Coach Chesswick
Hi Johann, here is some constructive feedback based on your latest blitz session.
What you are already doing very well
- Dynamic opening choices. With White you vary between 1.e4 main-lines (Italian, Vienna) and off-beat ideas such as 1.Nc3 (Van Geet). As Black you handle everything from the Pelikan-Sveshnikov to the King’s Indian, showing broad theoretical knowledge.
- Kingside initiative. Your victories frequently start with early pawn storms (…g5 / h4-h5). Once the g-file opens you coordinate pieces quickly and convert initiative into material or mating nets.
- Resourcefulness in messy positions. In the win vs
olkarchessyou navigated a crazy middlegame (…b4 break, exchange sacs) and kept finding forcing moves under 30 s.
Key themes that cost points
- Time pressure collapses. Four of the six recent losses were on time in roughly equal or even better positions. Blitz will always be fast, but repeated flagging at move 35-45 suggests a structural issue (over-thinking in early middlegame).
➔ Action: set a soft limit of ≤20 s per move until move 20. If the candidate move isn’t clearly bad, play it and save time for conversion. - Over-extension of pawn storms when initiative fizzles out.
Example: againstLevanzovskyyou pushed f- and h-pawns, but once material was exchanged you were left with weak kingside squares and no shelter for your own king.
➔ Action: before playing a third pawn in front of your king, ask “What if the queens come off?”; if you cannot keep the attack, consider a quieter improvement move. - Conversion technique in won endgames.
In the loss vsmbojanyou were a pawn up but allowed the white rook to invade and resigned in a theoretically drawn R+P vs R endgame.
➔ Action: dedicate 10-15 min per day to drill technical endgames (R+P vs R, opposite-colour bishops with passer, basic RB vs R). Even 15 positions a day on a trainer will quickly bear fruit.
Opening tweaks worth testing
| Current line | Idea to try | Why it fits you |
|---|---|---|
| Italian with early d3 & a4 | 🎯 Giuoco Piano with 6.c3 & d4 | Keeps the flexible centre you like but gives an extra pawn lever (c3-d4) without over-committing flank pawns. |
| French Tarrasch 3…a6 | 🎯 3…Nf6 or 3…c5 | Simpler development, avoids the space grab White got vs Laico. |
| KID orthodox 7…Nc6 | 🎯 7…exd4 followed by …Re8 | Cuts down White’s centre and shortens theory, giving you earlier dynamic play. |
Training menu (next two weeks)
- ⏱ Clock discipline drill: play three 3|0 games daily where you must make the first 15 moves with ≥2:00 still on the clock. Review only your move times afterwards.
- ⚙️ Endgame routine: 20 minutes of composed rook-endgame puzzles every second day.
- 🧩 Tactics sprint: 25 tactics at 30 s each on themes you missed in the losses (clearance, intermediate checks, back-rank).
- 📚 Mini-repertoire check: one hour Sunday deep-dive with engine on 6.c3 Giuoco & Pelikan sidelines 6.Nd5.
Stats & progress trackers
Peak blitz rating: 2714 (2022-06-07)
Hour-by-hour win rate:
Day-of-week performance:
Mindset tip
“When the position is equal, your opponent’s clock is also material.”
Use your tactical eye to pose problems quickly; don’t search for 100 % solutions in blitz.
Keep enjoying the fight, and good luck in the next Titled Tuesday!