Julien Saada FM

Hi Julien!

The games you played this week show an energetic, tactical style that can blow opponents off the board, but they also reveal some recurring themes that are holding you back from the next rating tier. Below is a concise feedback package you can use to steer your training.

What you are already doing well

• Initiative-seeking play. Your wins against 2300+ opponents often start with an early pawn break or piece sacrifice that changes the character of the position in your favour. The miniature ending 30.Rh8# demonstrates excellent attacking instinct.
• Piece activity in the middlegame. You rarely let pieces stay passive; rooks almost always reach open files quickly and minor pieces find active outposts (e.g. …Nc3 in your win vs Danymal).
• Practical resourcefulness. Even in worse positions you keep material on the board, set zwischenzug traps and often save games on the clock.

Quick-win adjustments for the next 20–30 games

• Time management. Five of your last seven losses were on time in defensible or even better positions. Aim for 30 seconds in reserve entering any simplified endgame; verbalise “convert, not calculate” to remind yourself to play quicker when you are up material.
• King-side pawn pushes. Early g4/h4 thrusts (see the loss to auonR) often leave dark-square holes. Ask “Can I achieve the same goal by centralising a piece instead?” before committing a wing pawn.
• Endgame safety net. Several time losses occurred in rook endings you could have repeated moves. If the clock is low, prioritise perpetual-check motifs or force a threefold repetition.

Medium-term training plan (4–6 weeks)

1. 60-minute weekly endgame session. Focus on the rook & pawn vs rook framework and the “four-point technique” (active king, rook behind passer, cut-off, shoulder check).
2. Structured tactics. You already spot single-move shots; shift to 3- to 5-move forcing sequences. Do 20 problems/day at 10 minutes each, blindfold-describe the first branch before moving pieces.
3. Opening audit. Keep the Caro-Kann/Slav core, but build one reliable anti-g3-system line as Black (it cost you vs heroman97). Two hours of database prep is enough.

Opening snapshot

• With White you score best in 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 systems, reaching middlegames you understand.
• Your Caro-Kann (Advance 3.e5 Bf5) scores 67 %. Keep it.
• The Slav Modern line (…Bf5 …e6) is patchier; study positions after 9.g4 more deeply.

Illustrative moment – converting the attack

Notice how good piece co-ordination, not material, decided the game:

Performance snapshots

Use the charts below to spot when you are at your sharpest:

Your all-time Blitz peak: 2517 (2020-03-04). Let’s push it 50 points higher by the end of the month!

Next steps

Play a 10-game block applying the quick-win adjustments. After each game, spend five minutes answering: “Did I follow the plan?” and “If not, why?”. Small deliberate tweaks will compound quickly.

Good luck, and don’t hesitate to send me two annotated games next week for deeper review!