Coach Chesswick
Hi Dmitri, here’s a focused review of your recent blitz play
Overall you are consistently playing at the mid-2400 blitz level (peak 2543 (2023-02-19)), which shows excellent tactical vision and confidence in sharp positions. Your wins often feature dynamic piece activity and accurate conversion once you obtain a material edge. Below are concrete observations followed by an improvement plan.
1. Opening trends
- With Black vs 1.e4 you rely on the French Tarrasch and the Sicilian Kan. In the win against benjiaminbutton you demonstrated a good grasp of typical French ideas (…c5, …f6) and handled the resulting middlegame imbalances well.
- Early-queen adventures harmed you in the loss to gypaete05 (Gunderam Gambit). After 3.Nxe5 you played 3…Qe7 5…Qxe4+ 7…Qg4 etc., spending tempi while falling behind in development and king safety.
- You often allow the same piece (usually your queen) to be chased multiple times. This pattern costs you tempo and leaves you with fewer defenders when the counter-attack arrives.
2. Middlegame & tactical motifs
- Your calculation is sharp (e.g. the exchange-sac 26.Rc8+ in the French), but you sometimes force tactics too early instead of finishing development. Look for “all pieces in play before the punch.”
- King safety: in both your recent losses the pawn shield (…g6/…h5 or …h6/…g5) became targets. Before pushing kingside pawns, ask: “Is the center closed? Can my pieces cover the dark squares after …g6?”
- Favour minor-piece activity over pawn grabbing. Notice in the loss to gypaete05 how White’s bishops and knights flooded the kingside while your queen hunted pawns.
3. Endgame conversion & time management
- You flagged twice on 4/22, both times from equal or drawable endgames. The pattern: complex middlegame → low clock → decent endgame technique but not enough time.
- In the win vs yamm22 you converted an a-pawn race confidently. That shows your endgame fundamentals are sound; the issue is clock, not skill.
Action plan for the next 4-6 weeks
- Opening tightening
• Prepare a backup against sideline gambits (e.g. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 c6 3.Nxe5) so you can decline early material and keep a solid structure.
• Add one practical system vs 1.e4 that puts development first (e.g. Petroff or 1…e5 main lines) to complement your French. - Queen discipline drill
After every queen move in the first 15 moves ask: “Can a minor piece have done the same job?” Track games for one week; aim for ≤ 2 early queen moves per game. - Timed endgame sparring
Play 10-15 endgame positions against the engine at depth 8 with only 30 seconds on your clock. Focus on quick, simple plans (centralise king, activate rook) to build a “fast-play library.” - Clock checkpoints
Set personal triggers: if you drop under 1:20 before move 20, immediately simplify or repeat moves to gain ten seconds. This small habit will save many time-forfeits. - Tactical pattern study
Review mini-themes from your games (…Qh3+, …Nh3+, exchange sacs on c8/f8). Tag them in your database and revisit for 10 minutes at the start of each session.
Progress tracker
Monitor your results with the built-in tools:
• Hourly performance peaks:
• Weekly consistency:
Key take-away
You already have the tactical strength to beat 2500-level opponents. By curbing early queen forays, solidifying king safety, and allocating the clock more wisely, you’ll convert more of your promising positions and push past your current ceiling.
Good luck, and feel free to share your next set of games for further analysis!