Ali Ekber Doğan CM

Feedback on Ali Ekber Doğan’s Recent Blitz Games

Here’s a concise, practical look at what you’re doing well and where you can improve in your blitz play. I’ll focus on ideas you can apply over the next couple of weeks, using the recent games as context.

What went well in your recent blitz games

• Active piece play and willingness to complicate positions when you had the initiative. In several games you pushed pieces into aggressive squares and looked for tactical chances rather than settling for quiet equality.
• Openings you’ve chosen show solid understanding of dynamic structures. You’ve demonstrated comfort with aggressive lines that lead to sharp middlegame play, which suits blitz where practical chances often arise from imbalanced positions.
• Endgame conversion when you had the edge. In some wins, you kept pressure on the opponent, converting small advantages into a finish. Your ability to maintain practical chances in the late stages can be a strength in blitz where accurate long-term planning is tough under time pressure.

Key improvement opportunities

• Time management and pace: In blitz, you’ll benefit from a more consistent time distribution. Try to allocate a predictable portion of your clock to the middlegame and avoid long, speculative sequences unless you’re certain of the follow-up. Develop a routine like: quick checks on forcing lines, then deeper calculation only if the position clearly rewards it.
• King safety and simplification: Several losses came after complex tactics against you or from overextending in the middlegame. Favor safer simplifications when you’re ahead on time or when the position becomes tactical and unclear.
• Opening funnel discipline: Your openings show you’re comfortable in dynamic lines, but some branches can lead to rough middlegames in blitz. Consider leaning into a smaller set of trusted lines that you know well, then transpose into familiar middle games rather than exploring unfamiliar branches under time pressure.
• Pattern recognition and tactics: Increase your pre-blitz puzzle work (10–15 minutes daily). Focus on motifs that arise in your common openings (for example, typical sacrifice patterns, related to the structures you frequently encounter). This will help you spot winning ideas quickly in blitz.
• Endgame technique under time pressure: When heads into simplified endings, practice key king-and-pawn endgames and basic rook endgames so you can convert even small advantages reliably without getting into time trouble.

Opening focus suggestions

Your openings performance data suggests you’re comfortable with dynamic lines and have decent results in Catalan and some Grunfeld-related structures. Consider reinforcing a focused opening plan to improve consistency in blitz:

• Lean into safe, repeatable Grunfeld or Queen’s Pawn setups where you’re comfortable transitioning into dynamic middlegames. Grünfeld Defense: Counterthrust Variation
• Continue developing familiarity with the Catalan family, especially Closed Catalan structures, to reach favorable middlegames more reliably. Catalan Opening: Closed
• Use a solid, less risky French option for occasional surprise value in rapid formats, but avoid drifting into high-variance branches in blitz. French Defense

Practical, two-week plan

• Daily tactical training: 15 minutes of short, timed puzzles focusing on motifs you frequently encounter in your openings.
• Two focused opening sessions per week: deep dive into one Grunfeld line and one Catalan line, outlining typical middlegame plans and common tactics.
• Endgame focused practice: 1 short endgame drill per session (e.g., rook endings, king-pawn endings) to improve conversion under time pressure.
• Blitz practice with review: after each blitz session, quickly review at least one mistake or questionable decision and write down the alternative line you should have played.
• Time management drill: in training games, set a rule to finish each middlegame by the 15th move unless you have a clear winning plan; otherwise, steer toward simpler positions.

Recent-game takeaways (context from the latest results)

In the most recent loss, the game ended with a decisive tactical finish against you, highlighting the need to keep your king safer and to avoid getting maked into complex tactics when your clock is tight. Use that as a reminder to prefer solid development earlier and to consider simplifications when the position is murky. For the next games, aim for a clearer development plan and more controlled middlegame transitions.

Final encouragement

You’re competing at a high level in blitz, showing willingness to complicate and fight for initiative. With targeted tuning—especially on time management, selective opening choices, and consistent endgame play—you can translate those strengths into more reliable results. If you’d like, I can tailor a 2-week drill plan around your most-used openings and typical endgames, or set up a small study pack focusing on the specific patterns you’re most likely to see in your next tournaments.