EteriK WFM

Hi EteriK – overall impression

Your games show an energetic, forward-pressing style. In the recent wins you outplayed 2100-2200 opponents from both tactical melees (A01 vs vladib1) and strategic Sicilian positions. When the initiative is yours you keep the pressure on and convert with good technique. Nice work!

What you’re doing well

• Dynamic piece play. In the Nimzo-Larsen win you rerouted the knight to g7–e6–c5 and later exploited the open a-file; excellent piece coordination.
• Open-file awareness. The quick 10…Bxe5+! miniature in your B20 game shows you spot tactical shots as soon as files and diagonals open.
• Flexible opening repertoire. You handle 1…c5, 1…Nf6 and even Benko structures with confidence, making you hard to prepare for.

Patterns in recent losses

• King safety & pawn pushes. In the QGD loss vs machajda the early g- and h-pawn advance by Black became decisive because your own king was still in the centre and you lacked counter-play. Re-examine the critical moment 12…Qb6–14…c5 to learn why castling first is so often vital.
• Handling central tension. Against Casius2000 (Sozin, B86) the pawn structure with …b5/…Nc5 left the d6-e6 complex weak. A timely …d5 or …e5 break might have equalised before White’s pieces swarmed.
• Premature queen adventures. In several defeats the queen hit the board early (Qf4/Qb3). If the opponent can chase it with tempi you fall behind in development. Compare your Alapin loss where 9.Qb3? allowed …Bxf3 and …Qa5.

Actionable training plan

1. Opening clean-up. Spend one evening on each side of the critical lines that hurt you:
   • QGD 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 – learn the positional continuation (7.e5 followed by g3, Bg2) instead of the speculative pawn grab.
   • Scheveningen/Sozin: review the typical break …d5 and the defensive manoeuvre …Ne8–f6 so that your king is never stuck on g8 behind a weak dark-square complex.
2. Structured tactics. You already see shots, but a daily 15-minute routine of intermediate-level puzzles (rating 2300-2500 on Chess.com) will raise conversion speed and reduce oversights – especially defensive tactics that save slightly worse positions.
3. Endgame rehearsal. In several wins you reached Q + R vs minors. Practise technical endings (rook vs rook+pawn, opposite-coloured bishops) so that converting is purely mechanical, buying you clock time in the middlegame.
4. Self-annotation. After every session pick one decisive moment and write one paragraph describing what you missed. This builds the habit of Prophylaxis and cultivates a deeper thinking process.

Quick reference checklist

• King safe before launching a pawn storm? ☐
• Central pawn tension resolved in your favour? ☐
• Every loose piece protected after a forcing sequence? ☐
• Clock under control (aim > 50 sec by move 20 in 3|2)? ☐

Motivation corner

Your current peak is 2324 (2023-02-18). With small improvements in defensive vigilance you can push that another 100 points this season.

When to play

Your win rate rises sharply in late evenings – see

Keep it up!

Keep embracing dynamic play, but anchor it with a bit more calculation discipline and king safety awareness. Looking forward to seeing you crack 2300+ consistently. Good luck and good skill!