Coach Chesswick
Hi Gemci! 👋 Here is some personalised feedback based on your latest rapid-blitz batch.
Quick stats
Peak Blitz rating:
Activity snapshots:
What you are already doing very well
- Enterprising openings. Your Caro-Kann (as Black) and French-Tarrasch / Ruy-Lopez sidelines (as White) keep opponents out of book early and lead to rich middlegames.
- Tactical alertness. The mating attack in the win over jakubito2993 (23.Bxh7#) is a model of piece co-operation.
- Conversion under pressure. Several wins came from complicated positions with <15 s on the clock—clearly you are comfortable in chaos.
Main growth areas
-
Time management.
You lost three games on time in this sample. In the Philidor loss to azali wagdi you consumed 1 min 25 s between 22.Qd2 and 28.Qc1 without changing the evaluation.
Tip: adopt a “30-20-10” rule: aim to have ~30 s on move 20, 20 s on move 30, 10 s for the finish. If you drop below the guideline, simplify or force trades immediately. -
King safety vs the Caro-Kann Exchange.
In the loss to mudilo you allowed your own f- and h-pawns to become targets after 15…Nd6 16.Ng3 Bg5. Black’s …Qg5/Qh6 pivot is a recurring motif you can neutralise with early h3 & Qd2.
Training task: load the position after 21…Qg5 (game vs mudilo) and hold it with the engine set to 3000 Elo for 15 moves. -
Over-extension of pawn storms.
Games show the advance g4/g5 or f4/f5 very early (e.g. vs Boeschwilli, kaspy1961). When these pushes don’t create concrete threats you often become saddled with weak squares (e5, h5).
Checklist before pushing a flank pawn:
• Are all pieces developed?
• Is your king already castled?
• Can the pawn become a hook for the opponent? If the answer to any is “no”, consider waiting.
Opening corner
Philidor Exchange – critical moment
After 23.Bg2 Black’s queen is overloaded and you retain initiative and time. Memorise this line: the quiet retreat is stronger than the obvious capture.
Caro-Kann Advance – safe set-up vs …g5
- e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 h6 (instead of 5…h5)
- O-O c5 6.Be3 => idea: meet …g5 with h3 & Nh2
Play through 20 model games with this structure; your king will be far safer.
Action plan for the next week
- Play 20 blitz games with increment (3 + 2) to reinforce the habit of moving with 2-second margins.
- Daily 10-minute puzzle rush focusing on endgame tactics (passed-pawn races, rook checks).
- Review each loss for one missed intermediate move (zwischenzug) and add it to a flashcard deck.
Keep it up!
You are already a very dangerous tactical player. With slightly better clock handling and a dash of prophylaxis (prophylaxis) you should be pushing towards 2400 Blitz soon. Good luck at the board!