Emese Medvegyne Balogh WFM

Hi Emese – constructive feedback on your recent blitz games

Current personal best: 2326 (2018-02-07)  |  Activity snapshots:

1. Opening trends

• With White you usually begin 1.e4 and steer into quiet systems after 2…Nc6 (3.d3 – the “Anti-Spanish”). They are solid, but several losses show you getting pushed back by …f5/…g5 pawn storms (e.g. vs. Colpodifulmine). Consider switching to the main line Scotch or the Italian Giuoco so that your pieces develop faster and you can meet …f7-f5 with c2-c3 & d2-d4 in one go.
• With Black you score well in the Scandinavian and Caro-Kann Exchange, yet the games often drift into equal endgames where you have to rely on opponents’ blunders or time trouble. Adding one dynamic defence (e.g. the Najdorf-inspired 2…Nf6 vs. 1.e4) would diversify your repertoire and give you more winning chances against strong opposition.

2. Middlegame themes to polish

• Piece activity versus pawn grabbing. Losses to Defensa and cEbErg1 arose after accepting a poisoned pawn (…b5 or …c4 pushes). Train the rule of thumb “If the capture releases the c-pawn or f-pawn, think twice”.
• Repeated piece moves. Sequences such as Bg5-Bh4-Bg3 (twice on 22 Oct) wasted three tempi and let Black launch …g5/…h5. When you feel the urge to retreat, ask “Can I keep tension with h3-h4 or Bxf6 instead?”
• Using the half-open e-file. In several wins you doubled rooks on e and converted beautifully (see ↗ diagram on move 30 vs. Pavoloff_22). Try to replicate that plan even in the losses where the file existed but remained unused.

3. Typical tactical motifs worth drilling

1. Back-rank skewers – your own win against johnysony finished with …Qg1#; make sure you also spot them against you (missed in the GMCarbone game).
2. Exchange sacs on c3/f3 in the Scandinavian; they often blow open the kingside once you have …Bf5 & …Qc7 ready.
3. Deflection with check – study Qe3+/Qe6+ ideas that force king displacement before winning material.

4. Time-management pointers

Your wins vs. paveloff_22 and Colpodifulmine came on the clock rather than the board. Blitz is still about good moves, but critical positions deserve 5–10 seconds. Practise “Blitz flow” drills: make three “easy” moves in under two seconds each, then invest the banked time during the first real crossroads.

5. Suggested study plan for the next two weeks

• Every session start with one 15-min tactics set (difficulty 2000-2300).
• Play five 3 + 2 games focusing on a single opening branch; immediately annotate one key moment per game.
• Watch 15 minutes of model games in the Scotch or Italian to broaden your white repertoire.
• Finish with one practical endgame (#rook + minor vs. rook) from Silman’s Endgame Course.

6. Quick inspiration corner

Replay your cleanest recent miniature:

Keep up the fighting spirit, Emese. Small fixes in opening choice and tempo-saving will push you past the 1900-barrier soon. Good luck!