Coach Chesswick
Hi GM Gagunashvili, here is a focused performance review based on your latest streak of games.
What is working well
- Dynamic counter-play as Black. Games against the London (SergeyMelkozerov) and the Modern Classical Benoni (leonidsh29) show how comfortably you seize the initiative with early …c5/…Qb6 or …a6/…b5. The exchange-sacrifice 28…Rd1+ in the London win is vintage “Merab-style” activity.
- Tactical alertness under pressure. In the Sicilian Kramnik variation (DexterMorgan) you refuted 15.Bxe4? and converted the extra material flawlessly despite an open king.
- Opening breadth. Your repertoire currently spans 1…c5, 1…d5, 1…Nf6, the Benoni, Caro-Kann and Modern, giving you practical surprise value.
- Consistent peak form. 2655 (2021-12-05) demonstrates that your ceiling is still trending upwards. Keep nurturing that momentum.
Recurring pain points
- Time-management in critical phases. Two of the recent defeats (Alapin vs RantomOpening and QGD vs nazmiden123) were decided by either time-forfeit or severe time trouble leading to tactical blunders. Your clock drops sharply between moves 20-35 (see for the red dip around minute-15).
- Queen vs rook/rook + pawns endings. Both the Nimzo-Indian loss to shanomm and the Modern loss to morejhor feature material superiority that evaporates into passed pawns and coordination issues.
Critical snapshot: Your rook and queen lacked harmony while Black’s connected pawns rolled. This motif recurs. - Over-extension with the d-pawn as White vs …Bb4 systems. In the Nimzo loss, 21.c5?! gave Black the c5–c4 → c-file passer sequence. Similar patterns occur in earlier losses when you push c4/c5 too hastily without enough piece support.
Targeted improvement plan (next 4 weeks)
| Week | Focus | Exercises / Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clock discipline | • Play 15 + 10 games only.
• Verbal countdown: decide by 40 min left on your session clock if you’re under 5′. • Annotate every move where you spent >90 seconds. |
| 2 | Queen vs rook/pawn endings | • Table-base drill: win Q vs R + h-pawn & defend R vs Q + side pawn for 30 positions/day. • Review GMs Carlsen, Karpov technical wins (ChessBase filter “Q vs R”). |
| 3 | Structural awareness in Nimzo/Benoni | • Build a flashcard set of typical c-file passer races—identify when to play c4/c5. • Play 10 training games starting after 10…Bb7 (Nimzo) with opposite-side pawn storms. |
| 4 | Opening fine-tuning as White | • Add 4.e3 → Nge2 Anti-Nimzo lines to reduce early pawn breaks. • Spar vs Stockfish 12 depth 18 from move 11 of your loss and aim for +0.50 by move 25. |
Quick reference drill list
- 30 Endgames: Q vs R + 2 pawns from Lomonosov TB.
- 5 Benoni rook-lift examples (e.g. Gagunashvili—Jobava 2006) to refresh attacking themes.
- Daily tactics: 15 puzzles rated 3400-3600 on CT-ART with focus on “clearance & deflection”.
Motivation corner
“Efficiency is doing better what you already do well.” – Peter Drucker Apply this to your clock management; the rest of your game is GM-level already.
Good luck with the training cycle, and looking forward to seeing your next set of sparkling wins!
– Your Chess Coach