Coach Chesswick
Hi Guitwo1208 — keep up the fighting spirit!
What you’re already doing well
- Aggressive play-style. You aren’t afraid to push pawns or sacrifice material to open lines (see your wins vs tammistaja and Bronc08).
- Spotting tactical shots. 20…Qxf2# against tammistaja and 11…Qf6! in the Italian show you can pounce on loose kings.
- End-game willingness. Against Popov2024 you converted a rook ending by trading into a won pawn race — excellent practical decision-making.
Main improvement areas
- King safety comes first. In several defeats (Helens1973, prosaprisa) your own pawn storms left your king exposed. Castle by move 10 whenever possible and avoid advancing the f-, g- and h-pawns until your pieces are developed.
- Follow opening basics.
• Develop minor pieces before moving the queen.
• Occupy the centre with pawns (e4/d4 or …e5/…d5) not side pawns like …a6, …h5 unless you have a reason.
• Only launch pawn attacks once your rooks are connected.
Sticking to these rules would have prevented 2…Qf6?! and early …g5 in the quick loss to Helens1973. - Blunder check habit. Losses to RunAway1996 and prosaprisa featured unprotected pieces. Before every move run through “Checks, Captures, Threats” for both sides.
- Time management. Two recent games were lost on the clock. Try a slower time-control (10 | 5) for training. Spend extra time on critical positions, but make all recaptures quickly.
- Basic end-game technique. Drill king-and-rook/queen mates until you can finish them in under 40 seconds; this saves time and confidence when you’re winning.
One-week training plan
| Theme | Daily task |
|---|---|
| Opening principles | Watch one short video or article and summarise the 3 key points in a notebook. |
| Tactics | 20 rated puzzles; pause 30 sec to understand every miss. |
| End-games | Play K+Q vs K, then K+R vs K against the computer until you can mate within 40 sec. |
| Game review | Right after each game, spend 5 minutes marking the turning point. |
Simple opening repertoire to stabilise
- As White: London System — 1.d4 2.Nf3 3.Bf4. Minimal theory, solid king safety.
- As Black vs 1.e4: the Caro-Kann (1…c6). You already beat Giannier with it; learn the first six moves so you reach a comfortable middlegame.
Illustrative moment
From your daily win vs Popov2024:
You correctly simplified into a winning rook-and-pawn ending. Keep looking for such transitions when you’re ahead.
Your activity snapshots
When do you play best? Explore:
Next milestone
Your current personal best is . Let’s aim for +100 points in the next month by sticking to the plan above.
Enjoy the journey, analyse every game, and remember: safe king, active pieces, only then attack!