Coach Chesswick
Hi Faustino!
You have put together a tremendous run of games, hovering around the 3000-blitz mark (). Below is a quick performance snapshot and then some targeted coaching notes that can help you take the next step.
1 What you’re already doing well
- Quick initiative-grabbing: Your trademark h-pawn (and sometimes g-pawn) storms create practical problems very early, e.g. the recent win against Alice Lee.
- Tactical sharpness in time trouble: When the position is open you often spot forcing sequences faster than opponents (23.Nf5! in the Owens-Defense game is a textbook example).
- End-game resilience: Several of your wins convert small edges deep into the 60-move range, showing solid technical ability once the tactics are gone.
2 Patterns behind the recent losses
- Over-extension on the wings
• In the loss to Petros Trimitzios you pushed g- and h-pawns without completing development and were punished down the c-file.
• A similar story occurred versus Abhimanyu Mishra where …c5 and …a4 broke open your own queenside structure. - Premature central pawn breaks
• Against Andy Woodward (QGD Three Knights) 23.b3? invited …Rxe5! and the entire centre collapsed.
• In several English/KIA setups you played e5 or c5 before pieces were coordinated, giving opponents easy counterplay. - Clock management
• In four of the five recent losses you fell below 15 s with a full middlegame on the board, while your opponent still had >40 s.
3 Opening tune-ups
With White
- Queen’s Gambit Declined (Bf4 systems) – After …c5 you often choose cxd5 followed by Bf5!? which cedes the centre.
➜ Consider the more solid 8.e3 cxd4 9.exd4 structure; it maintains the pawn chain and keeps the light-square bishop flexible. - 1.Nf3 / b3 move-orders – Excellent for flexibility, but be ready for …c5 & …d5 breaks. Review a dozen model games from Gelfand & Aronian to tighten the move-order details.
With Black
- Ragozin / Queens-Indians – After 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Qb3 the plan …dxc4 & …Nd7 was fine, but …e5?! invited the critical Qd3 followed by g4 (see loss vs Francesco Sonis). Swap …e5 for the mainline …dxc4, …c5.
- Modern / St-George setups – They fit your counter-punching style, but only if you meet 4.e5 or 5.c4 with immediate strikes in the centre (…d6 / …Nc6) rather than quiet development.
4 Strategic themes to polish
- Piece quality over pawn quantity – In three recent defeats you grabbed a pawn (…Qxb2, …Nxa3, …Qxb3) and immediately lost coordination. Train with “Queen vs four minors” studies to reinforce the value of piece activity.
- Exchange judgement – You are happy to sacrifice the exchange for initiative, which is great, but sometimes decline a favorable trade (e.g. missing …Rxd4 in the KIA game). Add a weekly session of endgame table-base review so you can sense when material matters.
5 Time-management drill
- Play 15 one-minute puzzles before each blitz session – forces immediate pattern recognition.
- Adopt a “10-20-30” checkpoint: by 10 moves >2:30 left, by 20 moves >1:30, by 30 moves >0:40. Abort games where you fall behind the schedule during training mode.
6 Suggested study plan (4-week micro-cycle)
- Day 1-2: Re-play 15 grandmaster games in your main openings; annotate only pawn breaks.
- Day 3-4: 30-minute calculation session using “Stoyko” method – 3 positions, 10 min each, full lines.
- Day 5: Blitz ladder (10 games). Focus solely on keeping the “10-20-30” time budget.
- Day 6: Endgame drill – rook vs minor-piece endings plus opposite-color bishops.
- Day 7: Rest / light puzzle rush.
7 Motivational snapshot
Your current strengths already place you among the very best young blitz players. Tightening two or three small leaks (tempo pawn moves, early queen grabs, clock balance) could easily net +30 elo within a month. Keep the attacking flair—just anchor it to sound structures first, tactics second.
See you at the next training checkpoint, and good luck!