Anton Korobov GM

Hi Anton, here’s a condensed review of your recent online games

What’s working well

• Flexible positional play
  • Your Italian-type win versus FairChess_on_YouTube shows excellent understanding of slow manoeuvres (e.g. 14.Ba2, 18.Rxf6!).
  • In the Semi-Slav you smoothly converted a structural edge once the e-file opened (…f6/…e5 break). Good feel for when to open the centre.
• Piece activity & initiative
  • Multiple wins feature timely piece sacrifices (18.Rxf6, 26.fxg6+) that keep the opponent’s king under pressure.
  • You score well when you seize open files early – especially the f-file in KingLoek – GOGIEFF.
• Rapid calculation accuracy
  • Critical forcing lines are usually calculated correctly; few outright blunders appear before the last minute scramble.
  • The tactile sequence 32.b4/34.Na5/38.a6/39.a7 was converted flawlessly under 4 minutes.

Key improvement themes

1. Najdorf structure under pressure
   Loss vs. vi_pranav: after 9…Nfd7?! 11…Nb6? the queenside pieces became passive and you never solved 20.Qh6 / 27.Nf6⁺ (tactical motif Bg2-gystic).
   • Consider adding solid alternatives (…e5 or …Nbd7 lines) to your repertoire.
   • Revisit key ideas in the Najdorf against 6.Nb3/7.g4 sidelines – especially plans with …h6/…g5 to blunt g-pawn storms.
2. Premature pawn thrusts
   • In several defeats (Bok, vi_pranav) …a5/…b5 were played before development was completed, loosening b6/c6 squares.
   • Adopt the rule “two pieces developed before two pawn pushes on the same wing” as an internal check.
3. Time management
   • You lost on time in a won position versus Alexei_Kornev.
   • Pattern: a long think (move 14-18) followed by bullet-mode at the end.
   • Train with a 30-second self-imposed cap for the first 15 moves; this builds an opening tempo buffer of 1–2 minutes.
4. Converting extra material
   • Two lost games flipped after grabbing material (…Qxb2 Najdorf, …Qxb2 Queen’s Indian) without completing king safety.
   • Integrate the “loose pieces & loose kings” scan before every capture: Am I ahead of development? Which of my pieces becomes loose?

Concrete study plan

Illustrative moment

Critical slip in Bok – GOGIEFF after 24…dxe4:

Engine shows equal after 25…hxg5! instead of 25…Ne4 (keeping f-file closed). Recognising when to exchange an attacker rather than block it would have preserved your compensation.

Stats & trends

• Your current 3090 (2025-04-15) stands at 3069 – impressive.
• Win-rate drops from 64 % in the first hour of play to 48 % after three consecutive games – consider micro-breaks.

Next steps

• Schedule a thematic sparring set on “defending vs h-pawn/lung attack” with a strong sparring partner.
• Update your Najdorf notes this week; tag one model game each for Short, Ponomariov, and MVL setups.
• Re-visit endings with rook + outside passed pawn vs rook + knight – common in your French Advance games.

Good luck in your upcoming events, and feel free to send a fresh batch of games for a deeper dive!