Robby Kevlishvili GM

Quick summary for Robby Kevlishvili

Nice fight in your recent blitz block. You show a clear comfort with sharp pawn storms and tactical shots — the game where you opened the g‑file and crashed through the kingside is a good example. Your opening choices (especially the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation and the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation) give you practical chances, and your long history supports a high practical level (strength‑adjusted win rate ≈ 50.6%).

Concrete positives (what to keep doing)

• You seize the initiative well — pushing pawns to open lines and bringing major pieces quickly into the attack.
• Strong tactical vision: you spot deflections, exchanges on open files, and decisive combinations in blitz.
• Opening preparation is paying dividends — your Najdorf and sharp lines produce complex positions that favor your style.
• Good finishing instincts in winning positions — you convert attacking chances efficiently, as vs Wesley So.

Recurring problems to fix

• Back‑rank and king shelter: several losses ended with back‑rank or rook invasions (watch for patterns like ...Rc1# or ...Rxg2). Always check for luft or a defending piece when you castle.
• Counterplay from the opponent: aggressive wing advances sometimes leave central or queenside weaknesses that are punished by opening files against your king.
• Time trouble in the final minute: critical moments with under 30 seconds increase tactical errors. You can keep more buffer time for complicated positions.
• Occasional overextension: pawn storms without sufficient piece backup create holes and backward pawns opponents exploit.

Practical fixes — drills to start this week

• Tactics (15–25 min/day): focus on mating nets, deflection, overload and back‑rank motifs. Prioritize quality over quantity.
• Back‑rank routine: after castling, ask “Does my back‑rank need luft?” — if yes, play a pawn luft or prepare a rook lift. Drill 8–10 back‑rank positions per session.
• Mini‑game training (30 min twice/week): play 10+5 rapid games and practice converting small advantages while keeping time reserves.
• Opening checklist (10–15 min): for Najdorf and Ruy lines, write 3 typical plans and 1 trap to avoid for the key middlegame moves (move 12–20).
• Post‑game review: for each session, pick your worst mistake and analyze it for 3–5 minutes before using the engine.

Opening & middlegame adjustments

• Najdorf: keep a piece or pawn ready to cover the back‑rank when you commit kingside pawns — reduce c‑file counterplay by trading rooks only when it helps king safety.
• Ruy Lopez / Closed systems: avoid premature pawn grabs that open files toward your king without adequate piece coordination.
• Attacking checklist: before the decisive pawn push, confirm one defensive precaution (air, rook cover, or escape square for the king).

Time management checklist for blitz

• Keep ~12–15 seconds as a buffer for complex tactical sequences — use the increment to stay calm.
• Spend a few extra seconds when a pawn move will change the structure or open a file to your king.
• Use premoves only when there are no tactical intermezzos possible.

Short 4‑week practice plan

• Week 1: Tactics daily + 5 annotated quick games (10+5). Focus: back‑rank and mating nets.
• Week 2: 3 opening sessions (Najdorf + Ruy López), make a one‑page plan for typical middlegames.
• Week 3: Play 10 longer rapid games (15+10) — practice converting without time trouble.
• Week 4: Review your worst 10 games of the month; create “if‑this‑then‑that” rules for recurring errors (e.g., “if opponent sacrifices on g5, then …”).

Next steps & options

• Analyze the two decisive opponents: Wesley So and Dau Khuong Duy — study the turning points where your defensive options disappeared.
• Keep a simple error log: top 3 recurring mistakes per week. That will show patterns faster than raw stats.
• If you want, send 1–2 full games from this block and I’ll give line‑by‑line notes and 3 concrete training moves to fix the recurring issues.

Pre‑session checklist (two minutes)

• Warm up with 10 targeted tactics (back‑rank, pins, forks).
• Review one Najdorf / Ruy plan and decide the pawn‑storm threshold where you need a defensive precaution.
• Decide on a time split for the session to avoid flagging in tactical positions.