Chris Ellarby-Bezak

Quick summary

Nice fighting spirit — your recent daily games show a taste for tactical play and sacrificial attacks (those Nxf7/Bxf7 themes). You're trending upward overall; keep sharpening the basics so those attacking instincts convert more often into clean wins instead of risky losses.

Games I looked at (examples)

• Win vs genemarkchessman — sacrificial Nxf7 worked and your checks kept the opponent under pressure. See replay:
• Loss vs ellinnapro — you reached a complex middlegame but missed the mating resources (Qf3 / Rh1 mate). Replay:

What you're doing well

• You take the initiative. Sacrifices like Nxf7 / Bxf7 show you look for tactical targets and king hunts — that's how many quick wins are earned.
• You're not afraid to play sharp and complicated positions. That creates practical chances against weaker or unprepared opponents.
• Your long-term trend shows improvement — keep the work consistent and the rating will follow.

Key areas to improve

• King safety and back-rank awareness — several losses end in mating nets (for example the Rh1# finish). Before and after every trade, ask: is my king safe? Are there back‑rank weaknesses? See Back rank mate.
• Simple blunder checks — you sometimes grab material or attack without checking the opponent’s counter threats (checks, captures, threats). That allowed Qf3 → Rh1 type tactics in the loss vs ellinnapro.
• Follow-up calculation after sacrifices — your sacrifices are bold, but make sure you calculate the main defensive resources for the opponent so you don’t run out of steam.
• Endgame technique — when a win requires slowly converting an advantage (passed pawns, rook endings), focus on methodical play rather than flashy tactics that may not work.

Concrete routines & drills (daily / weekly)

• Before you play a move: do the quick 3-question blunder check — (1) Does my opponent have a check? (2) Can they capture anything I leave hanging? (3) What is their last move threatening? Make this a habit every turn.
• Daily tactics: 6–10 puzzles focused on forks, pins, discovered checks and mating nets. Aim for accuracy, not speed.
• Back‑rank drill: practice 5 positions where you must defend or exploit back‑rank weaknesses. Recognize the pattern: two rooks on the back rank with no luft = danger.
• One annotated game per week: pick a recent loss, replay it slowly, write down one turning point and what you missed. If possible, review with an engine to confirm candidate moves.

Short weekly practice plan (4 weeks)

• Week 1 — Tactics focus: forks/pins/skewers; habit-build blunder check each move.
• Week 2 — King safety & mating patterns: study basic mates and back-rank defenses; practice converting material advantage safely.
• Week 3 — Practical games: play 5 slow daily games, annotate 3 mistakes per game, and correct them.
• Week 4 — Review & consolidate: repeat the best puzzles, re-analyze the two most instructive losses, and aim to reduce “missed mate” errors.

Examples of tactical ideas to practice

• King hunt motifs after Nxf7/Bxf7 — practice the follow-up: are rooks and queen able to join? Is the king escape route blocked?
• Queen infiltration — when opponent’s queen can reach f3/g2 (or similar squares), look for defensive interpositions or trades. Ask: can I neutralize the queen with a minor piece or a forcing sequence?
• Rook endgames / passed pawn technique — if you often reach pawn races, learn basic Lucena/Berger techniques to convert one-pawn advantages.

One actionable checklist you can use right now

• Before every move: Checks? Captures? Threats? (Say it out loud.)
• If you consider a sacrifice: calculate the opponent’s best reply and a safe back-up plan for move 3 after the sac.
• If king is in the center or you’ve traded many pieces: prioritize getting your king to safety and making luft for rooks.
• Finish your post‑game: mark the single biggest mistake and practice that motif until you stop repeating it.

Next steps

Pick one small habit (the 3-question blunder check) and make it automatic over the next 7 games. After that, layer on a tactical set and a weekly annotated game. If you want, I can generate a short set of practice puzzles (10) tailored to the issues above or walk through one loss move-by-move — tell me which game to deep-dive.