Ethan Tang

Strengths and what you're doing well

You show a strong willingness to enter active, tactical positions in your bullet games. Your choice of aggressive ideas and early piece activity often puts your opponent on the defensive and creates practical chances to win material or force weaknesses.

• You handle sharp openings with clear plans and look for concrete tactical chances rather than just developing pieces.
• You often use your rooks and queens to create threats on the opposing king, which keeps opponents guessing and can lead to quick wins in the right moments.
• Your opening repertoire includes aggressive lines like Amazon Attack and other dynamic setups, which aligns well with how you like to play in bullet.
• When you gain an advantage, you convert opportunities with direct moves and active piece play instead of getting bogged down in passive exchanges.

Areas to improve (practical targets for the next sessions)

• King safety and back-rank awareness: In several recent losses, the game collapsed after back-rank pressure or late tactical sequences. Prioritize keeping a safe king position, especially before committing to heavy piece activity or long attacks. Consider prophylactic moves to reduce back-rank vulnerabilities.
• Endgame technique: A few games show endings where a small material or positional edge didn't translate to a clean win. Practice common rook endings, opposition, and planning with pawns (make a simple plan for each endgame and stick to it).
• Calculation depth in bullet: In very fast games, it helps to have a quick, repeatable decision process. Try a simple three-step routine per move: (1) look for checks and captures, (2) identify a forcing line, (3) confirm whether the resulting position favors you or your opponent.
• Time management: Develop a consistent 1st-to-8th move plan so you’re not scrambling in the middle game. Consider allocating a fixed amount of time for the opening phase and using the rest to build a clear middlegame plan.
• Opening discipline: Some sharp lines are rewarding but risky in bullet. Build a small set of “go-to” solid lines for your preferred openings and train the typical middlegame plans so you can respond quickly and confidently without getting lost in theory.

Opening performance snapshot (quick take)

Your openings show a mix of sharp, initiative-driven choices and solid development. Opportunities to refine include maintaining pressure in the early middlegame while ensuring king safety. Consider honing lines from these areas to balance aggression with solid structure.

• Amazon Attack and similar aggressive setups benefit from precise follow-up and quick development.
• Openings like the Australian Defense and Benoni-related lines can produce dynamic positions; practice the standard middlegame plans so you don’t get overwhelmed by opponents’ counterplay.
• When opponents steer into tactical battles, keep a ready-made plan for the most common replies you encounter in those openings.
• Explore resources for the openings you use most, focusing on typical middlegame structures rather than memorizing long move-orders.

Training plan for the next 2 weeks

• Focus block: two sessions on king safety and back-rank themes. Work on a quick checklist you apply before committing to aggressive lines.
• Endgame drill: practice rook endings and pawn endgames with a clear plan for each side (e.g., activate the rook, use the outside passed pawn, seek opposition).
• Opening drills: pick three core lines from your top openings (for example, Amazon Attack, Australian Defense, and Benoni Gambit Accepted) and study the typical middlegame plans and common tactical patterns after the first 15 moves.
• Bullet practice: set a weekly goal to review 2-3 of your bullet games with a focus on the critical turning points (where you gained or missed momentum) and note one improvement per game.

Practical next steps and reminders

• After each game, quickly annotate the moment you felt your plan became unclear and identify a safer, simpler alternative plan for similar positions.
• Keep a short model library of typical endgames you can reach from your favorite openings; practice those endings in quick drills.
• Use a consistent pre-move routine in the opening to avoid time pressure later in the game.

References and quick links

For deeper study, you can explore these openings and ideas in your own time. Use the profile and opening terms as quick shortcuts in your notes:

• Openings you enjoy: Amazon Attack
• Solid defense themes: Australian Defense
• Repertoire notes: Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted
• General practice: Ethan Tang