GN Gopal GM

Hi Gopal – snapshot of your current form

• Peak blitz rating: 2696 (2022-04-07)   • Peak rapid rating: 2593 (2022-01-02)
• Your overall activity patterns:

What you are doing very well

• Caro-Kann expertise. Both most-recent wins were clean victories in the Advance Variation (B12). You confidently employ the razor-sharp …h5 idea followed by …Nh6–f5, achieving kingside space while undermining White’s centre. The game against Cepamwa (2385) is a textbook illustration.
• Dynamic piece play. Your pieces seldom sit idle. 24…Qxd2! in the same game shows both tactical alertness and a good sense of initiative.
• Resourcefulness in difficult positions. When the evaluation swings, you often find practical chances (e.g. 38…Nf5!! creating mating nets).

Primary growth areas

1. Time management. Three of your last five losses were due to flagging in playable positions. Consider adopting a “checkpoint” rule – at move 15 and move 30 make sure you have at least 60 % and 35 % of the starting time left, respectively. Training tip: play a few sessions with a visible countdown to the next increment to build rhythm.
2. Handling passed pawns in the middlegame. The Samisch Gambit loss (▼) hinged on under-estimating the d-pawn duo. After 26…Be8 an immediate …Rd8! or …Rac8 would have kept the blockade.
   Critical fragment:
   
3. Early middlegame plans in the Rossolimo / Nyezhmetdinov structures. In several Sicilian games you allowed Qb3, Qf3 or Qg4 to target b- and f-pawns. Re-examine the move orders:
   • After 3.Bb5 e6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.Nf3 consider 5…Ne7 6.0-0 Ng6 followed by …d5 to secure the light squares before expanding with …f5.
   • If White plays the quiet 5.0-0, a quick …g6 and …Bg7 is fine, but delay …h5 until the centre is clarified.

Opening dashboard

Endgame corner

Your technique is usually smooth, but two recent endings slipped because the conversion plan cost too much time. Practice the following drill twice a week:
• Set up R+4 vs R+3 pawn endings from master games and win them against an engine set to 2400 strength within 60 seconds.

Training plan for the next 14 days

• Day 1-4: 30-minute opening review – update Caro-Kann files with latest practical tests.
• Day 5-8: Daily 15-position calculation exercise, each 3 min max, focusing on passed-pawn races.
• Day 9-12: Endgame speed drill (see above) + rapid games where you must reach move 25 with ≥50 % of the clock.
• Day 13-14: Play two training matches vs IM-level sparring partners. Analyse critical moments with them immediately afterwards.

Mental & practical tips

1. Pre-game routine. Spend 90 seconds visualising the first 10 moves of your expected line; this reduces early clock burn.
2. Micro-breaks. After each game, stand up, breathe, and reset – helps maintain energy during long online sessions.

Keep up the sharp, fighting style, refine the highlighted areas, and your 2696 (2022-04-07) should climb quickly. Good luck in your next events!