Coach Chesswick
Hi galvinwilkes!
What you already do well
- Tactical alertness – 17.Rd8!! in your A46 win was a textbook pin; you regularly spot forks, pins and mating nets.
- Rook activation – you love doubling and swinging rooks (Rf2-f4, Ra1-a3-g3, …) and that often decides games in your favour.
- End-game stamina – the 101-move conversion against abokhan07 showed patience and good technique with passed pawns.
Recurring pain points
- King safety in the opening – early g- and h-pawn thrusts before castling led to …Qh4+ ( fufu6767 game ) and …Qh2# ( Ninonino12 ).
- Under-estimating counter-tactics – 16…Nd3+!! versus murali_Ramp is a reminder to ask “what is my opponent threatening?” each move.
- Piece coordination – knights on the rim (Na7, Nb5), misplaced queen adventures and undeveloped pieces give opponents easy targets.
Quick wins for the next two weeks
- Follow the Opening Hygiene Rule: “Three minor pieces out & castle before any wing-pawn pushes.” Review your first 10 moves after every game.
- 15 minutes of defensive tactics daily (pins on your king, backward moves, fork tricks).
- Adopt one solid answer to each first move – e.g. as Black vs 1.e4 play the Petrov Defense, vs 1.d4 play a simple Queen’s-Gambit-Declined set-up. Depth > width.
4-week training blueprint
| Day | Theme | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Mon / Wed / Fri | 20 puzzles + annotate one of your own games. | Spot missed discovered attacks & zwischenzugs. |
| Tue / Thu | Play two 15 | 10 games with the hygiene rule. | Update your opening notebook after each game. |
| Weekend | End-game drills (K+P vs K, Lucena, Philidor). | Be confident converting small advantages. |
Progress tracker
Current peak rapid rating: 1436 (2021-01-07). Watch your trends with:
- Hourly performance – .
- Day-to-day consistency – .
Mini-exercise
From your loss vs murali_Ramp:
Put the position on a board and find a safer improvement for Black without an engine. Compare later.
Next milestone: 1200-1250
Stick to the quick wins and the blueprint, and crossing 1200 rapid (and staying there!) within a month is realistic.
Keep the energy high, enjoy each game, and feel free to reach out when a concept isn’t clear. Good luck on the climb!