Coach Chesswick
Hi javierLa2024! đź‘‹
What you are doing well
- Solid repertoire as Black. Your Slav structure (…c6/…d5) keeps appearing and you handle the resulting pawn breaks well. A nice example is your win against lilvoldemort where the …c5 break equalised and you later converted the extra pawn.
- Spotting tactical shots. In the game vs the_dragoneer you found 24.Ne6+! which won material on the spot. Here is the critical sequence: .
- End-game conversion. Once you enter a simplified position with a clear extra pawn or piece, you usually finish the job efficiently and rarely blunder back material.
Main areas to improve
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Time management (highest priority).
Five of your last seven defeats were on the clock – not on the board. 120 + 1 is plenty of time, so the issue is where you are spending it.- Try the “40/40 rule”: aim to have at least 40 % of your starting time left after move 40. That forces faster decision-making in the opening and early middlegame.
- Replace long calculation trees with the quick SCAMP scan (Safety, Checks, Attacks, Material, Plans). This takes < 10 s and lets you make decent moves without burning the clock.
- Play some 10 + 0 games focusing only on moving quickly; then analyse them offline. Your brain will learn to recognise patterns faster.
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Handling flank pawn storms against your king.
In the loss versus Luis S (Exchange QGD) you allowed g-h pawn pushes while your own pieces were passive. Ask yourself each move: “What is my opponent’s next threat?” – classic prophylaxis. -
Diversify against 1.e4 as Black.
The Philidor game vs mtk43 shows you knew the first ~10 moves but then drifted. Spend one study session deciding whether you want a main-line Philidor, a Pirc, or even switch to 1…e5 aiming for a Marshall-style Spanish. A clear plan saves time and nerves.
Practical training plan for the next two weeks
| Day | Task |
|---|---|
| Mon / Thu | 20 tactical puzzles (theme: double attacks & intermediate moves). Track accuracy & time. |
| Tue | Review one of your time-loss games; note where you dropped below 1:00 on the clock. |
| Wed | Play three 10 + 0 games, focusing on instant move decisions in the opening. |
| Fri | Update your Philidor/Pirc file – add one new tabiya with 3…e5 lines. |
| Weekend | Long (30 + 0) training game vs a friend/engine, annotate afterwards. |
Progress trackers
Your current peak rapid rating:
Mindset tip
“The clock is your eighth piece.” – Treat every saved minute as an extra pawn for the endgame.
Keep up the great work and enjoy the journey!