Harvey Li

Rapid games review — quick summary

Good session. Your recent rapid games show strong attacking instincts, creative sacrifices and good conversion once you get a material or positional edge. You also demonstrate confident handling of sharp lines (Budapest and Indian‑Game families). Below I highlight what you did well, recurring weaknesses to fix, and a short study plan you can use between sessions.

What you did well

• Sharp tactical sense — you spotted and executed profitable sacrifices: examples include the knight sacrifice on f7 and clearing the g‑file to deliver mate.
• Conversion under pressure — after winning material you pushed for simplification and used rooks actively to convert (good in the Rxc6 / rook activity games).
• Active piece play — you place pieces on aggressive squares (Rg6/Rg5 maneuvers, Rook lifts and g‑file activity) instead of waiting.
• Opening choices that suit your style — you play sharp, unbalanced systems (Budapest / Indian setups) that lead to practical chances and tactical fights.
• Resilience on the clock — you won on time in one game and forced decisive tactics in others, showing good time-pressure handling relative to opponents.

Recurring mistakes & patterns to fix

• Allowing counterplay before simplifying — in a couple of games you simplified while leaving enemy activity (a rook or queen) that later checked or harassed your king. Before exchanging, check the opponent’s counterthreats.
• Pawn structure care — advancing side pawns aggressively (b4/b5) gave space but sometimes created weak squares or targets. When you push pawns for an attack, ask: who benefits from the open lines?
• Late king safety moves — you sometimes move the king into the center late in the game (or take time to improve the king). When the center opens, prioritize king safety choices earlier.
• Occasional inaccurate piece trades — some captures handed back activity (exchanging into an opponent’s active rook/queen). Double‑check whether a trade reduces your opponent’s counterplay more than it reduces yours.

Concrete study & training plan (next 2–4 weeks)

• Tactics: 20–30 min daily on forks, pins, skewers and mating nets. Focus on patterns that appear in your games — back‑rank motifs and rook lifts.
• Endgames: 2× weekly short drills on basic rook endgames and converting a small material edge (rook + pawn vs rook). Practice simple technique for exchanging into winning minor endgames.
• Opening work: review key Budapest lines you play (your line shows up in your record). Drill the typical plans for both sides — where to castle, when to push f‑ or g‑pawns, and common tactical motifs. See this specific line: Budapest: 3...Ng4 4.e3.
• Game review routine: after each session, pick 1 lost and 1 won game. For each, find the critical moment and ask: "What was my opponent threatening? Did I have a safer winning path?"
• Practical play: add 2 longer games (15+10 or 30|0) per week to practice planning and avoid quick tactical oversights under time pressure.

Short checklist before your next rapid game

• Castling: decide early — will you castle kingside, queenside, or keep central king? Commit unless a tactic forces a change.
• Trading rule: if ahead, trade pieces (not pawns) unless it opens lines to your king.
• Tactical scan: before every capture look for forks and discovered checks for both sides.
• Time management: mark moves where you’ll pause (critical decision moments) — opening choice, first deviation by opponent, and simplification choice.

Practical next steps & drills

• Do 10 tactical puzzles each session focused on forks and back‑rank mates.
• Play 2 correspondence/long games and annotate three key positions per game.
• Watch 10–15 min of model games in the Budapest and Indian lines you use; absorb typical piece plans, not just moves.

Examples from your recent wins (review these positions)

Replay one of your clean wins to highlight the themes you executed well: active rooks, cleared lines and converting material. Use the embedded replay to step through the critical sequence.

Resources & who to study (placeholders)

• Study games of opponents you recently beat or lost to for ideas: vidakovic153, fred5457, hugoboss2018.
• Review the Budapest themes and traps: Budapest: 3...Ng4 4.e3.

Closing — focus for your next 10 rapid games

Keep doing what works: sharp play and active rooks. Add focused tactical drills and 2 longer time‑control games per week to improve decision quality and reduce occasional counterplay after simplifications. If you want, I can analyze one of the wins or a loss move‑by‑move and produce a short annotated checklist with 3 concrete improvements — tell me which game (opponent name or PGN) and I’ll dig in.