Levan Pantsulaia GM

Hi Levan, here is your personalised feedback

What you are already doing well

• Tactical alertness: You spot loose pawns & pieces quickly (e.g. 4.Qxb7 against Zbigniew Pakleza and 3.Qxg7 against Konavets) and are not afraid to cash in material.
• Conversion technique: When you reach a winning endgame you usually keep things simple and force resignations (see the clean rook endgame versus LogicBaba).
• Opening variety: You test your opponents with flank openings (b3, g3, Larsen-like setups) and that clearly takes many of them out of book in Chess960 as well as “normal” Blitz.
• Competitive stamina: Your score against higher-rated opposition is respectable – your win as Black versus 2826 luckyswitchback is an excellent example.

Recurring issues that cost points

• Early queen adventures. Moving the queen before development repeatedly backfires. In the loss versus Frederik Svane you played 7.Qg5 and immediately faced tempo-gaining checks (…Qe6+). In Chess960, where king positions are often unclear, this hurts even more.
• Pawn-storm overextension. Games against Faustino Oro and Konavets feature g- and h-pawn pushes that weakened your own king much more than the opponent’s. Consider holding those pawns until you are at least castled (or pseudo-castled in 960).
• Time management. Virtually every defeat reached single-digit seconds for you while your opponent still had a buffer. Even wins (e.g. vs Byniolus) relied on flagging. You are good at finding resources under time pressure, but bullet-style play in a 3 + 1 game gives away quality.
• Central control in Chess960. A few quick queen‐side pawn grabs neglected the centre and cost you the initiative. In 960 the side that seizes the d- and e-files early often dictates the game.

Action plan for the next two weeks

1. Adopt a “three-move rule” for the queen. Promise yourself not to move the queen before move 6 unless you win two full pawns or force mate. Track how often you break the rule.
2. Replace g-/h-pawn storms with piece play drills. Use a training board versus the engine: start from move 10 in the position below and try to beat stockfish without pushing a flank pawn past the 4th rank.
   
   
3. Clock discipline exercise. Play five unrated 3 + 2 games a day and aim to keep at least 45 seconds after move 20 – even if it means playing simpler lines. The increment forces you to build a buffer that will transfer to 3 + 1.
4. Centralisation warm-up: Before every Chess960 session, play one engine sparring game starting with the goal “occupy d4/e4 (or d5/e5) by move 6”. This habit will curb the temptation to go pawn-hunting on the wings.

Opening suggestions

• Against 1.e4 (classical): Your Caro-Kann Tal/Stockholm set-up works – keep it, but prepare the Capablanca line (…c6, …d5, …g6) so you stay flexible.
• As White: Mix your Larsen/Réti repertoire with one mainstream e4 or d4 line to avoid becoming predictable. The English Four Knights is a solid low-maintenance choice.
• Chess960 heuristic: Develop the least mobile minor piece first, castle the king to the safer flank, then consider pawn breaks.

Stats & monitoring

Your current peak blitz rating: 2986 (2024-03-10). Re-evaluate progress after 50 games or when you add +50 rating points, whichever comes first.

Quick visual checks:

Hourly performance:

Mindset cue

“Take the free pawn after you control the centre; the board is a battlefield, not a supermarket.”

Good luck with your training – I look forward to seeing a steadier clock and fewer lonely queens next session!