Coach Chesswick
GMVar – Blitz Performance Review
Your Current Edge
- Opening depth: A well-honed French and Queen’s Gambit Declined repertoire keeps opponents in book-repair mode early.
- Dynamic middlegames: Willingness to sacrifice structure for activity (e.g. the exchange-sac combo 34…Nxf2 35.Ba3 Ng4+ versus Aleksandr Lenderman) frequently yields initiative.
- Tactics under pressure: Consistent success converting piece activity into concrete wins (see 35…Ng4+!! in the same game).
Quick Gains (Low-hanging Fruit)
-
Clock discipline – five of your last six losses were “flagged” positions:
- Set a time checkpoint: ≥1:00 after move 25.
- Milk the +2 s increment; when < 10 s, play a safe “holding” move instantly.
- Blitz your well-known opening moves – your prep is already solid.
- Convert earlier – in the loss vs lorcho you were a pawn up with the safer king; trade queens rather than hunt pretties.
- Premoves in forced lines – repetitive end-game checks (Qg4+ Kg6 Qxg4) can be premoved to harvest seconds.
Skill-building for the Next Jump
| Theme | Observation | Training Idea |
|---|---|---|
| End-game technique | Several R+P vs R endings took >15 moves to win while clock ticked. | 10 min/day Tablebase drill (KRPKR, KRBK). |
| Prophylaxis | Queenside pawn storms in the French left c6/b6 holes (loss to Anton_Demchenko). | After every pawn push ask “what square am I weakening?” → the Boleslavsky hole. |
| Light-square bishop in QGD | Occasionally passive on c8/b7; best games contained timely …e5. | Play 5 practice games in the Lasker Defence with mandatory …e5 break. |
Illustrative Boards
Replay the critical moments directly on the board.
Stats Snapshot
Peak Blitz rating: 2716 (2016-02-02)
When you score best:
Next-step Action List
- Play three 3|2 sessions where every move from 30-60 is made with ≥1 s on your clock.
- Re-annotate five “lost-on-time” games; write the simplest converting line at first material edge.
- Create an opening speed sheet (first 15 moves of French & QGD) and type it out in < 60 s daily.
Convert your winning positions and the 2800-blitz milestone will follow. Good luck!