Hi DraganMikicic!
Great job maintaining an ~2200 blitz rating and scoring a 6-game winning streak before your last session. Below is some personalized feedback based on the most recent games you supplied.
Quick Snapshot
- Best blitz peak: 2356 (2023-05-10)
- Typical playing schedule:
- Performance by weekday:
Your Biggest Strengths
- Strategic understanding of the English/Catalan structure. You handle c4–d4–g3 setups confidently, often steering the game toward favorable pawn breaks (e.g., e4 in your win vs adlg).
- Tactical alertness. Several wins were finished with direct mating attacks (see move 57.Qh4# vs matuszenko, and the precise 54.e6! in the Catalan endgame).
- Endgame technique when on the board. Your conversions with rook + pawn endgames (e.g., vs jonas-simon) show good use of active king and passed pawns.
Recurring Issues & Improvement Tips
| Issue | Example | Action Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Time trouble (3 losses on time in last 6 games) |
Flagged in winning position vs gertelmaste after 52...Rd5; also vs keresone and salihsert976. |
• Adopt a “speed-up” checkpoint (e.g., aim to have ≥60 s before move 20). • Use intuitive moves for familiar positions; rely on increment for calculation. • Practice bullet to train quick pattern recall (but review games afterwards). |
| Sicilian Kan middlegames | Loss vs arieltaiebchess (both sides). Missed thematic ...d5 break & coordination of minor pieces. |
• Study 10 critical model games of the Kan. • Memorize typical piece placements: ...Bb7, ...d6–d5 and queen activity on b6/c7. • Use spaced-repetition flashcards for key ideas. |
| Converting material edge | Up a pawn vs salihsert976 but allowed counterplay and flagged. |
• When ahead, simplify: trade queens or enter a winning endgame. • Apply the principle of two weaknesses—don’t just push one passed pawn. • Review classic endings (Capablanca; Karpov) for conversion patterns. |
Opening Footnotes
• With White you score well in the Reversed Sicilian line (1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 d6). Keep it, but prepare sidelines like 3…f5 or 3…g6.
• As Black against 1.e4, your Sicilian Kan / Taimanov mix is sound. Add the forcing 6…Qc7 lines to avoid early Bd3 systems that gave trouble.
• Against 1.d4 you use both QGA and Slav. Streamline to one mainline for faster decision-making during the game.
Focused Drill for the Week
- Play 20 blitz games starting each with the position after 1…c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 (Kan). Analyze five randomly chosen games in depth.
- Solve 30 endgame studies featuring rook + passed pawn vs rook.
- Daily 10-minute tactic rush emphasizing clearance and deflection motifs; tag at least one position where the idea of zwischenzug appears.
Illustrative Games
Latest Win – Catalan squeeze
Latest Loss – Time pressure in equal position
Next Steps
Keep polishing your strong positional basis, tighten time management, and you’ll soon break into the 2300-blitz range. Good luck with your training—looking forward to your progress!