Coach Chesswick
Hi Raisa Melissa Barria Baker de Corrales!
You are playing dynamic, initiative-oriented chess and are already reaping the rewards: your recent 5-game winning streak shows how quickly you can seize the momentum once the position sharpens. Keep that attacking spirit! Below is a short summary of your current profile:
- Peak blitz rating: 2112 (2025-06-05)
- Favourite time control: 3 + 0 (based on most recent activity)
- Typical weekly playing rhythm: see
- Hourly performance swings:
What You’re Already Doing Well
- Fast development & central control
With White you routinely play d4/c4/Nc3/Nf3 and reach positions where your pieces are the first to claim the centre. Against …g6/…Bg7 setups you don’t hesitate to install a knight on e5 or pressure d5 early. - Tactical alertness
Your win against rzgrspeedup features a textbook exploitation of piece activity. The sequence 23.Qf7! e5 24.dxe5 fxe5 25.h5! created threats on multiple files and forced Black’s defences to collapse. Relive the key phase here: . - Good feel for open files
You consistently put rooks on c- and e-files the moment they open, e.g. Rc1/Rc7 in the same game or the doubled rooks on the e-file versus surfwithalien. This indicates healthy board vision.
Priorities for the Next Rating Jump
- End-game technique & pawn-structure understanding
In the loss to ginobi87 (Caro-Kann Exchange) you reached an equal pawn ending but drifted after 33…g5?! 36…g4?! 38…h4? and eventually resigned a drawable position. • Study basic king-and-pawn endings (Philidor/Lucena, opposition, outside passed pawn).
• Whenever queens come off, ask “Which pawn majority can give me a passer?”.
• Practise converting small advantages in 10-minute games where there’s time to calculate. - King safety when playing …g6 or …h6/…g5 set-ups
Several defeats (e.g. versus BiteYou and TamamaGumander) arose after premature pawn thrusts around your own monarch. Before pushing a pawn in front of your castled king, run the following checklist:
• Can my opponent open lines with a pawn break?
• Do I have pieces left to guard the weakened squares?
• If the centre opens, will my king become a target? - Reduce reliance on “hope chess” tactics
You often launch attacks with moves like h4-h5 or f4-f5 without a full calculation. When they land, the games are spectacular; when they fail, they fail hard. Train forcing-move calculation drills (checks, captures, threats) so that each attack is backed by concrete lines rather than optimism. - Time-management habits
Several critical mistakes occurred below 20 seconds. Try the “30-second rule”: make moves while the clock shows ≥30 s unless facing a deep tactic. You’ll avoid frantic blunders and still keep the pace needed for 3-minute games.
Opening Tune-ups
| Current favourite | First refinement to study | Theme to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Slav & Semi-Slav lines with early Bf4 | Learn the Carlson Variation …dxc4 & …b5 ideas | Fast queenside expansion, hold c4 pawn |
| Sicilian Dragon structures as Black | Explore the accelerated Dragon move order to avoid 9.Bc4 Yugoslav | Place a knight on d4 as a blockade (outpost) |
| Bird/From Gambit (occasional) | Memorise the critical 5…Nc6 6.Nf3 Qe7+ line to sidestep traps | Do not overextend kingside pawns too early |
Suggested Training Plan (4-week cycle)
- Week 1: Daily 15-minute tactics + 2 rapid (15 + 10) games focused on prophylaxis (prophylaxis).
- Week 2: End-game workbook (pawns & rook endings) – aim for 50 finished positions.
- Week 3: Opening review – build a draft repertoire file; annotate 3 of your own games, asking “What was the strategic plan?” after move 10.
- Week 4: Themed sparring vs a friend/bot: play Black side of Exchange Caro-Kann 10 times to learn typical manoeuvres.
“When you see a good move, look for a better one.” – Lasker
Keep up the hard work, Raisa, and your next rating milestone is closer than you think. Good luck in your upcoming games!