Alexander Galkin GM

Constructive Feedback for Alexander “gm_aag” Galkin

What you are already doing very well

• Versatile white repertoire: You alternate smoothly between Réti setups (1 Nf3 2 e3) and English/Flank systems, keeping opponents in the dark and steering early play toward middlegame structures you know well.
• Piece activity over material: In the recent win versus Joshuachick you returned the c-pawn without hesitation (16…dxc4 17 Qxc4) to seize central squares and open files, and you later emphasised activity with 26 Ba2!! – a cool geometry move that kept the long diagonal alive.
• Conversion technique in simplified endings: Several of your 2019 victories show confident switch-overs from attack to endgame (e.g. 32 Ra1! against dalmatinac101), converting with minimal risk.

Priority areas for the next rating jump

1. Early king safety when you push the f-pawn.
   In the loss to dangerousattack1st (18…e5 19 fxe5 Qb4+!) your king was still on e1/g1 while f- and g-files opened. Before playing f-pawn breaks, ask “Can my king reach safety within the next three moves?” If not, delay or prepare the break with prophylactic nudges (h3, Kh1, or Re1).
2. Tighter handling of the Advance Caro-Kann as Black.
   Opponents score well with the Nc3-h4 setup. After 4 …h5 you often allow Nb5-d6 or Nd6 sacrifices that wreck coordination. Consider the main-line solution 6 …c5! or the modern 6 …Ne7 7 …b6 plans to blunt the light-squared bishop. Fifteen minutes with the Mega-database will show concrete move orders.
3. Time-management in sharp positions.
   In several bullet decisions you drop to ≤40 sec by move 25 while the opponent still has a minute. Adopt a “30-20-10 guideline”: aim to keep ≥2 min on the clock after move 10, ≥1 min after move 20, and ≥30 sec entering any endgame. A simple mental count (“every 5 moves glance at the clock”) helps.
4. Be more stubborn in inferior but playable endings.
   A few resignations (e.g. vs ImGm6, diagram after 38…Ne7) occurred with practical drawing chances left. Blitz resilience is partly psychological: make your opponent prove the win unless the ending is trivially lost or flagging is impossible.

Illustrative moment

The critical attacking sequence from your last win:

[[Pgn| 23... Ng6 24 Bc3 Bh6 25 Qf5! Bxe3 26 Ba2 Kh7 27 fxe3 Qxe3+ 28 Kh1 Nh6 29 Qxh5 Rd3 30 Bxf7! Nf4 31 Nxf4 1-0 ]]

Notice how 25 Qf5 simultaneously threatens mate on h7 and pressure on f7 – a classic double-attack. Training motif: search for forcing moves that hit two targets, even if one of them is only a latent weakness.

Training menu for the coming month

• Daily 15-minute calculation sprints with three-move depth, focusing on forcing replies. Incorporate the concept of zwischenzug.
• Play five rapid games a week (10 | 5) to practise slower, structured decision-making; review them with a trusted second or your favourite engine.
• Create a miniature “Caro-Kann notebook”: collect 10 modern model games where Black equalises cleanly after 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5. Update lines and annotate key branch points.
• End each session with 5 tactical puzzles on the theme “king in the centre and loose pieces”; you’ll reinforce pattern recognition for positions like 19 …Qb4+ in your loss.

At-a-glance statistics

Bullet peak: 2711 (2019-03-07)  |  Blitz peak: 2930 (2021-05-18)

When do you win most?  

  (try scheduling tougher training sessions during low-performance hours).

Final encouragement

Your creativity and willingness to sharpen the game are Grandmaster-level strengths. Combine them with a little more opening hygiene and clock discipline, and the next rating plateau is within reach. Good luck, and enjoy the climb!