Braden Bournival FM

Overview of your recent bullet play

You’ve shown steady progress in bullet format and are developing a sharper sense for tactics and timing. Your openings are versatile, and you’re comfortable navigating a variety of pawn structures and plans. With a focused, repeatable approach to decision making, you can convert more of your initiative into tangible gains in quick games.

What you’re doing well

• Initiative and activity: You frequently press for activity when the position allows, testing your opponent's defenses and forcing concrete decisions.
• Fight for the center and open files: In several lines you actively contest the center and look to open lines for your pieces, which is important in bullet where time is precious.
• Resilience under pressure: You stay resourceful in tight moments and look for practical chances to complicate the position for your opponent.

Key improvement areas

• Balance between aggression and safety: Some tactical sequences overextend or miss safer continuations. In bullet, it’s easy to miscalculate a forcing line—prioritize forcing moves that improve your position while reducing risk.
• Endgame conversion: When the position simplifies, focus on a clear plan to convert advantages. Practice simple rook endings and king activity techniques to avoid drawn-out fights or missed chances.
• Time management and quick evaluation: Aim for a quick triage of the position (what threatens me, what do I threaten, and what is the easiest forcing line) within the first few seconds of your turn.
• Opening-to-middle-game transitions: Build a small, well-practiced set of plan ideas for your main openings so you can move from opening into a confident plan rather than improvising a new idea on every game.

Actionable drills and plan for the next sessions

• Daily tactical focus (10–15 minutes): complete puzzles that emphasize forks, pins, skewers, back-rank themes, and common mating nets. End each session by briefly explaining why the winning tactic works and how you spotted it.
• Opening plan consolidation (2–3 weeks): pick 1–2 lines from your repertoire (for example a Caro-Kann and a Slav/Scandinavian path) and build a simple, repeatable middle-game plan for each. Sketch a quick “if this, then that” for typical middlegame structures.
• Endgame basics (2 sessions per week): practice straightforward rook endings and king-and-pawn endings against a simple, rule-based checklist (activate the king, penetrate on a open file, keep pawns passer-friendly).
• Review after each game: note the first moment you felt uncertain, and the most forcing move you considered. If you felt uncertain, write one alternative plan you could have pursued instead.
• Time-check habit: in a drill or training game, set a fixed time target per move (e.g., 10 seconds for most moves in bullet) to build faster pattern recognition without rushing bad decisions.

Next-step focus (short-term goals)

• Emphasize safer attacking ideas: target positions where you can threaten a forced sequence while keeping your king safe.
• Improve consistency in converting advantages: practice short, structured endings to finish games cleanly when you have the edge.
• Solidify a small set of “go-to” plans for your top openings so you can transition into the middle game with a clear direction.