Henri Schouten

Quick recap (recent blitz run)

Nice stretch of wins: you converted active rooks and passed pawns to victory and picked up opponents on time in several games (nerflow, nightking9, motipiglio). Your recent loss vs pask-31 ended with a tactical finish—good material fights but a tactical oversight on the back rank cost the game. Overall your win/loss balance is solid and your recent rating slope shows small upward movement — keep building on that.

What you did well

• Rook activity and coordination — in several wins your rooks dominated open files and created decisive passed pawns.
• Creating and escorting passed pawns — you pushed pawns accurately in the endgame and forced promotions (good awareness of pawn play).
• Practical play under time pressure — winning on time vs opponents means you keep pressure and complicate positions; that is a practical blitz strength.
• Opening variety — you have solid results with systems like the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense and Sicilian Defense: Closed, so your repertoire gives you playable middlegames.

Key mistakes to fix (and how)

• Back-rank vulnerability — in the loss you allowed decisive queen checks after trading rooks and your king had no luft. Quick fixes:
  • When you trade into a position with an exposed back rank, give your king one escape square (create luft) before initiating risky rook lifts or sacrifices.
  • Before committing to checks or exchanges, scan for opponent counterchecks (one extra second to look for checks usually pays off).
• Tactics under time pressure — tactical shots (Qxf2+, Qxc2 in the loss) were punished. Training:
  • Daily 5–10 tactic puzzles focusing on pins, skewers and mate threats (especially back-rank and discovered checks).
  • Practice a simple checklist before every move: hanging pieces? opponent mating threat? undefended back rank?
• Endgame technique polish — you convert well but sometimes allow counterplay (passed pawns by opponent). Study targets:
  • Learn the Lucena Position and basic rook vs rook+pawn defence patterns (Lucena Position).
  • Practice king activity and opposition in pawn endgames — activate the king early when queens are off the board.
• Time management — several games reached very low clocks. Tips:
  • Use the first 10 seconds to mentally rehearse a plan; avoid moving instantly without a plan, but also avoid long think in clearly drawn positions.
  • When ahead on the clock, steer toward simpler winning plans; when behind, maintain practical complications but avoid obvious tactical traps from the opponent.

Concrete drills & 4‑week plan

• Week 1 — Tactics focus: 15 minutes/day of puzzles (pins, forks, back-rank mates). End each session reviewing the ones you missed.
• Week 2 — Endgames: 20 minutes every other day on rook endgames and king+pawn basics (Lucena, Philidor, opposition).
• Week 3 — Blitz practice with a checklist: before each move — check your king safety, hanging pieces, and opponent mate threats. Play 10 blitz games implementing the checklist.
• Week 4 — Opening refinement: pick 1–2 lines from your frequent openings (e.g., Closed Sicilian or Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense) and learn typical plans, not just moves (15–20 minutes across the week).

Mini post‑mortem: the mate game (study this position)

Open the full game and step through the critical sequence where your rooks were exchanged and Qf1# appeared. Play through it slowly, looking for the moment you could have created luft or chosen a different exchange.

Blitz checklist (copy and paste to remember)

• 1) Any back-rank mate or checks for opponent? (yes → add luft / guard first rank)
• 2) Any hanging pieces or undefended pieces after my move?
• 3) Is the plan active (improving worst piece) or just a waiting move?
• 4) Time check: below 20s — simplify or switch to practical threats.

Final note — keep momentum

Your long-term rating curve shows you understand many practical patterns and can improve further with small focused work. Concentrate on tactical awareness + one endgame concept at a time. If you want, I can prepare a 7‑day tactics set (back-rank and pins) and two illustrative rook endgame drills tailored to the positions you play most.