demestofos

Quick recap — recent games

Nice win vs rfeder — you handled a sharp central/wing game and finished with a direct kingside assault. The string of losses around Dec 8 show a consistent pattern: time trouble and a few missed defensive resources in rook/endgame positions. Overall you’re creating chances and playing dynamically — the goal is to convert more of those and avoid losing on the clock.

• Replay your win:
• Key opponents to review: iamchefgumi (time-lost game), Passchaak, veselin2 — many of these ended on time.

What you're doing well

• Creating imbalances and tactical chances — you like active piece play and you’re not afraid to open lines (example: the win vs RFeder where you brought the queen into the enemy camp and used a pawn storm).
• Good opening variety — you have reliable systems (Reti, Colle, Australian) that give you comfortable middlegame plans.
• Endgame instincts: you reach endgames often instead of blundering immediately, which means you can convert with better time management.

Biggest leaks to fix

• Time management — many recent games ended on the clock. This is the number one immediate improvement. In blitz, keep a mental budget (e.g., 30–40 seconds for opening and early middlegame, save 30–40s for the critical last 10 moves).
• Opposite-side castling awareness — when sides castle on opposite wings you must treat pawn storms as a race. In the win vs RFeder you allowed the opponent to castle opposite and then spent time on the wrong flank; be firmer with pawn breaks and rook lifts on the side they castle.
• Trade and simplification timing — sometimes you simplify into rook endings where your clock and active rook placement matter. Avoid entering long technical endgames while low on time unless you know the plan (Lucena/Philidor basics).

Concrete practical tips (next 2 weeks)

• Blitz clock plan: play 40% of games with 5+3 or 3+2 increment to retrain clock habits. If you must play 5|0, force yourself to use simple moves quickly — avoid complex calculations when under 30s.
• Opposite-side castling checklist: when opponent king is on opposite wing, follow checklist — a) open files on their wing, b) avoid unnecessary pawn pushes in front of your own king, c) build a pawn storm rather than slow maneuvering.
• Endgame drills (10–15 min/day): practice Lucena and basic rook vs rook + passed pawn positions, and a handful of common king-and-pawn vs king templates. Use online drills or 5–10 positions from an endgame workbook.
• Tactics + pattern review: 10–15 tactics per day, emphasize mating patterns and back-rank/queen infiltration motifs. That helps convert winning positions quickly in blitz.

Opening & repertoire advice

You have good results with systems like the R\u00E9ti Opening and Australian Defense. For blitz prefer lines that: reduce theory, lead to clear plans, and avoid long theoretical battles (that eat time).

• Simplify your blitz repertoire to 2–3 go-to systems you know well so you spend less time in the opening.
• If opponents play the Sicilian Defense often against you (your data shows mixed results), prepare a few sharp but low-theory anti-Sicilian setups or choose a quiet line you can play almost instantly.

Short tactical & mental checklist — before each blitz game

• Is the opponent likely to castle kingside or queenside? If opposite-side castling is possible, plan immediate pawn storms.
• Do I have enough time to calculate a 6–10 move tactical sequence? If not, trade into a simpler structure.
• Keep at least 20–30 seconds for the final phase — avoid games where you go under 10s unless you're comfortable premoving safe recaptures.

Training plan — one month

• Daily (15–20 min): tactics (focus on mates and queen/rook tactics).
• 3× week (20–30 min): 10 quick endgame exercises (rook endgames + king+pawn basics).
• 2× week (one longer session): review 2 lost games — annotate where you spent most time and what you missed.
• Play: 30 blitz games, but switch to 3+2 or 5+3 for half of them to build increment habits.

Places to focus next game

• Move quickly in familiar opening positions — save time for the middlegame.
• When you or opponent castle opposite sides: prioritize pawn pushes on the opponent’s wing and open files.
• If up material or with direct attack: simplify only when you have enough clock to convert.

Final notes

Your long-term rating history shows strong ability to recover and climb — recent trend slopes (1/3/6/12 mo) are positive. Fixing the time-leak and sharpening a couple of endgame templates will translate many of those created chances into wins. Good work — keep the momentum and focus on clock control.

• Placeholder: review your win again:
• Study pointer: endgame templates (Lucena/Philidor) + opposite-side castling patterns.