Coach Chesswick
Hi Carsten, here is some tailored feedback on your recent Blitz games (3 | 0).
What you are already doing well
- Sharp tactical vision. In your wins you consistently spot tactics such as 19.Nxc7!! (vs Ispanec) and 27.Qxe5 (vs DerSchachPate), seizing the initiative at every opportunity.
- Opening breadth. You are comfortable with 1.e4 and 1.d4 as White and answer 1.e4 with both the Scandinavian and the French as Black, giving you practical flexibility.
- Practical instincts in time trouble. Several decisive games were finished with < 40 seconds on the clock—your ability to keep the game complicated often pays off.
Priority areas to improve
-
King safety when counter-attacking.
Loss vs AvatarRoku7 shows how quickly an exposed king can become the main target.
• Make castling a concrete goal in the opening (≤ move 10), especially in the French and QGD structures.
• When you launch …b5 or …g5, double-check that the resulting dark squares around your king are covered. -
Depth of calculation in forcing lines.
In the Alahambra123 game you overlooked 28…Qxd1+ and resigned immediately. Before entering a tactical sequence, force yourself to “see one more ply” beyond the obvious capture or check. A quick blunder-check habit will eliminate many of these swing games. blunder -
Conversion technique in better positions.
A couple of recent wins took longer than necessary because you repeated moves or chased “ghosts” instead of consolidating. Invest a few sessions each week on basic end-games (rook + pawn vs rook, opposite-coloured bishops, etc.) so that converting a two-pawn edge becomes routine rather than stressful. -
Time management pattern.
You often fall below 45 seconds around move 20, even in quiet positions. Add a simple self-check: “Am I still in the opening tabiya? If yes, move in ≤ 5 seconds.” This will keep more time for the inevitable scrambles.
Opening-specific notes
- Scandinavian as Black. After 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 your opponents score well with 6.Be2 and 7.d5. Study the …e6 & …Bb4+ sideline to meet this plan.
- French Tarrasch. You resigned versus 14.Bf4 in a position that was still playable (…Qb6!, …Rfd8). Build confidence by analysing these structures with a strong engine and trying thematic games vs bots.
- Queen’s Gambit Declined. In the AvatarRoku7 loss, the early …a6/…b5 allowed Nc3–e4–d6 tactics. Consider the more solid …Be7 and …c6 setups until you master the sharp lines.
Suggested training routine (6-week micro-cycle)
| Day | Focus | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Mon / Thu | 30 min tactics (rated puzzles at 5 min each) | “Puzzle Rush Survival” + annotate wrong answers |
| Tue | Opening review (one line per week) | Replay model games; create a 15-move memory file |
| Wed | End-game drill | Chessable “100 Endgames” chapters 1-10 |
| Fri | Practice games (3|2 or 5|0) | Self-annotate, then verify with engine |
| Weekend | Play OTB or longer online games (15|10) to apply concepts calmly | — |
Motivational checkpoint
You reached 2596 (2023-10-16) recently—congratulations! Let’s aim to stabilise 50 points above that mark by the end of the cycle.Annotated snapshot
Below is the critical tactic from your last loss; rehearse it until you can “auto-spot” the mating pattern.See when you play best
Keep up the fighting spirit, and remember: consolidate first, then celebrate!