Jón L. Árnason GM

Quick summary

Good, practical blitz results — you’re finding tactical chances, playing energetic piece play, and converting pressure into concrete gains. A few recurring leaks (king safety in the center, occasional tunnel vision on one side, and time management in critical moments) are costing you games. Below are targeted, actionable improvements based on your most recent blitz games.

Highlights — what you do well

• Active piece play: you willingly trade passive plans for piece activity and make your pieces work together to attack the enemy king.
• Tactical vision in sharp positions: you spot and execute forks and combinations (for example the decisive tactical sequence in your win vs wave147).
• Opening familiarity: you reach comfortable middlegame structures in your preferred lines and create imbalances the opponents find hard to equalize (your QGA and French structures often give you practical chances). Consider reviewing QGA: 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 and French Defense ideas periodically to keep that edge.

Main weaknesses to fix (and how)

• King safety in the middlegame:

  In the loss against dpruess you allowed checks and penetrations because the king stayed in or near the center while files opened. Habit: when the center opens or queens stay on the board, prioritize a safe king square (one small castle or a forced king hop that reduces tactical shots).

• Tunnel vision / missing defensive resources:

  Sometimes you see a promising tactic and run with it without double-checking opponent replies (back-rank mates, discovered checks, etc.). Before committing to a capture or attack, take one extra count: what are the opponent's checks and forks? Aim for a quick 2–3 second checklist in blitz.

• Time management in critical moments:

  You have the tactical intuition, but not always the spending strategy. In positions with concrete tactics or when the pawn structure shifts, spend 8–12 seconds rather than moving instantly. Use the increment — slow down on move 10–20 when the game becomes sharp.

Concrete middlegame and tactical tips

• Before an attack, identify escape squares for your opponent’s king and any blocking interpositions. If there aren’t safe squares for your opponent, continue; if there are, check whether you can remove them first.
• When sacrificing or grabbing material, evaluate immediate tactical replies (checks, counter-forks, skewers and discovered attacks). Practice the habit: “Checks? Captures? Threats?” in that order.
• Use active rook lifts and queen checks to force the king into the open rather than chasing pawns. Your games already show you can do this — make it systematic.

Practical opening adjustments

• Reinforce your favored lines with one key idea per repertoires, e.g. typical pawn breaks and ideal piece placements in your QGA lines (QGA: Classical, 6...a6 7.a3 and similar).
• When you face flank pawn storms (b- or a-pawn pushes), ask: can I safely centralize and trade pieces or do I need to close the center and keep my king safe? Prefer simplicity if the opponent gains space quickly.
• Short opening drills: pick 2 critical middlegame structures from your repertoire and run 10 practice positions each to learn typical plans (not just memorizing moves).

Endgame & practical play (blitz-specific)

• When ahead: convert by exchanging down to a simple winning king-and-pawn or rook endgame — avoid “overpressing” with risky attacks if the king will be exposed.
• When behind: look for perpetual check patterns or simplifications that create drawing chances. Swindles often come from keeping pieces on the board and checking.
• Time-trouble plan: if you’re under 10 seconds, switch to safe, practical moves that reduce opponent counterplay — avoid long-forcing variations unless forced.

Short training plan (4 weeks)

• Daily 15–20 minutes: mixed tactics with emphasis on mating nets, forks, and discovered attacks (3–4 sets of 5–8 puzzles).
• 3× per week: one 15|10 rapid game focusing on king safety and checking for opponent counterplay before you start an attack.
• Weekly review: pick 3 blitz games (one win, one loss, one draw). Do a quick post-mortem: what was your plan, and what did you miss?
• One session a week: 30 minutes of targeted opening practice for your two most-played lines — learn 2 typical plans each, not only move orders.

Example — key tactical sequence from a recent win

Study this short winning game to see how you turned piece activity into a decisive tactical breakthrough against wave147. Look at how you opened lines and used an Nxf7 idea to rip open the kingside.

Interactive replay:

Immediate practical checklist (before each game)

• Is my king safe if the center opens? If not, make a prophylactic move or simplify.
• Before any capture: ask “Does this leave me open to checks, forks, or discovered attacks?”
• If time < 10s: avoid long calculations — play simple, forcing moves that limit the opponent.

Closing encouragement

Your combination play and opening understanding are strong foundations. With small, disciplined improvements to king safety, the “checks/captures/threats” habit, and a simple blitz time plan, you’ll convert more winning positions and avoid the surprising tactical losses. If you want, I can make a 2-week personalized puzzle set focused on the exact tactical motifs you miss most — say yes and I’ll prepare it.