Stepan Zilka GM

Hi Stepan!

You play dynamic, ambitious chess and are never afraid of sharp positions. Your recent results show impressive tactical alertness and the ability to convert an initiative into a direct attack. Below is a quick snapshot of your performance, followed by targeted advice to help you climb to the next level.

What you already do well

• Piece activity from the opening: In wins against clockwork7orange and masterofbuzkashi, you mobilised rooks quickly (e.g. …Rg6, Rf6, Rb8-b4) and kept your opponent on the back foot.
• Tactical conversions: Your calculation in the miniature 33.Rg8# game shows you see forcing lines clearly once the king is exposed.
• Practical fighting spirit: Even in slightly worse middlegames you look for active counter-chances rather than passive defence.

Three priority areas

1  King safety & dark-square control

Both recent losses were decided by an exposed king:

• vs Ladislav1969 (…Ne2+!! 29…Ne2+ 30.Kh2 hxg2!) – dark-square weaknesses after pushing queenside pawns.
• vs chessbeer17 – long queen manoeuvre (…Qa3-Qc3-d4) exploited your loose structure and the king was caught on g6/kf5.

Action plan:

1. Add 10–15 minutes of defensive puzzles to your daily routine – especially positions involving opposite-side castling or queen incursions.
2. Study classic games on dark-square strategy (e.g. Petrosian–Spassky 1966) to recognise when to prioritise a dark-square bishop trade or place a knight on f5/d6.

2  Prophylactic thinking

You often launch pawn storms (…h5, g4, a5) without a safety net. Try inserting one quiet, preventive move before committing.

Checklist before every pawn thrust:

• “What counter does it give my opponent?” (…Qa5+ wins a pawn in your Sicilian win, but the same idea hurt you vs kecalk).
• “Are my back-rank and key squares covered?” A single luft move (h3 / h6) would have neutralised several mating nets.

Review the concept of prophylaxis and practise with annotated games by Karpov (excellent model for you).

3  Clock management

Two games were lost on time from drawable or even better positions. Your average move time spikes in technical endgames.

Tips:

• Use the opening phase to bank time – play familiar lines until you are below 2300.
• Adopt the “15-second rule”: if there is no forcing tactic, move within 15 seconds in simple positions.
• Practise rook-and-pawn endings against engines set to 10-second/move handicap.

Opening focus for the next month

Illustrative moment

Below is the critical phase of your loss to Ladislav1969. Notice how one impatient move let Black seize the initiative and your king never recovered. Replay it slowly and ask, “Where could I have closed the position or traded pieces?”

Your milestones

Classical peak:   Blitz peak: 2624 (2021-04-17)

Next steps

• Analyse one win and one loss each session – always start with “What could my opponent have done better?”
• Schedule two 30-minute sessions per week dedicated solely to endgame technique.
• Play a weekly set of 10 games at 5+5 to balance speed and quality.

Keep up the attacking spirit, but add a layer of care for your own king and the clock. Small adjustments here will translate into a significant rating jump. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!