Coach Chesswick
Quick summary
Nice set of blitz wins — clean conversions, accurate tactical finishing, and good practical decisions in time trouble. Your short-term rating trend is strongly positive (+160 last month) and your strength‑adjusted win rate is ~52%, which shows you’re outperforming opponents consistently in blitz right now.
Featured finish (reviewable)
Here’s the most recent win (good model of patient piece play, queen checks and a decisive rook swing to mate). Step through the game to see how you increased pressure and prevented counterplay.
- Game vs Karina Ambartsumova — final mate on the 7th rank.
- Interactive replay (blitz finishing sequence):
What you did well (patterns to keep)
- Active piece play: bishops and rooks were consistently placed on long diagonals and open files, creating multiple threats before committing to simplifications.
- Use of forcing moves: timely checks and queen incursions (queen checks followed by rook swings) helped you convert without giving the opponent counterplay.
- Practical conversion: when you reached material or positional edges you pushed for a concrete plan (rook lift, doubling, invasion) rather than drifting.
- Time resilience: several wins while remaining composed with under two minutes — good clock sense and practical decision making in blitz.
- Opening consistency: you repeatedly steered games into structures you know well (the Indian/Przepiorka setups), which paid off tactically and strategically.
Areas to improve (high-impact, short-term)
- Sharpen Przepiorka knowledge: your results there are middling (~44% win). Drill typical pawn breaks and side‑switch plans so you don't rely on pure overpressing. See Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation.
- Manage simplifications: a few exchanges (especially knight for bishop trades or early piece swaps) created opportunities for opponent counterplay — verify resulting pawn structure and activity before simplifying.
- Watch for late knight jumps: in one game a late knight capture on c3 gave counterplay. Before allowing a minor piece to land on a strong outpost, check forcing continuations that exploit it.
- Endgame technique: continue polishing rook endgames and common mating nets with rook + major pieces. You finish well tactically, but systematic endgame knowledge (Lucena, Philidor themes) ups conversion speed.
- Time management nuance: you handle low time well, but avoid automatic pre-moves in unclear positions — a cautious one-second probe is fine, but pre-moves can turn winning positions into blunders.
Concrete 2‑week plan (blitz-focused)
- Daily 15–20 min tactic session: focus on pins, skewers, back‑rank and rook mate patterns. Aim for 25–30 puzzles per session.
- Three 30‑minute sessions on the Przepiorka: study 6 typical middle‑game plans and one anti‑line your opponents use. Play quick training games to apply each plan.
- Two endgame drills per week: 10 minutes on rook vs rook + pawn basics (Lucena), 10 minutes on mating nets with rook + queen/rook + bishop combos.
- One slow review per week: pick a recent win and a loss, annotate the turning points and alternative moves — prioritize “why” rather than “what”.
Quick tactical reminders for blitz
- Before any trade ask: does this reduce my opponent's counterplay or give them active targets?
- When you have a small material edge, improve pieces first — avoid immediate pawn rushes that create holes.
- Checks are currency in blitz: use them to buy a tempo or force simplifying trades when favourable.
Openings & repertoire notes
Your repertoire has clear strengths: the London System (over 80% win rate) and several high‑win lines in less common systems. For the Przepiorka and other Indian setups:
- Prepare a short set of “one move deeper” replies to the top sidelines your opponents play — that single extra tempo often decides blitz games.
- If you want quick scoring in tournaments, consider mixing in the London as a surprise weapon: it’s already a high ROI line for you.
Next match checklist (before clock starts)
- 1–2 minute warmup tactics (15 puzzles) to feel sharp.
- Open with your prepared move order — avoid novelty in the first 3–5 moves unless it’s a known trap.
- Set a simple plan: (1) piece activity, (2) target a weakness, (3) avoid unnecessary trades unless they simplify to a winning endgame.
- Use increment to pause and verify checks/captures when time < 30s.
If you want, next steps I can do for you
- Annotate 2 of your recent games move‑by‑move and highlight 6 concrete improvements.
- Create a 7‑day tactic pack tailored to the mistakes in these games (pins, forks, back‑rank).
- Prepare a short anti‑Przepiorka cheat sheet you can memorize and use immediately in blitz.
Parting note
Great momentum — your rating trend and win/loss record show strong form. Keep the focus on small, high‑impact routines (tactics + a couple of opening drills) and you’ll keep converting blitz advantages into points. Want me to annotate one of the wins in full next?