Avatar of Raymond Gao

Raymond Gao NM

GAO Since 2023 (Active) Chess.com ♟♟♟♟♟
48.5%- 43.1%- 8.5%
Daily 1876 1W 0L 0D
Rapid 2318 102W 33L 9D
Blitz 2601 2873W 2551L 557D
Bullet 2457 798W 769L 95D
Coach Chesswick's Profile Photo
Coach Chesswick

Overall assessment

Your long-term trajectory is positive, with consistent activity across multiple openings and solid results in several sharp lines. In the near term, you can sharpen your middlegame plans and improve conversion in endings to maintain and accelerate that upward trend.

What you are doing well

  • You handle aggressive openings well, particularly in dynamic lines like Amar Gambit, where you create practical chances and fight for initiative.
  • Your results with Caro-Kann and Italian Game: Two Knights indicate solid development and good control in standard positions.
  • You show willingness to complicate the position when it suits you, which helps you press for the win in many games.

Key improvement opportunities

  • Turn opening advantages into concrete middlegame plans: in sharp lines, focus on a clear idea you are aiming for (such as piece activity, pawn structure, or king safety) rather than trading pieces too early.
  • Endgame conversion: practice maintaining winning chances in endgames, especially rook endgames and king activity, to convert advantages more reliably.
  • Middlegame decision making: work on recognizing when to keep tension vs. simplify. This helps reduce unwanted counterplay from opponents and preserves your initiative.
  • Time management and search discipline: in complex positions, establish a routine to scan forcing lines first, then calculate candidate moves to avoid missed tactics or blunders under time pressure.

Openings performance snapshot

You perform particularly well in Amar Gambit and several Caro-Kann/Italian variations. Consider deepening your understanding of these two areas while keeping a guard against over-reliance on a single approach.

  • Amar Gambit: study common middlegame plans and typical tactical motifs that arise after the opening, so you can convert pressure into clear advantages.
  • London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation: review representative pawn structures and fast development ideas to keep your initiative.
  • Italian Game: Two Knights Defense: reinforce safe development and plan for active piece play in the early middlegame.

Strategic training plan (next 4–6 weeks)

  • Weekly opening study: pick two top-performing openings (for example Amar Gambit and Caro-Kann) and create a concise one-page reference with typical plans and common pitfalls.
  • Endgame practice: two sessions per week on rook endings and king activity with simple pawn structures to improve conversion in late stages.
  • Tactical pattern drills: 15 minutes daily focusing on motifs that come up in your top openings (pins, forks, discovered attacks, etc.).
  • Post-game reviews: after each game, note two critical moments, assess whether a stronger plan existed, and commit to one concrete change for the next game.
  • Time management drills: in practice games, allocate extra thought to the first 7–12 moves of the middlegame to avoid time trouble later.

Next steps

Begin implementing this plan in your next training cycle. Keep a simple journal: record the two openings you focus on, one endgame topic, and one tactical pattern you learned, plus a brief note on on-board improvements. Tracking these will help you see how your study aligns with your rating trend over time.


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