igor_giga

Quick recap (recent wins)

Nice job converting small advantages into a full point in long, technical games. Your most recent win vs angel_199826 shows the things I like to see: steady piece coordination, active king in the endgame, and push for an outside passed pawn that decides the game.

• Game preview:
• Position on finish: king+rook vs king with an outside passer and an active knight/rook setup that you used well to convert.

What you're doing well

These are recurring strengths I see in your games that you should keep using:

• Endgame technique — you patiently improve your king and rook, create outside passed pawns and use them to force concessions from the opponent.
• Simplification into winning endgames — you pick trades that reduce counterplay and improve the value of your pawns/pieces.
• King activity — once queens are off, you get the king into the action quickly and accurately.
• Opening variety and results — you handle many systems (English/Colle/Benko/etc.) and get good results in several lines; keep the reliable systems in your repertoire (for example Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation and Benko Gambit).
• Resilience — in long daily games you stay focused and grind down opponents rather than gambling for quick tactics.

Where to focus next

Targeted improvements will give the biggest rating gains faster than random training. Focus on:

• Opening consistency — you have solid results in a few openings but mixed results in some English lines. Pick 2–3 systems (one as White, one as Black against 1.e4/1.d4) and study typical pawn breaks and plans rather than only memorizing moves. See English Opening: Symmetrical Variation if that’s a frequent line for you.
• Middlegame planning — sometimes positionally-incorrect trades or queen shuffling let the opponent generate counterplay (look for when you exchange pieces: are you improving your worst piece or letting them free their pieces?).
• Rook endgames — you convert well, but practising Lucena/Philidor and common rook+pawn patterns will make those conversions faster and more reliable (fewer errors under time pressure).
• Tactical sharpness — strengthen calculation so you don’t miss counterblows when simplifying. A missed tactic can turn a winning endgame into an unclear one.
• Time management — several wins came on the opponent’s time. That’s fine, but rely on technique instead of flags. Practice quicker decision-making in the early middlegame so you have time for critical moments later.

Concrete training plan (weekly)

Small, consistent habits are the most effective. Try this 3–4 hour/week plan:

• Daily tactics: 15–20 puzzles/day (focus on calculation and candidate moves, not speed). Track accuracy, not just solve count.
• Endgame study: 1 focused 45–60 minute session/week (rook + pawn endgames, king and pawn, opposition, Lucena/Philidor). Work through examples and then practice them from random positions.
• Opening work: 2 short sessions/week (30–45 minutes) on one chosen system — learn typical pawn breaks, one middlegame plan and 3 key move orders. Annotate 5 model games in that line.
• Game review: annotate 2 recent decisive games (a win and a loss) every week — find the turning point, your candidate moves, and one recurring mistake.
• Play practice: one faster time-control training session (rapid or 15|10) each week to force quicker practical decisions and improve time management.

Practical checklist for your next game

Before you make a move, run through this 10–20 second checklist on critical turns:

• What changed in the position since my last move? (material, open files, weak squares)
• Who has more active pieces? If me — can I keep the initiative; if not — can I trade to reduce activity?
• Are there opponent tactical shots? (checks, captures, threats)
• If simplifying, does the resulting endgame leave me better? (outside passer, active king, rook on 7th)
• Do I have a plan for the next 3 moves? If not, make a prophylactic improving move.

Small adjustments that often pay off

• Avoid early queen moves that don’t develop other pieces — they often lose tempi and invite knight jumps to b4 / c2 in symmetric openings.
• When you simplify into an endgame, check for the quickest path to create a passed pawn — outside passers win more games than subtle piece maneuvers.
• In daily games keep a short log of the single turning move (a sentence). Reviewing this monthly will reveal repeat mistakes faster than any stat table.

Next steps & targets (30 / 90 / 180 days)

• 30 days: + consolidate 1 opening and be able to explain the typical middlegame plan in 3 sentences. (Example target: know the main pawn break and one good exchange in your English system.)
• 90 days: + consistent accuracy on tactics (70%+ on training set), and confident conversion of standard rook+pawn endgames.
• 180 days: + translate training into rating gains — your recent trends (+47 in 1 month, +99 in 3 months, +112 in 6 months) show this is realistic if you focus on the above plan.

If you want, I can help with

• Picking two openings to build a 15–20 page personal repertoire and 5 model games for each.
• Making a 6-week tactics + endgame calendar with daily micro-tasks you can tick off.
• Annotated feedback on 3 of your recent loss games to find recurring errors — send PGNs and I’ll highlight the turning points.