Coach Chesswick
Hi DonCataure – Coach’s Feedback
Snapshot of your progress
• Current level: enthusiastic attacker around 560 Elo.
• Peak so far: 647 (2025-06-11).
• Activity chart:
What you already do well
- Tactical alertness. Games against krisshiva and arb2195 show you spot forks (20.Nxc7+ !, 29.Rf7+) and mating patterns (36.Qg7#).
- Willingness to sacrifice. Early ideas such as 8.Nxf7 in the Colle and 16.Nxf6+ in the Reti show fighting spirit that often surprises opponents.
- Practical time usage. You rarely get into heavy time trouble; there is usually >5 min left when the game ends.
Biggest improvement opportunities
-
King safety & pawn discipline.
• Loss vs siiiralex: moves 8…b6, 9…Ng4, 10…Nxh2 left the kingside full of holes and you were mated on move 43.
• Re-watch the critical phase: .
• Guideline: do not push both g- and h-pawns before you have castled and finished development. -
Opening basics before creativity.
• In several Black losses you answered 1.e4 with …d6/…g6 but did not develop the queen’s bishop or castle, allowing quick kills (see 11.Qf7# vs blackqall).
• Drill the first 8–10 book moves of one solid reply to 1.e4 and 1.d4 (e.g. the Classical Pirc and the Queen’s Gambit Declined) so you reach middlegames you recognise. -
Full-sequence calculation.
• You often see the first tactic but not the opponent’s rebuttal. Example: vs mryoulose you grabbed on c6 (16.Nxc6) and missed …Rxa3 which cleared the back rank and cost material.
• Apply a “blunder check” routine: after choosing a move, spend 10 seconds asking “what is the simplest check, capture or threat my opponent now has?”
Action plan for your next 30 games
| Focus area | Concrete exercise |
|---|---|
| King safety | Play 10 puzzles/day on Chess.com’s “Avoid Mate in 1” theme; stop pushing the pawn in front of your king unless you know the follow-up. |
| Opening structure | Write a mini-repertoire card (max 10 moves deep) for each side of one opening and bring it to the board. |
| Calculation depth | Before every move force yourself to visualize one line 3 plies deeper than you normally would. |
Suggested study schedule (per week)
- 1 hr tactics trainer (focus on intermediate level).
- 1 hr end-game basics (king & pawn vs king; opposition; rook vs rook).
- Watch one 10-minute video on the opening you chose; take handwritten notes.
- Review every lost game for 5 minutes; mark the first big mistake with “??” in your notes.
Motivation corner
You have already defeated players rated 640+—proof that your tactical eye is dangerous. Strengthen the foundation (king safety, opening discipline) and those upset wins will become routine victories. Enjoy the journey, and keep the pieces smiling!