Евгений Бурмакин FM

Overall Progress

Evgeny, your recent rating increase of 9 points over one month and an overall positive trend in the last 6 months (plus 81 points) clearly shows your steady improvement in blitz chess. Your strength adjusted win rate of about 54% is solid and indicates you are consistently performing at or above your current rating level.

Positives from Your Wins

• You demonstrated strong opening preparation, especially in popular lines like the French Defense Winawer and Sicilian Defense Kan.
• Good tactical awareness allowed you to convert complex positions into winning attacks, as seen in your use of pins, forks, and mating nets.
• Your time management was effective in many games, balancing careful planning with the need to move quickly in blitz.
• Successful transitions from middle game to endgame highlighted your understanding of piece activity and positional pressure.

Areas to Improve Based on Losses

• Defensive techniques: In some games, opponents gained strong attacking chances due to small inaccuracies; focus on solidifying your king safety and avoiding unnecessary weaknesses.
• Handling pressure: Some losses came from opponent's initiative after challenging your center; keep an eye on pawn structure and control of key central squares.
• Time pressure: A few losses resulted from time trouble. Practice quicker recognition of critical moments to improve decision-making speed.
• Opening familiarity: Although your opening play is good overall, occasionally unfamiliar responses from opponents (especially in less common variation sidelines) led to small disadvantages.

Suggestions for Further Improvement

• Continue studying and practicing your main openings to increase your confidence against varied replies. Consider deepening your knowledge in the Najdorf Sicilian and Ruy Lopez lines you frequently encounter.
• Analyze your losing games, particularly the moments where your position turned unfavorable, to understand tactical threats or strategic concepts you may have missed.
• Work on rapid endgame techniques, especially techniques involving rook and pawn endgames, which can convert close games into wins or draws.
• Engage in timed tactical puzzles that simulate blitz time controls to improve sharp calculation and pattern recognition under pressure.
• Practice visualization exercises to better anticipate opponent threats and plan multiple moves ahead during the blitz games.

Keep Up the Great Work!

Your consistent progress and competitive results at your level are commendable. Keep reviewing both your wins and losses thoughtfully, and you'll see continued growth in your results. Blitz chess demands both speed and accuracy, and honing both will elevate your game to the next level.