Coach Chesswick
Hi DinaBeaulieu! đź‘‹
What you already do well
- Sharp opening choices. You thrive in gambits such as the King’s Gambit and Budapest-style 1…e5, immediately unbalancing the position.
- Tactical vision. Your recent win ended with the neat shot , demonstrating good mating-net awareness.
- Practical fighting spirit. Even when the position is messy you keep looking for chances and often outcalculate opponents at your level.
Biggest growth opportunities
- King safety & sound development.
Several losses feature an exposed king (e.g. Ke2–Ke3–Kf2). Make “develop pieces, castle, connect rooks” your non-negotiable first goal in every game. - Pawn-push discipline.
Flank moves such as …h5 or …a5 often left holes that opponents infiltrated. Before you push a pawn ask: “What square am I weakening? Can the other side occupy it?” - Avoid repeating pieces early.
In the loss to nicolas-rousseau your queen dashed around while pieces stayed at home. Try to move each piece once in the opening unless you win something concrete. - Endgame technique.
Games like the rook ending vs lengowini slipped away from an equal position. Drill basic king-and-pawn and rook endings weekly. - Time management.
You often reach move 30 with seconds left. Play a few 15 | 10 games focusing on using their time to think on their clock, saving yours for critical moments.
Suggested 6-week routine
| Day | Main focus |
|---|---|
| Mon | 25 tactic puzzles (≤3 min each) |
| Tue | Self-annotate one lost game, then engine-check |
| Wed | Two rapid games emphasising safe development |
| Thu | End-game drills (rook vs pawn, opposition) |
| Fri | Build a “solid” line: e.g. Italian Game as White, Scandinavian as Black |
| Sat | Blindfold board-vision exercises (knight tours, colour quiz) |
| Sun | Light review & rest |
Track your progress
Peak so far: 637 (2024-09-16), 750 (2025-04-23), 417 (2025-06-07)
Hour-by-hour form:
Week-day rhythm:
Game-day check-list
- Before move 10: Are all minors developed? Is castling complete?
- Before any pawn push: Which squares become weak? Can they be exploited?
- During tactics: Calculate their checks, captures & threats too.
- Entering the endgame: Centralise king, put rooks on open files, create a passed pawn.
Keep your creative attacking style—add a layer of structure and your rating will climb quickly. Good luck, and enjoy the journey! ♟️