Summary for Spencer Jarvis
Nice recent spike — your rating trend over the last months shows strong improvement. I looked through the PGNs you supplied (games vs Spencer Jarvis, dynimighty and others) and pulled out recurring themes: you’re creating tactical chances and winning complicated positions, but you also give up large tactical swings that cost you games. Below are focused suggestions to convert the progress into more consistent results.
What you’re doing well
- You create active piece play and tactical threats — several wins came from forcing the opponent into uncomfortable positions and then converting with a queen/rook invasion.
- Your recent results show big rating gains (one‑month and three‑month gains are substantial). That means your study/playing routine is working — keep it up.
- You have definite opening lines that suit you (for example, good win rate with the Barnes Opening: Walkerling). Use those as a stable base.
- When you get the initiative you follow through: you convert passed pawns and open files well in many games.
Recurring mistakes & patterns to fix
- Early queen activity and back‑rank vulnerabilities: a few losses came from not creating luft or from allowing the opponent’s queen/rook to infiltrate. Always check for back‑rank mates once the board is simplified.
- Tactical oversights around captures and forks. In several games you or your opponent won material with short combinations — work on spotting forks, pins and discovered checks faster.
- Kingside pawn pushes before the king is safe. Pushing f- or g-pawns early can open lines against your king; prioritize king safety (castling or a clear escape plan) before launching wide pawn storms.
- Opening choices that give you poor middlegame plans. Your performance data shows weaker results vs certain openings (Amazon Attack, Center Game, Elephant Gambit). Either avoid those lines or learn a compact, reliable reply with simple plans.
- Occasional passivity: when your opponent centralizes or opens the position you sometimes miss counterplay (timely pawn breaks, activating a rook). Focus on piece activity and exchange sensitive pieces when you’re cramped.
Concrete next steps — a 4‑week plan
- Daily tactics (15–25 minutes): focus on forks, pins and discovered attacks. Use mixed difficulty puzzles and track accuracy.
- Weekly game review (1–2 games): immediately after a finished daily game, spend 20–30 minutes doing a post‑mortem: identify the turning point and write one actionable change for next game.
- Endgame basics (3 sessions / week): king + pawn vs king, simple rook endgames, and basic mating patterns. These give you confidence converting advantages and avoiding swindles.
- Opening streamlining (pick 1–2): keep the lines that work (e.g., Barnes Opening) and prepare a short, safe reply vs the Amazon Attack and Center Game so you don’t get surprised. Learn 3–4 typical middlegame plans from each chosen opening.
- Blunder checklist (practice until automatic): before you submit a move, run through — “Does this leave pieces hanging? Any checks? Opponent threats? Can I improve piece activity?”
Quick practical checklist (use in every game)
- Before you move: look for checks, captures and threats (3-second scan).
- If material is equal and position simplifying, ask: “Is my king safe?” If not, improve king safety first.
- Active pieces beat passive pieces — favor moves that increase piece activity or create concrete tactical threats.
- If ahead: exchange minor pieces to reduce counterplay and steer to an endgame you know.
Opening advice (based on your performance)
- Double down on the Barnes Opening lines where you already score well — deepen your middlegame plans there (pawn breaks, ideal outposts).
- For trouble lines (Amazon Attack, Center Game), learn one simple, solid setup to equalize quickly so you can play the middlegame on familiar ground.
- Keep gambits you like only if you’ve studied the typical refutations and resulting structures — otherwise they’ll cost you consistency.
Example: review one instructive game
Open and step through this recent game where your ability to invade on the seventh rank and use rooks + queen paid off. Watch how piece activity and a passed pawn became decisive; notice also a few moments where sharper defense would have helped.
Final notes & encouragement
Your recent rating jumps show you’re improving quickly — that’s the most important thing. Focus on reducing tactical oversights, reinforce king safety/back‑rank habits, and keep practicing targeted tactics and endgames. Do the short checklist every move for a week and you’ll see immediate benefit. If you want, I can prepare a 2‑week tactics set tailored to the mistakes in these games or a short opening packet for the lines you face most often.