Coach Chesswick
Hi finunustiesah – personal feedback from your chess coach
1. What you are already doing well
- Tactical awareness: you routinely spot one-move tactics such as 7.Nxf7!! in your win against hnimnim and 6…Nxb5! against djxxxpro009.
- Fast development with Black after 1.e4 e5: in several games you follow the classic moves …Nf6, …Nc6, …Bc5 and challenge the centre early with …d5.
- Psychology: you do not panic when opponents play off-beat moves like 2.Qh5 or 1.g3. You keep developing and punish premature attacks.
2. Biggest improvement opportunities
-
King safety first.
Losses vs b055mu show you often keep the king in the centre far too long. Aim to castle no later than move 10 unless you have a concrete reason.
Example position (game vs B055MU, moves 17-24):
White’s king wandered to d2 and quickly collapsed. -
Stop over-pushing flank pawns in the opening.
In the Caro-Kann loss to fransiscushw you played 8.g4 and 13.h3, creating dark-square holes that Black exploited with …Bxd4 and …Nxf2. Follow the rule “three pawn moves maximum before move 8”. -
Slow down when winning.
Against starydrab you were material up yet lost the endgame after 60 moves. When ahead:- Exchange queens if it does not ruin your structure.
- Centralise the king as soon as queens are off.
- Guard the back rank – a recurring theme in your defeats.
-
Depth-2 calculation habit.
Many games swing on simple tactics such as a check or capture on the next move. Before playing any move ask, “If I play this, what are the two most forcing replies?” Ten extra seconds here will save dozens of rating points.
3. 14-day training plan
- Day 1-4: 20 puzzles/day focused on Forks & Pins. Analyse every game you play for missed mates in 1-3.
- Day 5-7: Build an opening “safety pack” (Italian with
c3 & d3as White, Petroff as Black). Play at least five games where you commit to castling by move 8. - Day 8-11: Endgame mini-course – king & pawn vs king, then basic rook endings. Finish sessions with five puzzles on Back Rank Mate.
- Day 12-14: Review your own losses. For each one, find the last moment you were not yet lost and note the better move. Create a personal “blunder file”.
4. Quick reference card
- Develop two pieces before moving the queen.
- Castle early → connect rooks → fight for open files.
- When up material: trade pieces, not pawns.
- Before every move: Check ➔ Capture ➔ Threat – for both sides.
5. Stats snapshot
Peak rapid rating: 975 (2023-10-25)
Stick to this routine, and 750+ rapid is well within reach. Enjoy the climb and see you at the next review!