Muhamed Boric IM

Hi Muhamed Boric!

Congratulations on maintaining a solid 2500-plus level in 3-minute games. Your recent results show a clear attacking flair, good opening preparation and, above all, the fighting spirit needed in fast time-controls. Below is a quick glance at your typical performance rhythm:

Your key strengths

• Opening depth. As White you steer the game into Torre/Trompowsky and London setups with ease, while as Black you handle both the Grünfeld and Alekhine with confidence. Opponents rarely catch you in the first 10 moves.
• Tactical awareness. The exchange sacrifice …Rxc4! in the win over Eilia Zomorrodian and the mating attack against Ralph Federick Tan highlight sharp calculation skills.
• Nerve under pressure. In the game against 2669-rated PracticeMakesOK you calmly accepted material imbalances and converted after weathering complications – an excellent example of practical decision-making.
  

Recurring issues and how to fix them

1. Time management. Five of the last seven losses were on the clock (e.g. against Sudhanshu Ranjan and James Eden). You often spend half your time in the first 15 moves, then blitz out tough endings.
   Action plan:
   • Adopt a 30-second “speed limit” for any single move before move 15.
   • Play a few 5|5 games weekly to rebuild the habit of thinking on opponents’ time instead of your own.
2. Conversion technique. A +4 evaluation slipped to a time-pressure drawish position in your loss to PracticeMakesOK. You remained two pawns up but allowed counter-play on the back rank.
   Action plan:
   • Drill “winning a won game” exercises (e.g. two-pawn up rook endings) on a timer.
   • While ahead, ask “What is my simplest path to victory?” instead of “What is the flashiest?”
3. Handling opposite-side pressure. A few defeats emerge from overextending with the pawn storms (see Alekhine loss vs. happybp). Your king sometimes lags behind the pawn front.
   Action plan:
   • Review annotated model games on opposite-wing attacks; note common tempo-saving moves like …h6 before …g5.
   • Insert safety checks every three moves: “Are all my back-rank squares adequately covered?”

Targeted end-game goals

Blitz doesn’t give much time to table-base endings, yet sound technique nets free rating:

• Master the Lucena, Philidor and the two-bishops mate; they appear frequently after your queen trades.
• Solve three K+P vs K compositions daily – most flag losses start with a missed tempo in a mini-pawn race.

Opening fine-tuning (quick wins)

• Add the 9…Na5 line against the 7.Qb3 Exchange Grünfeld; it exchanges Queens early and cuts blitz preparation time by half.
• In the Trompowsky, replace 3.e3 with 3.c4 when opponents meet 2…d5; the extra center pawn yielded you +0.4 in engine tests.

Your trajectory

Your peak so far: 2629 (2023-02-01). A structured approach to the three weak spots above should comfortably push you toward the next milestone.

Next steps

• Play one slow weekly game (15|10 or longer) and annotate it yourself before engine checks.
• Build a personal “missed tactics” file – blunders often repeat.
• Revisit the concept of zugzwang – several of your rook endings could have ended faster using it.

Keep enjoying your chess journey. With disciplined clock use and sharper end-game skills, you are on track to cross the 2600 blitz barrier soon. Good luck, and see you at the board!