Arda Altun FM

Quick summary for Arda Altun

Good momentum — your rating and trend numbers show clear improvement over the last months. Your blitz shows strong tactical awareness and the ability to convert when you get a clear advantage. That said, there are recurring practical issues (time management, pawn-break awareness, and some tactical oversights) that, if fixed, will raise your blitz score quickly.

What you did well (patterns to keep)

• Active piece play: you consistently look to activate knights and rooks into the game instead of passively shuffling pieces.
• Converting advantages: in your recent win you punished a central pawn weakness and exchanged into a winning position rather than overcomplicating — good conversion instincts.
• Opening familiarity: you play the Caro-Kann Defense frequently. Familiarity gives you faster, more confident moves in blitz.
• Positive trend: +62 rating in the last month and a Strength Adjusted Win Rate above 0.5 shows your improvement is real and not a streak.

Recurring issues to fix

• Time management in blitz — you often reach critical moments with under 20 seconds. That increases blunders and missed tactics. Use your 3-second increment to keep a small time buffer and simplify when short on time.
• Pawn-break awareness — in a recent loss the opponent’s pawn break (f5 / f4 style) became decisive. Watch for moments when the opponent can open files toward your king and prepare to prevent or neutralize them.
• Tactical mis-evaluations in complex positions — double-check hanging pieces and calculate one extra forcing move (captures, checks, threats) before committing.
• Opening choice vs certain opponents — your Caro-Kann results are mixed. Some sub-variations are giving you trouble; a small line adjustment or an alternative second-choice system will reduce early discomfort.

Concrete improvements — training plan (short & actionable)

• Daily (10–20 min): 10 tactic puzzles focusing on forks, pins and discovered attacks — these are the patterns that win material in blitz.
• 2× week (30–45 min): Rapid practice (10+5 or 15+10) where you force yourself to spend 1–2 minutes on the opening and 5+ minutes on the critical middlegame. Use that to practice calculating pawn breaks and king safety decisions.
• Weekly (30–60 min): Endgame drills — rook + pawn endgames and king + pawn vs king basics. Convert small advantages under time pressure by drilling Lucena and basic rook endgames.
• Opening work (15–30 min twice a week): tighten your Caro-Kann repertoire. Pick 2 reliable lines you play frequently and compile 6–8 typical plans/ideas (pawn breaks, piece placements, typical sacrifices). Consider a secondary system to avoid predictable lines from opponents who target your main line.
• Game review habit: after every session, pick 1 loss and 1 win. Write down the single reason the position turned — tactic missed, time trouble, pawn break, poor prophylaxis — then practice that theme next day.

Tactical checklist to use during blitz

• Before moving, scan for captures and checks (one quick force-move check saves many blunders).
• If you’re low on time: trade pieces to reduce complexity and keep pawns/king safe.
• Ask: does the opponent have a pawn break (f, g, c or b) that opens lines at my king? If yes, prepare to prevent it.
• Keep one attacking plan active — put your rooks on open files and knights on outposts where they can jump to f5/e5/d5.

Opening notes (based on your recent games)

You play the Caro-Kann Defense often. That’s a solid choice for blitz because it gives clear plans. A few practical tips:

• Study typical pawn structures from the Advance and Exchange lines so you immediately know where to place knights and bishops.
• Prepare the ...Qc7 / ...Nxe5 tactical motifs you’ve used — but be mindful of timing. When you capture in the center, confirm there are no instant tactical refutations.
• If an opponent plays sharp kingside play (g4/g5 or quick f-pawn pushes), look to simplify and block the g-/f-files with a timely pawn break or piece exchange.
• Also keep the Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation, Alapin Gambit in your toolbox — your results there are strong, and it can be a useful alternate when opponents prepare for your Caro-Kann.

Example game to replay

Replay your last win and review the moment you transitioned from equal to better — that was a model of converting a structural edge into a lasting advantage.

Use this replay viewer to step through the game:

3 immediate takeaways (do these next session)

• Start every game by spending 15–20 seconds to choose a clear opening plan — reduces early mistakes.
• When under 30 seconds, simplify: trade one pair of pieces and avoid forcing complications.
• After the game, mark the moment (move number) your evaluation swung most and practice that theme (pawns breaks / tactics) for 15 minutes.

Closing — motivation & next steps

Your rating curve and recent +62 month show you are improving. Keep the structure: short daily tactics, weekly rapid practice, and a focused opening checklist. If you want, I can:

• Make 10 custom tactics from positions similar to your losses.
• Build a 2–3 line Caro-Kann blitz repertoire with key plans and sample model games.
• Analyze one of your recent losses move-by-move and point out the exact turning move and alternative.

Tell me which of the three you want first.