Esma Doğa DURAN WFM

Hi Esma Doğa DURAN!

Congratulations on maintaining a solid 2200+ level. Your recent games show a confident grasp of classical openings (French, Sicilian, King’s Indian / English structures) and a good feel for dynamic pawn breaks. Below is personalised, constructive feedback based on your most recent results.

Your Strengths

• Opening preparation & versatility – You comfortably switch between 1…e6, 1…c5 and 1…c6 systems and score well when opponents leave main theory.
• Tactical alertness – The exchange-sac combination 22.Nxc7! in your win vs. hammahamma is an excellent example of spotting forcing lines quickly.
• Pawn-break timing – Well-chosen breaks such as …f6 in the French and …c5 in KID/Fianchetto games show you understand when to seize the initiative.

Key Improvement Areas

• Time management – Both of your latest losses were on time from equal or better positions. Your average remaining clock on move 25 is under 15 seconds. • Play a few sessions at 5 + 5 or 10 + 0 to train decision speed without reaching panic mode.
  • Adopt a “80-20 rule”: spend at most 80 % of your time on the first 20 moves.
• Endgame conversion – In the loss vs. toyol_lapangan you reached a drawn rook ending but lacked a clear plan. Study basic rook endings (Philidor, Lucena) and practise with the “Endgame Simulator” in drills.
• Over-expansion with the c- and b-pawns – Several defeats (e.g. 24…Bb5? in the Slav) arose after advancing queenside pawns too far without piece support. Before pushing, ask “Can my opponent blockade or win this pawn in two moves?”
• King safety in the French Winawer – Moves like …h5/…g5 leave dark-square holes. Review model games by Vitiugov and So to see when those pawn thrusts are justified.

Action Plan for the Next 4 Weeks

1. Opening tune-up
   • Prepare one main line versus 3.Nc3 in the French (recommend the Winawer 7…Qc7).
   • As White, build a go-to repertoire based on the Catalan/Reti so you spend less clock time in the first 10 moves.
2. Endgame routine
   • 15 minutes/day on practical rook endings.
   • Solve three studies each week focusing on zugzwang & opposition.
3. Tactical sharpening
   • 30 timed puzzles per day (3 min each).
   • Review failed puzzles immediately and mark theme (deflection, zwischenzug, etc.).
4. Clock discipline
   • Insert a soft limit of 40 seconds per move until move 15.
   • Play two 10 + 0 games every session and annotate critical time moments.

Illustrative Games

Stats & Tracking

Peak ratings: 2328 (2021-07-06), 2246 (2021-06-09)
Activity graphs:

Keep up the great work!

Apply the plan above for a few weeks and your consistency – especially in tight time scrambles – should climb sharply. Feel free to send me any game you annotate; I’m happy to give more detailed feedback.