Coach Chesswick
Hi Eric!
Congratulations on maintaining elite bullet & blitz standards (current peak markers: 3265 (2021-03-25), 3075 (2024-05-31)). Below is a snapshot of recent trends followed by concrete suggestions to squeeze out a few extra Elo points.
Quick visual pulse-check
- When do you score best? →
- Weekly rhythm overview →
What’s working well
- Dynamic openings as Black – Your French Winawer (C18) demolition of Richard Leyva Proenza and the flexible Kan/Paulsen set-ups show you’re comfortable taking play into unbalanced structures early.
- Practical tactical awareness – In the bullet win vs. Alexander Jasinski you spotted 17.Rxf7!! and followed with an instructive mating attack (see mini-lesson below).
- King safety instincts – You rarely leave your monarch in the centre past move 10, even when playing provocative lines such as the Smith-Morra.
Main improvement levers
- Time-management & pre-move discipline
• Four of your last seven losses were on time (vs. Ivan Yeletsky, Maksym Dubnevych, Petros Trimitzios ×2).
• You often reached <3 seconds in technically winning endings, suggesting hesitation in “won-but-not-trivial” positions.
Action: Add a “red-zone” rule: at 7 s start pre-moving forced recaptures & checks; at 4 s switch to pure pre-move/ultra-bullet mode. Practise this in ½-point increment arenas. - Endgame conversion vs. stubborn defence
• In the Catalan loss to snowlord you were two pawns down but still drawing until 46…Bd7?? allowed the fork; earlier 35…Kg8-f8-e7 would have consolidated.
• Similar pattern in the Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo game vs. GM_path – after 34.Rxb7 you were equal yet drifted.
Action: Daily 10-minute drill: convert R + 2P vs. R with 3 s increment on an engine; aim for <30 s average conversion. - Handling opposite-wing pawn storms
• Loss to gurelediz (Closed Sicilian) showed reluctance to clarify the centre while White threw g- and h-pawns. You delayed…d5 break until it was too late.
Action: Add “centre timing” flashcards: for each of your Sicilian sidelines decide the exact move number window to hit …d5 / …f5. Review 5 master games per line.
Mini-lesson: Converting material plus initiative
Key take-away: once you’ve fractured Black’s king, force-trade remaining defenders even if it returns a pawn. Your 17.Rxf7!! followed by 20.e5! eliminated all counterplay and allowed a model mating net – great blueprint for future attacks.
Next 2-week training micro-cycle
| Day | Exercise | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Mon/Wed/Fri | 5 bullet games, annotate immediately, focus on time usage | <5 blunders; finish with >5 s on clock |
| Tue/Thu | Endgame drill – R vs. R+P & opposite-bishop endings | 90 % success in 3 min |
| Weekend | Opening refresh: review centre-break timing in Kan & French Winawer | Add one new idea to each line |
Final pep-talk
Your tactical vision and opening creativity are top-tier; shoring up clock handling and technical conversions could realistically add 40-50 Elo. Stay sharp, keep the vibe fun, and let’s push for a new 3265 (2021-03-25) soon!