Your willingness to seize the initiative after solid development helps you generate practical chances in quick games. In several games you leveraged open files and piece activity to press for improvement, which is a strong trait in blitz where swift calculation and aggression can pay off.

• You mix material and positional ideas well, especially in dynamic openings like the Sicilian and Caro-Kann lines you’ve used. Your pieces often operate on multiple fronts, which can create practical problems for your opponents.
• Your willingness to attack and complicate positions can create winning chances even when the position is not perfectly clear. This is a valuable asset in blitz when precise long-term plans are harder to maintain.
• You show tenacity in the endgame, keeping pressure on the opponent’s structure and using rook activity to create drawing or winning chances.

Concrete areas to improve for faster, cleaner wins

• Endgame technique under time pressure: In several games, converting even small advantages can be tricky in blitz. Practice common rook endgames on open files and simple king-and-pawn endgames to convert faster and more confidently.
• Decision discipline in sharp lines: In highly tactical middlegames, it’s easy to chase leads. Develop a quick two-step check for each critical move: (a) what is my opponent threatening now, and (b) what is the immediate gain or risk of my move? If the answer isn’t clear, switch to a safer, developing move that keeps the position solid.
• Prophylaxis and waiting moves: Add a habit of looking for opponent’s plan before committing to a forcing line. If you’re unsure, prefer developing moves that improve king safety and connect rooks rather than forcing trades that may leave you with a weakened king.
• Opening planning and comfort zone: You’ve shown comfort in several sharp setups. Consider picking a small, coherent trio of lines and study their typical middlegame plans and endgames. A short, consistent framework helps you avoid over-aggression or missteps in blitz when time is tight.

Practical drills to accelerate improvement

• Endgames: Do 2–3 brief rook-endgame drills per week (rook on open file vs. rook, king activity, pawn runs). Focus on keeping rooks active and controlling key files.
• Tactics with purpose: Solve 15–20 tactical puzzles weekly that emphasize back-rank ideas, forks, and forced sequences. After solving, review one alternative line to understand why your move is best or not.
• Pattern study: Pick 2–3 recurring middlegame motifs from the openings you play (for example, typical Sicilian breaks or Caro-Kann pawn structures) and walk through the standard plans for both sides. This helps you recognize patterns faster in blitz.
• Time-management habit: In each game, aim to spend no more than 2–3 minutes on the first 12 moves. If you’re behind on time, switch to a simpler, safer plan and avoid cycles of long calculation in unclear positions.

High-level notes from your recent games

Overall, your games show strong fight and initiative. When you maintain king safety and keep rooks and queens coordinating, you create practical winning chances. In positions where the attack doesn’t materialize quickly, lean on solid development, simple plan-based moves, and timely simplifications to reach cleaner endgames.

If you want, I can annotate the specific recent games you provided and point to exact moments where a small shift in plan would have yielded a quicker win or a more secure draw.

Interactive note

If you’d like, you can attach a concise PGN snippet for each game and I’ll tailor a per-game improvement note focusing on the exact turns that shaped the result.

Example placeholder for a quick per-game PGN snippet: