Coach Chesswick
Feedback for Tatyana V. Shuvatkina
What you are doing well
- Tactical alertness. Your win vs. Komodo1 features a daring c-pawn sprint ending in a quick promotion (7.cxd8=Q+). Spotting and executing such ideas shows excellent combinational vision.
- Converting when ahead. Once you gain material you usually keep the foot on the gas until checkmate or resignation—an important practical skill.
- Piece activity. You open lines early (1.e4/1.d4) and place bishops and rooks on aggressive files, creating constant pressure.
Growth opportunities
- Earlier development. In several games pawns raced down the board while minor pieces slept. Against stronger opposition delayed development can be punished. Aim to have three minors out and king castled by move 10 whenever the position allows.
- King safety. Two of the recent wins were played with your king stuck in the centre for 20+ moves. Even if you’re attacking, a single missed tactic can flip the game. Castling (or at least connecting rooks) earlier will lower risk.
- Endgame technique. The 69-move win vs. abilio_jose should have been wrapped up far sooner. Study critical rook endings (Lucena, Philidor) to convert cleanly.
- Clock management. Blitz is unforgiving: dropping under 30 s as early as move 30 forces rushed decisions. Try “decision-benchmarks”: no more than 10 s per move in the opening, 20 s in complicated middlegames.
4-week action plan
| Week | Main focus | Practical exercises |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opening structure | Create a one-page cheat-sheet vs. 1…c6 and 1…e5, then play 20 blitz games strictly following it. |
| 2 | Tactics | Solve 50 problems/day (1800–2200 rating); annotate two of your tactical games. |
| 3 | Endgames | Study rook + pawn theory; force at least 10 rapid (15|10) games into an endgame—even if you’re winning earlier. |
| 4 | Clock discipline | During every 3|0 session keep a visible timer and verbalise “move!” if you exceed 10 s on a non-critical move. |
Progress trackers
Your peak blitz rating so far: 1780 (2019-06-24).
See when you score best:
Study this miniature
Annotate every critical junction and ask, “What could Black have done better? What other winning lines did I have?”
Glossary
- Initiative – the ability to make threats that dictate the opponent’s replies.
- Lucena Position – a fundamental winning technique in rook-and-pawn vs. rook endgames.
Keep up the great momentum, Tatyana. With focused work on these points, the next rating milestone is within reach!