Iulian Baltag IM

Hi Iulian!

Great job keeping an active schedule and pushing your blitz rating to 2733 (2020-07-19). From the sample of recent games I see both convincing tactical wins (e.g. your miniature vs swinghigh11) and some frustrating time-pressure losses. Below is a concise, actionable report.

1. What you already do well

• Opening weapon-choice: You know your mainlines (Ruy Lopez C80, Open Sicilian B33) and you’re not afraid to enter sharp lines early when there’s tactical upside.
• Tactical vision: 6.Bxh6!  and 7.Qh5# in the miniature show an eye for forcing continuations and mating nets.
• Conversion with material edge: In the win vs spinoza-echec you simplified quickly, then restricted counter-play with 19.Bxc5! followed by 22.Bxd5.

2. Biggest improvement levers

• Clock management. Four of the five listed losses came on time in roughly equal or winning positions. Adopt a “no move should cost more than 5 seconds unless critical” rule.
• Endgame accuracy. Positions such as the rook endgame vs akissa143 (…Nb5? 32.Nd5!) became difficult because winning technique was unclear. Regularly practise rook + pawn endings.
• Handling solid positional setups. The loss to revoloshin (London-type D02) featured …f6?! and …h6?! which weakened dark squares and allowed 22.Ne6! Study typical plans against the London and Colle to avoid over-extension.

3. Opening clinic (quick notes)

• Ruy Lopez, Open 5…Nxe4: After 6.d4 Be7 7.dxe5, consider 7…d5!? only after you’re ready for 10…Be6 lines. What you played held, but 8…d5 let White seize space. Study the modern 8…b5 idea.
• Sicilian 4…f6?! (see miniature): objectively dubious—after 5.Nc3 Nh6?! Black’s king is unsafe. Keep using the line; just know you’re aiming for practical chances, not objective equality.
• Queen’s Pawns vs 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3/2.Bf4: You often drift into passive setups. Add one reliable system (e.g. the Triangle Slav or a dynamic KID) and learn its thematic pawn breaks.

4. Middlegame themes to drill

• Exchange sacrifice for initiative. In several games a thematic …Rxf3 or …Rxd4 would have broken White’s centre. Review model games by Mikhail Tal and look for the exchange sacrifice.
• Counter-attacking with …d4 or …f4. Your opponents often over-press on the kingside; meeting it with a well-timed pawn break will give you easy play.

5. Endgame checkpoint

The ending vs akissa143 reached this diagram after 30…Nd4:

White: Kg2, Ra2, Rb7, Nc2, other pawns
Black: Kh7, Rc8, Ra5, a3, etc.

Instead of 31.Rb7 Nb5?! try 31…Nxc2! eliminating the knight and activating the king via g6-f5. Rule of thumb: when up the outside passer, trade minor pieces and centralise your king.

6. Practical action plan

1. Time management drill: Play five 3|2 games daily focusing on moving under 5 seconds; review only the positions where you used >10 seconds.
2. Endgame flashcards: Create a set of ten basic rook + pawn positions (Lucena, Philidor, Vancura). Spend 10 minutes each morning solving them blindfold.
3. Monthly opening tune-up: Each week pick one problematic opening line and analyse 3 model games; add one new idea to your repertoire notes.

7. Motivation dashboard

Track your progress here:

• Hourly performance:
• Day-of-week trends:

8. Celebrate this miniature!

Keep a “confidence file” with games like the following so you can revisit them before tournaments:

Stay sharp, enjoy the journey, and remember: consistent review beats occasional deep dives. Good luck in your next session!