efanor1 IM

Hi efanor1!

It’s great to see you consistently competing in the 2400-plus bracket. Below is targeted feedback based on your most recent win and loss, plus long-term suggestions to help you push toward the next milestone. Keep in mind that even small refinements at your level can yield big rating gains.

Quick snapshot

• Peak blitz rating: 2432 (2021-05-13)
• Your activity pattern:
   

What you’re already doing well

• Flexible Italian structures. In your win against next_level2022 you kept the position fluid with an early d3–c3 setup, waited for ...a5–h6, and only then struck with d4/e5. This is an excellent illustration of probing before committing.
• Rook-activation discipline. 18.Rad1 and 24.Red1 displayed a textbook lift-and-double plan. Notice how these moves paid off later when Rd8+ decided the middlegame. Great habit—keep it.
• Endgame confidence. After massive simplifications you converted an N+p vs. lone king ending with precise king-activation and the thematic h-pawn roller. Your move-ordering (47.Nf6! before pushing g4/h5) limited counterplay—nice technique.

Areas to sharpen

1. Decision-making under early tension (English loss vs. Cepamwa).
   Critical sequence:
   
   .
   • Issue: Re-routing the knight back to e4 allowed Black to seize queenside space with ...Qa3 and maintain initiative.
   • Fix: After 13.Nc5 Qd6 instead consider 14.Nxa4! followed by 15.Nc3, eliminating the a-pawn and defanging ...Qa3 entirely. When you feel the position slipping, look for concrete tactical solutions instead of “reset” manoeuvres.
2. Early queen exposure.
   In multiple losses (e.g. the Ruy Lopez vs. husopasa) your queen ventured to d8/a3 early and became the target of tempi. Review the principle of development before adventure; keep the queen behind the pawn breaks until major pieces are out.
3. Structure-based plan recognition.
   Against the Anglo-Indian setup you played d3 without cxd5 support, leaving you with a passive IQP-style pawn on d3. Refresh typical plans in the English vs. King’s Indian structure: either maintain c4-d3-e4 with b3/Bb2, or commit to cxd5 followed by e4-e5 space grab—mixing them creates weak squares.
4. Clock management in winning positions.
   Even in your Italian win you dipped under 20 seconds during conversion. Try the “30-second rule”: the moment you’re clearly winning, invest ≤30 seconds to create an autopilot plan (push passed pawn, trade pieces, avoid counter-checks) and then execute quickly.

Training menu for the next two weeks

• Micro-tactics drill: 15 minutes/day of motifs featuring ...Qa3/...Nb4 in the English; search “English – queen invasion” deck on your favourite tactics platform.
• Endgame sprint: Play four king-and-pawn endgames against tablebase every evening; start from +1 positions similar to your 46.Nxb5 Kxb5 ending to internalise conversion patterns.
• Thematic sparring: Ask a training partner to repeatedly enter the line 1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nf3 O-O 5.O-O d5; play 10 blitz games alternating colours focusing only on structural plans, not result.

Mindset cue

When you feel you’re “guessing” between two knight routes, pause and apply the Square Quality Test: does the new square hit a weakness, defend one, or open a file? If none, look for a different candidate.

Keep up the excellent work, stay curious, and don’t hesitate to send me your next critical game for review. Good luck on the climb to 2500!