Boban Nikolic FM

Hi Boban, here is your personalised post-match review!

1. What you’re already doing very well

• Your Reti / English set-ups consistently create early queenside pressure with b-pawn thrusts (e.g. 9.b4  vs madziak493). This forces your opponents to think for themselves from the opening.
• Tactical alertness: The miniature against prachura (20.Nf6⁺ – 26.Qh6#) highlights sharp calculation and killer instinct once king-safety imbalances appear.
• Piece activity in equal positions: In several wins you converted only a tiny edge by improving every piece before striking, e.g. 24.Bb2 → 36.Rxb4 endgame conversion in your most recent victory.

2. Priority fixes (biggest rating gains for the least effort)

1. King-side dark-square weaknesses in the Modern: Losses to wolfy272727 and Raj1407 followed the pattern g6–Bg7–…h6 without completing development. Work on move-orders that delay …h6/…h5 until the centre is secure.
   🔧 Homework: Build a small repertoire file starting 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3  (…d6/ …c6/ …e5 branches) and add engine notes on safest paths.
2. Stop drifting in “quiet” positions: In your queenless middlegame loss to Ivanprofa you made eight moves with the queenside knight/bishop while Black created a passed c-pawn. Adopt a simple rule: If the position is static, improve pawn structure; if dynamic, improve piece activity. Write it on a sticky note until it’s automatic.
3. Time-management check points: Even in 120 + 1 games you sometimes drop under 60 seconds before move 20 (see Modern losses). Aim for the “40-20-20” split: 40 % of your initial time for the first 15 moves, 20 % for reaching move 30, 20 % for the rest, leaving a 20 % buffer.

3. Opening corner

4. Endgame micro-targets

• Rook endings: Practise the Philidor and Lucena blocks; in the Raj1407 game you underestimated connected passers+activity.
• Minor-piece vs pawns: Your conversion in the stamat1966 game was smooth; keep drilling these endings so they stay a guaranteed point.

5. Weekly training plan (≈3 h)

• 30 min × 2: Analyse one win and one loss without an engine, then compare with engine.
• 30 min × 2: End-game drills (rook + pawn, opposite-coloured bishops).
• 45 min: Opening maintenance (update repertoire files, add one new line).
• 15 min: Blitz tactics set to “mate-in-2” for pattern sharpening.

6. Quick pre-game checklist

1. Is my king safe after the next pawn move?
2. What is my opponent’s worst-placed piece? Can I stop its activation?
3. Am I burning time faster than the 40-20-20 guideline?

Keep up the creative play, tighten those defensive screws, and your next peak is around the corner! 2048 (2020-09-10)

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