Felix Izeta Txabarri GM

Overview

You’ve shown willingness to fight for dynamic, tactical chances in blitz. The recent results suggest you’re capable of creating pressure and complex positions, but there are clear opportunities to tighten decision making under time pressure and to convert more of your sharp chances into wins. Your opening choices show potential, especially when you lean into sharper lines that you’re comfortable with. The focus now is to strike a balance between calculated risk and solid practical play, especially in the critical middlegame and transition to the endgame.

What you’re doing well

• You actively seek to seize the initiative and complicate the position, which is valuable in blitz where time pressure makes quiet positions hard to defend.
• You find tactical opportunities and are not afraid to make forcing moves, keeping your opponent reacting to your threats.
• Your opening choices show taste for active structures that can generate practical chances, particularly in sharper lines that suit your style.
• You maintain flexibility in the middlegame, switching plans as the position demands and looking for opportunities to simplify into favorable endings when you have the edge.

Key improvement areas

• Time management and move-by-move discipline in the first 15–20 moves. In blitz, pacing is critical; practice structuring a quick plan for each phase (opening, middlegame, endgame) to avoid getting lost in long tactical lines without a clear objective.
• Endgame technique and clean conversion. When the position simplifies, make a concrete plan to convert material or space advantages instead of hoping for a tactical reversal later on.
• Consistency in opening choices. Leverage openings with stronger historical performance for you (for example, lines that lead to active middlegames) and reduce time spent in branches that tend to stall you or lead to cramped positions.
• Blunder avoidance under pressure. After a tense middlegame, take a moment to check for forced moves and side-line checks before committing to a tactical sequence to ensure your king and major pieces remain coordinated.

Opening performance guidance

Based on your openings performance data, you tend to score well in aggressive setups like the Amazon Attack and the Döry/Caro-Kann family when you’re in a dynamic mood. Consider deepening a short, coherent set of lines within those families and practice the typical middlegame plans that arise. Be mindful of lines that lead to passive positions or heavy calculation without a clear plan. Using a compact repertoire helps save time and reduces the risk of drifting into unclear positions in blitz.

Practical improvement plan (next 2 weeks)

• Time management drills: schedule 15–20 blitz sessions where you practice pacing, aiming to reach a clear plan by the 15th move in every game.
• Opening focus: choose two sharp lines you’re confident with (one from the Amazon Attack family and one from a Döry/Caro-Kann line) and study the main middlegame ideas and typical endgame transitions for them.
• Endgame practice: dedicate 10–15 minutes per day to simple endgames (king + pawn vs king, rook endgames, and basic knight vs bishop endgames) to improve conversion in practical blitz endings.
• Tactical pattern recognition: work on 20–30 tactical puzzles per week that feature back-rank motifs, double attacks, and forcing sequences, then review any missed patterns in the next session.
• Post-game review: after each blitz game, identify the single biggest turning point (a decision that swung the game) and write a one-sentence plan for handling a similar moment better next time.

Two-week micro-plan (easy to follow)

Week 1: sharpen time management and open with your two chosen sharp lines. Focus on understanding the typical middlegame plans that arise from those lines. Week 2: deepen endgame conversion practice and integrate a daily 15-minute tactical drill focusing on forcing moves and common checkmating nets. End each week with a quick review of one win and one loss to extract concrete lessons.

Profile and resources

Keep track of progress by revisiting your profile and study notes. For reference or coaching notes, you can view your profile here: felix%20izeta%20txabarri. If you want to explore specific opening ideas or patterns, you can use the placeholders to bookmark topics like Amazon Attack or Döry Defense for quick access.