Steven O'Donoghue

Quick summary of the recent run

Nice mix of sharp attacking wins and complex, tactical losses. You convert when you find clear mating nets and exploit king safety weaknesses quickly. The losses show recurring themes: king-safety/back-rank weaknesses and getting dragged into messy pawn-promotion races where the opponent’s pieces infiltrate.

Highlight: what you did well (recent win vs bidzi)

Your win against bidzi (a Giuoco Piano/Italian structure — Giuoco Piano) was clean and instructive.

• You created immediate kingside pressure with Ng5 → Nh7 → Nf6+, forcing Black’s king into a mating net.
• Excellent coordination: queen swung in (Qh5 → Qh4) at the right moment to combine with bishops and the knight.
• Good tactical vision — you spotted and executed the forcing sequence that finished with Bxf8#. That kind of concrete calculation wins fast in rapid.
• Speed under pressure: you maintained a useful time margin while keeping the attack precise.

Replay the decisive phase (short extract):

Recurring problems seen in the losses

Two main strategic/tactical weaknesses appear across your recent losses (vs eduardotare and aboelreed74):

• Back-rank and king safety: in one loss the opponent exploited c-file/ back-rank infiltration (Qc6/Qxd6 → Qxc8#). When pawns advance or rooks get traded, your king can become trapped. Always check for luft or a flight square before launching pawn storms or promoting own pawns.
• Pawn-promotion/endgame chaos: you got involved in races where passed pawns changed the character of the position (multiple promotions happened). In these positions it’s easy to mis-evaluate who’s winning — count mating threats from promoted pieces and keep an eye on opponent infiltration routes.
• Occasional over-extension and central weakening when castling long (one game with O-O-O you later had to defend a wide front). If you castle opposite sides, be ready for pawn storms and calculate tempo counts precisely.

Concrete improvements — short checklist

• Before committing to a long pawn push or piece sacrifice, ask: “Does my king have a flight square?” If not, create one (a small pawn push to make luft or a minor piece retreat).
• When there are passed pawns and promotion races, immediately evaluate: who queens first, and what mating checks result from that queen? If the opponent queens earlier, can you keep mating squares blocked?
• Watch back-rank patterns: whenever heavy pieces leave your 8th rank or your rooks leave, mentally check for Q/R infiltration along open files or diagonals.
• When castling opposite sides, measure pawn storm tempos: if you need two pawn moves to break in but your opponent needs one to give a check, the initiative is dangerous — play more cautiously or trade pieces to reduce danger.
• Manage the clock: several critical moments were played under time pressure. Spend a few extra seconds on position-critical checks (possible mate, promotions, major piece trades).

Targeted training plan (weekly)

Simple, high-impact exercises you can fit into practice sessions:

• Tactics (15–25 minutes daily): focus on mating patterns, back-rank mates, and queen+minor-piece forks. Use timed sets so you practice under rapid-like pressure.
• Endgame drills (3× per week, 20 minutes): rook + pawn vs rook, queen endgames, and promotion race scenarios. Practice counting tempos to queen.
• Opening maintenance (2× per week, 30 minutes): reinforce your best lines (Italian/Two Knights and Four Knights where you have strong results). For dangerous responses (Scotch Gambit), study one “refutation” or safe sideline so you’re not surprised.
• Postgame review (after every loss): run the critical phase with an engine for 5–10 minutes and note one recurring mistake to fix next time.

Small concrete habits to adopt now

• Before every move in complex positions ask two quick questions: “Is my king safe?” and “Does opponent have immediate checks or promotion threats?”
• If you castle long, consider an early rook lift or keep a pawn available to create luft later.
• When down a pawn race, simplify if possible — exchange pieces so the opponent’s pawn becomes less dangerous.
• Keep a short notes file of “killer moves” opponents played against you — patterns repeat (file invasions, knight outposts, pawn breaks) and can be prepared for.

Follow-up

If you want, I can:

• Analyze one of the lost games move-by-move and produce 3–5 teaching moments.
• Create 7-day training micro-plan focused on tactics + endgames tailored to your openings.
• Prepare a short repertoire adjustment against the Scotch Gambit/Anderssen Attack (where your win rate is lower).

Which would you like next?

Useful quick links

• Opponent from your win: bidzi
• Opponent from a recent loss: eduardotare
• Opponent from the other loss: aboelreed74
• Opening referenced in the win: Giuoco Piano
• Opening referenced in a loss: Reti Opening