Ігор Мельник

Quick summary

Nice run — you're winning a high share of your bullet games and your rating trend is sharply upward. Your games show confident attacking play, good tactical vision and the ability to convert complex, chaotic positions (promotion, mating nets, forcing sequences). At the same time a few recurring issues cost you games: timing decisions in sharp middlegames, isolated pawn / back-rank weaknesses, and a lapse in coordination in one recent Caro‑Kann game.

What you're doing well

• Strong tactical awareness — you find sacrifices and forcing continuations (example: the game where you cleared the g‑file and promoted on move 33).
• Aggressive kingside play — consistent pawn storms and rook lifts produce concrete chances in bullet.
• Opening consistency — you have solid win rates in many lines (London Poisoned Pawn, Amazon Attack, Colle variations) and are comfortable in typical structures.
• Time-pressure resilience — you often win on the clock or convert long complicated sequences while low on time.

Recurring weak spots to fix

• Time management: fast wins are great, but spending too little time in critical moments creates tactical oversights. Avoid instantly pre-moving in unclear positions.
• Pawn-structure weaknesses: pawn pushes that open files near your king (or create isolated pawns) have been exploited — especially in Caro‑Kann/Exchange type positions.
• Piece coordination in middle games: a couple of losses came after rooks/queen failed to coordinate for defence or counterplay. Watch overloaded pieces and back‑rank motifs.
• Predictability in some opening sidelines — in the Caro‑Kann Exchange you lost; tighten the move-order and concrete tactical responses there.

Concrete, short-term plan (what to practice this week)

• Daily 15–20 minutes tactics (focus: forks, pins, overloads, decoys). Aim for 100 quality puzzles — not just speed.
• 3 bullet sessions of 10 games each where you force yourself to spend at least 3–5 extra seconds on any capture or check — practice holding time under control.
• One 20‑minute study on the Caro-Kann Defense Exchange / Panov lines: memorise a safe plan for move 10–20 so you don't drift into passive setups.
• 10–15 minutes of endgame drills once every two days: king + rook vs rook, and basic promotion races — these pay off in bullet conversions.

Game-specific notes & key moments

Replay your standout win (the g‑pawn storm and promotion sequence). Notice how you:

• Opened the g‑file with pawn sacrifices to get rooks into the enemy camp.
• Executed a tactical sequence around Nxg6 and the g‑file leading to a promotion on move 33.
• Used active piece play to force tradeoffs favourable to you (simplify into winning material or a mating net).

Open the full game here to step through the critical moments:

Opponent profiles you met in these recent games (review for their style): fxkshtgame, Gehua Wen.

Why this plan matches your profile

Your Strength Adjusted Win Rate (~0.659) and recent strong slope in rating show you’re in a growth phase — keep focusing on practical tactics + converting advantages. The suggested mix (tactics + controlled bullet sessions + short opening review + endgame drills) is optimized for bullet improvement without burning time on deep theory.

Quick checklist to apply immediately in your next session

• Before the game: 2 minutes opening refresh (main line + one common sideline).
• During the game: slow down for any capture/check — give yourself 3–5 seconds to verify tactics.
• If ahead materially: trade queens and simplify into a winning endgame instead of hunting flashy mates.
• If behind on time: switch to safe, simple moves that avoid tactical blunders (don’t aim for complicated swindles unless you see one).

Small challenge (use this in your warm-up)

Play 10 bullet games but force yourself to spend at least 2 extra seconds on moves that change pawn structure or initiate captures. Track how many games you win while following that rule — the goal is better decisions, not fewer wins.