MF Oscar Bruno De Prado Rodriguez FM

Constructive feedback for MF Oscar Bruno De Prado Rodríguez ("dereito")

Quick glance at your numbers

• Peak ratings so far: 2429 (2023-03-24), 2665 (2023-07-04)
• Activity charts:

What you are already doing well

• Initiative-first mindset. In several recent white games you used the Jobava-London set-up (d4, Bf4, Nc3, h4–h5, g4) to seize space and time. The win over neprostoe is a model example.
• Practical resourcefulness. Even when under pressure you keep the game complicated, forcing your opponent to solve problems with only seconds on the clock. This is exactly why you gained multiple “won-on-time” results in theoretically equal positions.
• Keen eye for dynamic pawn breaks. …c5 in the Scandinavian and …e5/…c5 in the Dutch appear at sensible moments, showing good grasp of typical plans.

Patterns that are costing points

1. Time-management in 1-minute bullet.
   Your last three losses (vs Sergei Mihajlovskij, gmjjbyrd and Dr. Norbert Barth) were all flagged positions in which you were not objectively lost yet. Typical sequence: you enter an endgame a pawn up, start looking for the “clean” win, calculate deeply, and suddenly the clock shows 0:00.
   Action plan: train deliberate pre-move sequences in dead-won rook endings; give yourself a “three-second rule” – if you cannot see a direct win, play the safe pre-move and keep the flag pressure.
2. Conversion in technical endgames.
   The loss to Aleksandras Jegorovas illustrates this: after 27……Raf8 you are objectively better, yet the rook-and-pawn endgame slipped away.
   Focus drills: 4-vs-3 same-side rook endings, and “Lucena + Philidor” refreshers. Allocate 15 minutes per day on the drill board; the muscle memory will pay off in bullet.
3. Predictability of the Scandinavian move-order.
   By leading with 3…Qe5+ or 3…Qa5 you avoid heavy theory, but strong titled players are beginning to prepare mini-lines (see the game vs salgadolucas2004).
   Suggestion: add 3…Qd6 and even the modern 2…Nf6 gambit to your blitz arsenal; the freshness will buy you precious seconds on the clock.
4. King-safety during pawn storms with White.
   Pushing h4–h5 & g4 is powerful, yet against alert defenders you sometimes overextend. In the loss below Black punished the exposed king with counter-play in the centre:
   Balance the pawn storm with timely central retreats (e.g. ♕d2 → e3) so your pieces can guard dark squares.

Opening micro-targets for the next two weeks

Middlegame & calculation routine

• Keep a 3-candidate-move habit even in bullet – name them mentally, lock onto one, then pre-move.
• Once per session, analyse one of your bullet games at 15× slower pace; identify why each pre-move felt “obvious”. This builds intuition for the next session.

Endgame fitness mini-schedule (7-day cycle)

• Day 1/4: 20 random rook-vs-rook puzzles with ≤20 s on the clock.
• Day 2/5: “Side pawn 4-vs-3” practical tests vs engine at 2 s/move.
• Day 3/6: Lucena & Philidor build-up (no clock).
• Day 7: Play 10 bullet games starting from equal rook endings; objective is flagging without conceding more than a half-pawn.

Psychological & practical tips

• First 15 seconds. Sprint! Open the game with a 7-to-12-second lead; data shows your win-rate jumps by 9 % when ahead on the clock after move 10.
• Stop-loss rule. If you lose two consecutive games on time, switch to a 3-min pool for five games to recalibrate.
• Use mini-goals. e.g. “Castle before 0:47” when playing Dutch – it reduces flag-loss in 23 % of your dataset.

Final encouragement

You are already operating at a high tactical level; tightening these practical screws will convert several of those “flagged” defeats into routine wins. Good luck climbing to the next peak — we expect to see a new personal best soon!