Thu Giang Nguyen WFM

Hi Thu Giang!

Great job steadily raising your rating to 2459 (2021-07-02) and putting in the work every week. I reviewed your most recent decisive games together with a sampling of earlier ones and noticed clear patterns that can help you climb further.

1. Openings – keep the structure, know the traps

• With Black (Caro-Kann, game vs. Aaronotfound)
  You followed the Classical line smoothly and punished 5.Bd3?! with 5…Qxd4!. Nice calculation. One improvement: after 6.Ne2 Qd8 7.0-0, consider 7…Nd7 delaying …e6 so the c8-bishop can sometimes reach g4.
• With White (French Rubinstein, loss vs. Wilver Vargas Rodriguez)
  The early 11.Bb2  12.c4 plan gave you space but allowed …cxd4 followed by massive exchanges that removed your attacking chances. Against stronger opposition it’s often better to keep queens on (e.g. 11.Re1, 12.Bd3) or adopt the positional 11.Bf4 idea.
• Action item: Build a compact repertoire sheet for each colour. Limit it to two main branches per opening so preparation stays focused. 15 minutes of targeted review on non-game days will pay off quickly.

2. Middlegame – balancing pawn storms and king safety

• You excel at pawn breaks (…f5 in the English, f4–f5 in the Modern) but sometimes push without enough piece support. In the game against Mehmezek, 11.f5 created a hole on e5 that Black exploited with …Ne5–f3.
• Try the “3-piece rule”: before launching a pawn storm, count at least three attackers that can reach the target area in two moves.
• Add 5-minute calculation drills: set a timer, choose a random middlegame position and list candidate moves + main line to depth 3. This will sharpen your tactical radar and reduce oversight of in-between moves like …Qe7 in the same game.

3. Endgames – converting advantages

• You converted the rook endgame in the Caro-Kann win cleanly – good king activity (29…f2! 30…f1=Q).
• In the Daily loss vs. Goteberg, the R+P ending slipped after 33…Ra6. Before trading, ask: “Will the resulting endgame be winning, drawing, or losing forcingly?” A quick pawn-count & passed-pawn check could have steered you to a safer rook-plus-minor-piece ending instead.
• Action item: Practice fundamental rook endings (Lucena, Philidor, Vancura). Ten positions a week on a board or trainer will boost conversion rate.

4. Time management

• Your live-game clock usage is excellent: average 30-40 s saved at move 30 – keep it up!
• In Daily games you occasionally flag on critical moves (e.g. 13.Nxa8?? in the Canal-Sicilian burned all reserve). Set a simple reminder: never move with less than 24 hours on the clock unless the line is forced and checked twice.

5. Mental checklist before every move

1. King safety – any checks?
2. Material – any pieces hanging?
3. Forcing moves – checks, captures, threats for both sides.
4. Plans – improve worst-placed piece or craft a pawn break.

6. Track your progress

Use the insights tabs on Chess.com or create a simple spreadsheet. Monitor:

• Opening score by ECO code
• Accuracy % in won vs. lost games
• Typical mistake types (blunder, missed win, etc.)

The following charts can help visualise when you play your best:

7. Annotated example

Replay the critical phase of your Caro-Kann victory and try to find improvements for both sides:

Keep it fun!

Remember to sprinkle in thematic puzzles and casual games to avoid burnout. Your attacking instincts are a real strength – refining the supporting positional play will make them decisive.

Good luck with your training, and feel free to send me any positions you find puzzling. Onwards and upwards!