Coach Chesswick
Hi Erik, here is your personalized post-game report
Quick stats
• Current blitz rating: ~2100 • 2102 (2025-01-08)• Your favourite opponent lately: khnnhdz (5-0)
• Activity snapshots:
What you are doing well
- Consistent opening choices. With both colours you steer the game into familiar Italian-/Ruy-type structures, giving you an instant comfort edge on the clock and the board.
- Early central tension. You usually get in …d5 (as Black) or d4/e4 (as White) at the right moments, forcing the opponent to solve problems instead of quietly developing.
- Tactical alertness. Your most recent wins feature clean combinations such as 19.Nxf8! and 27.Bf3!!, showing you spot one-move shots reliably.
- Playing for two results. Once you gain material you are happy to trade into simplified endings, converting accurately in the PGNs from 2024-12-23.
Where rating points are still hiding
- Time management. Your only recent loss came on time, and even your wins show <30 s several moves before the finish. Consider switching to increment or adopting a “10-second move-pair budget” rule to avoid last-second scrambles.
- Pawn-storm selectivity. In multiple Black games you launch …g5/…h5 as early as move 7. Against sub-1000 opposition that works; versus 2000+ players it will be met with counterplay. Try the classical plan …Re8, …h6, …Ba7, …Be6 first and reserve the pawn storm for when the centre is closed.
- Piece coordination after winning material. The 2025-01-08 Italian shows you won a piece on move 18 but still allowed 20.Rf3 Nc2 21.Ra2 Bxa2. Engine analysis reveals faster wins with 20…Nd1! 21.Rd2 Nxf2. Train the habit of asking, “What is the cleanest conversion?” immediately after a big tactical gain.
- Endgame method. In the 2021 loss you reached an equal rook ending but needed a simple plan (…Kg5–h4 + push passed pawn). Review KP-endgame fundamentals 15–30 min/week.
Opening notebook
As White: Your a4/b4 plan versus …Bc5 is excellent. Add the modern 7.h3 d6 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 Bb6 10.Nc3 to diversify.
As Black: In the Two Knights/Italian you currently meet 5.d4 with …Bxd4. Consider the solid 5…exd4 6.e5 d5 line to avoid forcing tactical chaos on move 6 against stronger players.
Action plan for the next 4 weeks
- Clock discipline drill. Play 15 blitz games with a self-imposed 30-second reserve: if you drop under it, force yourself to blitz three moves to rebuild time.
- Anti-tilt routine. After every game, win or lose, spend 60 seconds tagging one critical moment; this keeps learning continuous and emotions low.
- Endgame mini-course. Finish Chapters 1-3 of Silman’s Endgame Workbook (or any equivalent) – only ~20 positions/week.
- Opening tweak. Add one alternative line (see above) and test it in at least 10 games; log the results in a simple spreadsheet.
Illustrative moment
White exploited the pinned f-pawn and loose back rank. Replay this fragment and ask, “What resources did Black miss?” – rehearsing both sides deepens understanding.