Coach Chesswick
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
-
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). -
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. -
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. -
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!