Coach Chesswick
Hi Gadir!
Great work continuing to score steady wins around the 2 700–2 900 blitz range. Below is a concise, data-driven assessment of your recent play, followed by concrete training ideas.
Quick glance at the numbers
- Peak blitz rating: 2967 (2020-05-09)
- Activity snapshots:
What you’re doing especially well
- Sharp, purposeful openings as White. Your French-Advance games show clean preparation: – the exchange sacrifice came from a clearly mapped plan.
- Early initiative and pawn storms. In the recent Caro-Kann win you pushed h4–h5 and combined it with central breaks (18.d5!). This keeps opponents under constant pressure.
- Conversion in short time-controls. Many wins end before move 30; you often cash in the material edge instead of milking it, which is perfect for 3-minute games.
Recurring problems to tackle next
- Strategic depth in the King’s Indian structures (as Black).
• Game vs SPEEDSKATER: …a5/…a4 looked thematic, but Nb4/Nb2 became impossible to coordinate and c- & d-pawns fell.
• Training idea: create a mini-database of 25 model KID positions where Black’s queenside play succeeds and fails. Practice explaining the why aloud. - Endgame resilience.
• The 107-move loss to emptyfischer was essentially equal for 60+ moves before nerves/time caused collapse.
• Weekly routine: 30-minutes of rook-and-pawn studies. Start with elementary Philidor & Lucena, then graduate to dynamic rook endings. Quiz yourself on the key ideas: opposition, bridge-building, shouldering. - Time-budget in quiet positions. You usually keep a time surplus, yet a few critical pauses (e.g. move 29 vs SPEEDSKATER) dropped you under 25 sec while still needing precise defense.
• Drill: play three 1 | 1 games focusing only on keeping 10 sec in reserve before each increment. The goal isn’t quality, but habituating faster elimination of candidate moves. - Over-extension of flank pawns. Your signature h-pawn rush works, but occasionally becomes a hook (see the loss in the Reti where h4 was over-stretched). Ask yourself “What is my opponent’s healthiest counter-break?” before committing pawn storms.
Action plan for the next two weeks
- 📚 5 annotated master games in the Mar del Plata KID where Black wins – focus on piece manoeuvres behind the pawn chain.
- 🔁 20 endgame flashcards (rook + 3 v 3 & rook + pawn v rook) – aim for 90 % accuracy on first try.
- 🎯 Tactical micro-sessions: 3-minute “survival mode” puzzles until you solve 12 in a row.
- ⏱️ One 15 | 10 game every other day to practise deeper calculation without the blitz autopilot.
Keep building on your strengths
Your tactical eye and willingness to play dynamic chess are first-class weapons. Add a layer of strategic patience in the KID and tighten your technical endgame play, and you’ll break past 2 900 with room to spare.
Good luck at the board – looking forward to your next breakthrough!