Coach Chesswick
Hi Daniel!
You are an ambitious, tactical-minded player who is already flirting with 2688 (2025-01-27) strength in the mid-2400s. Your recent games show great fighting spirit and a willingness to enter sharp positions. Below are a few observations and concrete study ideas.
What you’re doing well
- Dynamic piece play – In your latest victory against Kartaca87 (Semi-Slav) you sacrificed material to keep Black’s king in the centre and converted smoothly.
- Practical time handling – You rarely drop below 20-30 seconds, so your moves stay reasonably accurate even in scrambles.
- Opening variety – With White you alternate between 1.d4 and 1.e4; as Black you have tried French, Caro-Kann, King’s Indian and Sicilian setups. This flexibility will pay off later.
Recurring trouble spots
- Loose knight jumps in the middlegame – In the loss to chesswarrior991 your pieces landed on e5 and d5 without enough support; Black’s …Nf4–Nd5–Nf3 sequence forced concessions.
- Counter-intuitive retreats – Positions demanding restraint (e.g. your French-Rubinstein and Panov games) often see you push forward instead of playing a quiet improving move. Adding some prophylaxis to your thinking cycle will help.
- Over-extended kingside pawn storms – Two recent Sicilian losses featured early g-pawns and h-pawns rushing ahead before your king was fully safe. Opponents exploited the weakening squares.
Targeted improvement plan
- Weekly “quiet move” drill
Take 20 recent rapid games, pause at your own move 15-25, and ask “what if I passed?” Look for stealthy consolidating ideas instead of forcing lines. - Structure-based opening repair
• Review the Caro-Kann B14 Panov: focus on 10.Qe2 & 11.dxc5 lines to minimise Black’s …Nf4 ideas.
• Against the King’s Indian as Black, practise plans in the “Donner” variation you used vs dr-frankenstien – the g-pawn push is fine, but study model games so you know when to switch to central breaks with …f5 or …b5. - Endgame conversion
Several wins came by opponent flagging rather than technical conversion. Spend 15-20 minutes per day on rook-and-pawn endings; the Dvoretsky “100 Endgames” app or studies in Lichess will serve. - Tactical vision sharpening
Despite your tactics strength, the Nf4–Nf3 motif that hurt you is basic. Add 25 “easy” puzzles to each session to keep tactical awareness sharp under 10 seconds per puzzle.
Progress trackers
Keep an eye on your performance curves:
Quick reference themes to revisit
- Playing against an isolated queen’s pawn once you win it – convert with piece exchanges and active king.
- Typical breaks in the Semi-Slav: …c5 and …e5 timing.
- Trading into favourable rook endings instead of keeping messy tactical positions when ahead.
Closing thought
You already demonstrate the courage and creativity of a master-level player. Blend those strengths with a dash of restraint and endgame polish, and 2688 (2025-01-27) 2500+ is well within reach.
Good luck in your next games, and feel free to reach out after a new batch of 20-30 games for another review!