Dexter Docampo FM

Quick summary

Nice run — you’ve been winning consistently in recent blitz and your 1-month jump (+156) shows it. Your repertoire (especially the Sicilian Defense: Closed and Old Indian Defense) gives you practical winning chances in blitz. Below I highlight what you already do well, the recurring problems I see, and a short, actionable plan to keep the momentum.

What you’re doing well

• Opening choice and preparation: you play openings that lead to unbalanced, practical positions where your opponents often struggle to find accurate plans — your Closed Sicilian results (65% win rate) and Old Indian numbers (78% win rate) back that up.
• Pawn play and creating passed pawns: in several recent wins you pushed and fixed pawns on the flank, forcing your opponent to generate counterplay while you converted the passer (good example in your win vs Zura Gongliashvili).
• Active pieces and simplifying when ahead: you tend to trade into positions where your activity or pawn majority tells a clear winning story instead of overcomplicating — efficient and practical in 3|0 blitz.
• Good conversion instincts: when you get a small advantage you usually steer the game toward simplification and an easier technical win instead of gambling for complications.

Recurring issues to address

• Allowing counterplay from piece coordination errors — a few games show you dropping a tempo or leaving a piece awkwardly placed, which gives the opponent tactical chances. In blitz, these are costly.
• Endgame technique gaps — while you convert passers well, some endgames (rook/king vs rook and pawn endgames) look shaky under time pressure; tightening basic endgame technique will turn close wins into routine wins.
• Occasional tunnel vision in the middlegame — when you’re pursuing one plan you sometimes miss opponent replies that change the character of the position (look for enemy counterplay and checks before committing).
• Premoves and time usage — in 3|0 you sometimes spend too little time on critical moves or rely on pre-moves in unclear positions. This increases blunders when the position suddenly becomes tactical.

Concrete, short-term plan (this week)

• Daily 15–20 minute tactics: focus on pattern recognition (pins, forks, discovered checks). Blitz rewards quick pattern recall more than deep calculation.
• Two 30-minute opening sessions: pick your top two trouble lines (for you: recent games show edges in Czech Defense and Sicilian Defense: Closed). Drill typical middlegame pawn structures and one side’s plan for each line.
• Three 15-minute endgame drills: king and pawn vs king, rook and pawn endgames, and basic opposition/Lucena ideas. Train conversions you see in your wins.
• One 30-minute practice blitz session with review: play 10 games of 3|0, then immediately review 3 games (check one won, one lost, one close draw) and note one concrete improvement for each.

Practical blitz tips (immediate)

• Before you move, do a 3-second tactic scan: check for undefended pieces, forks, and checks. That small habit cuts blunders dramatically.
• When ahead, simplify on your terms: trade pieces to reduce counterplay and make your opponent prove they can create threats.
• If you see a clear long-term pawn plan (passed pawn, minority attack), allocate 20–30s to plan the route — not every move needs instant speed.
• Avoid pre-moves in unclear positions — reserve pre-moves for forced recaptures or when you are clearly winning and just racing the clock.

Concrete habits to build (30–90 days)

• Systematic tactics: 6–7 high-quality puzzles per day focused on motifs you miss most (pins, knight forks, back-rank issues).
• Opening plans (not just moves): for your main lines, write a 1-page plan: typical pawn breaks, piece exchanges to aim for, and a sample endgame to reach. Review weekly.
• Endgame checklist: have a short list (opposition, outside passed pawn, rook behind passed pawn) and run through it in the last 60 seconds of won games to ensure conversion.
• Keep a simple mistake log: after each session, note the one biggest error type (tactical miss, time trouble, bad endgame) and track it for four weeks.

Example: quick review of a recent win

Game vs Zura Gongliashvili — you created a queenside passer and used it to distract and trade pieces until the passer decided the game. Good timing to exchange into a favorable endgame and calm nerves under the clock. Keep doing this: create a clear strategic target (a passed pawn or a weak square) and make all moves toward that target.

Small checklist to use during each blitz game

• Move 1–8: get pieces developed and king safe. If you deviate from your prep, spend an extra 5–10s to re-evaluate structure.
• After every minor exchange: ask “what changed?” (are there weak pawns, open files, outposted knights?)
• When ahead: prioritise trades that reduce opponent’s counterplay (rooks off on open files, exchange bishops when opponent has opposite-colored attack chances).
• Last minute: use your endgame checklist instead of trying creative tactics unless the tactic is forced.

Closing / next steps

Your recent form and the rating jump show that your current approach works. The highest leverage gains will come from reducing blitz blunders (tactics & time management) and sharpening a few recurring endgames. If you want, I can:

• Make a 4-week daily training plan tailored to your openings and the exact tactical motifs you miss.
• Annotate 2 of your recent games with short arrows and concrete move-level tips (I can use the game vs Zura Gongliashvili and your Scandinavian win).

Which help would you like first?