Strong Very strong IM

Post‑mortem summary (blitz)

Nice run — your blitz shows textbook strengths: purposeful openings, aggressive piece activity, and clean endgame conversion. Most losses are short and stem from early tactical oversights or rushed decisions in time pressure. Below I highlight strengths, recurring leaks, and a focused improvement plan you can apply over the next month.

What you’re doing well

• Opening repertoire and familiarity — you steer the game into systems you know (for example Catalan Opening and Grünfeld Defense), which gives you comfortable middlegame plans.
• Piece activity and initiative — you consistently place rooks on open files and bishops on long diagonals, turning activity into concrete targets.
• Endgame technique — you convert passed pawns and use the king actively to support promotion races; that paid off in your wins versus stronger opponents.
• Tactical follow‑through — when you spot combinations you execute them reliably, producing decisive material gains or mate threats.

Recurring problems (highest impact)

• Early queen captures/central pawn grabs getting punished — some quick losses came after Qxe4/Qxa4 style captures where the opponent had tactical replies. Pause before grabbing central material if opponent has knights/bishops aimed at your queen.
• Missed discovered checks and forks — a pattern in a few losses: you capture a pawn and a discovered tactical shot or fork appears. Make a quick scan for checks, captures and threats before finalizing a move.
• Time management in 180s — a number of games ended with very little time left, and that amplifies mistakes. Keep slightly more reserve time heading into the critical middle/endgame phase.
• Pawn structure mistakes that open files toward your king — avoid trades that hand open lines to the opponent without a clear blockade or counterplay plan.

4‑week blitz improvement plan

• Daily (12–15 min): Tactics warmup focused on forks, discovered attacks, pins. Make “checks/captures/threats” your first scan each time you move.
• 3×/week (20 min): Opening trap checklist — for each main line you play, list 2 traps opponents use and 2 traps you can fall into. Drill the correct responses until reflexive.
• 2×/week (20 min): Time‑management drills — play short sessions where your goal is to finish with 10–15s extra. Practice a 3‑step decision routine: 1) checks, 2) captures, 3) threats.
• 2×/week (10 min): Endgame micro‑sessions — king+pawn, rook+passer technique, conversion with time pressure. Practice promotion races and stalemate awareness.
• Weekly review (30 min): Post‑mortem 3 games (a win, a loss, a messy drawn position). Write one practical rule you’ll use next time for similar positions.

Practical blitz rules to use immediately

• Before capturing with the queen: do a split‑second check for opponent checks, forks, or discovered attacks.
• If low on time and the position is unclear, simplify: trade pieces and play for a clear plan rather than a complex tactic.
• Avoid pre‑moves in messy positions with potential checks or captures; reserve pre‑moves for safe, quiet recaptures.
• If you can activate your king faster than the opponent can create counterplay, activate it — you already do this well; make it an automatic decision in endgames.

Games to revisit (study priorities)

• Win vs really65 — excellent model for converting activity into a promotion and mating net; review the mid→endgame transition and mating patterns.
• Win vs thefergusonhunter6969 — clean passed pawn conversion and king activation; reinforce those technique patterns.
• Loss vs Krow_2327 — early queen capture was punished; drill discovered‑attack motifs and scenarios where Qxe4 is unsafe.

Quick checklist before you click a move (blitz)

• Any checks I must respond to? (Address them first.)
• Will this capture open a line or create a fork on my pieces?
• Does the move leave a square or pawn weak that the opponent can exploit immediately?
• If short on time, can I simplify and keep a clear winning plan?

Final note

Your long‑term trend and opening performance are strong — the lifts you need are specific and high‑leverage: a disciplined tactical scan early, and slightly better time allocation. Tighten those two areas and your blitz win rate will rise noticeably.