Coach’s feedback for Dorian Micottis ( Doritos57 )
Quick snapshot
• Current form: solid 2400-plus blitz player with a clearly attacking style.
• Personal best so far: 2532 (2025-05-18).
• Activity: see your volume curve in
What you already do very well
- Fast piece activity in flexible systems. Your Reti->English setups as Black (e.g. the 0-1 versus shivs217) show that you handle early c-pawn breaks and kingside fianchetto plans confidently.
- Direct mating nets. Out-calculating opponents in sharp positions (the Qh6# finish vs koringaman) demonstrates good tactical vision and an instinct for weak dark squares around the king.
- Converting technical endgames. When ahead, you are patient and rarely let winning positions slip; the rook-and-pawn ending in the Englund Gambit game is textbook.
Recurring pain points
- King safety after early pawn pushes. Two recent losses (vs okasha867 and KF3WIN) began with ambitious g/h-pawn advances that loosened f- and back-rank squares.
- Under-prepared Scandinavian repertoire. The resignation against no-masters-no-slaves shows that the ...Qd5/Qd8 dance leaves you behind in development and struggling after 13.Ne2/21.Ng3 ideas.
- Time management. You dropped two completely playable positions on the clock (vs bintamas1 & rialguefor). The pattern: long think in the opening, blitz later under pressure — a classic pacing issue.
- Early queen excursions as White. In the Horwitz-Defense loss to bubult 10.Qe2 and 11.Qe? allowed ...Nxf2!Nxh1+, practically ending the game. Spot the danger of hanging your queen before your pieces are out.
Opening tune-ups (next 2 weeks)
| Colour | Current choice | Refinement drill |
|---|---|---|
| White | London / Jobava ideas | Memorise the critical ...e5 & ...g5 antidotes; play 10 rapid games starting 7…Qb6 in the cloud and annotate mistakes. |
| Black vs 1.e4 | Scandinavian & Alapin Sicilian | Add the simple …c6-d5 Caro-Kann shell as a back-up; review 20 puzzles on the …Qd6 Scandinavian sideline to avoid the queen shuffle problem. |
| Black vs 1.d4/c4/Nf3 | King’s Indian setups | Keep but insert one classical plan (…d5 → …c6 Slav) so you can choose a calmer line when low on energy. |
Tactics & calculation
• Daily: 20–30 theme puzzles focused on double-attacks and back-rank motifs.
• Weekly: record one blitz session, pause at every critical branch and verbally calculate lines; compare with engine afterwards.
• Example pattern to drill — the BubuLT miniature:
Endgame & technique goals
- Master the rook vs. passer episode you converted against drabmajor. Repeat it versus table-base until the moves are automatic.
- Spend one session on opposition & triangulation (classic king-pawn endings). They appear once every 15-20 games and are an easy rating grab.
Clock discipline routine
1. Force yourself to move in <15 seconds for the first 10 moves in casual games.
2. Insert a mid-game “pulse check” — glance at the clock every five moves; if <20 sec, simplify or trade.
3. Use increment games (3 + 2) once a day to build the habit of leaving reserve time for conversions.
Mindset reminder
When the position is unclear, ask: “Who is actually attacking whom?”
Sometimes sitting on your hands is best. Avoid automatic pawn storms unless you have two supporting pieces, or you might step into your own zugzwang.
Next review checkpoint
Play 30 rated games with the above targets, tag five representative wins/losses, and we’ll debrief again. Keep enjoying the game — your creativity is your biggest weapon!