Jason Doss FM

Hi Jason, here’s some constructive feedback based on your recent games.

What you’re doing well

• Opening variety & confidence – You comfortably switch between 1…e5 lines (Four Knights) and various Sicilians. This keeps opponents guessing and shows good theoretical range.
• Quick tactical vision – Several victories finish with mating nets in under 15 moves, e.g. the elegant …Bxa3 !! …Qxa3# miniature against dragonking9384. Your eye for direct tactics is a real asset.
• Conversion against lower-rated players – When you get an edge you rarely let go; you scored 5-0 versus opponents rated <600 points below you.
• Blitz instincts – Even at 3-minute time controls you maintain a healthy score. Your peak blitz strength is impressive: 2538 (2022-11-07).

Key improvement areas

1. King safety vs. peers (2200+)
   Several losses (e.g. to tuzibaba and Pickleman018) stem from leaving the king in the centre or walking into diagonals/queues of heavy pieces. Consider:
   • Reviewing principles of safety before activity → castle earlier when feasible.
   • Adding a “danger check” after every capture offer: “What has changed around my king?”
2. Over-extension in equal positions
   In the loss vs. trustno1, …f5 and …g5 created weak dark squares that White exploited. When the position is level, ask “Which pawn pushes are necessary and which merely create targets?” A quick Houdini-like pawn storm is tempting, but solid structures score better at your level.
3. Time management in complex endgames
   Against secretchessplayer2014 you defended well for 40 moves but flagged under 20 s. Try the 2-stage clock plan:
   Stage 1 – Play quickly to reach a comfortable middlegame with ≥50 % of initial time.
   Stage 2 – From move 20 onward spend time only on branch points; in straightforward moves use premove/instant moves to keep ≥15 s for every 5 moves.
4. Converting material advantages
   In the tuzibaba game you were an exchange up but allowed counterplay on dark squares. Adopt the “trade, centralise, push pawn” mantra when ahead: simplify, coordinate heavy pieces, then advance your passer.

Targeted exercises

• 15-minute review routine – After each session save one critical position where you felt unsure. Spend 5 min analysing without engine, then 10 min comparing to engine suggestions.
• Tactics theme: deflection & back-rank mates. Your wins show you excel at them; sharpening further will convert even more half-chances.
• Endgame drill – Play 20 practice rook-and-pawn endgames vs. engine on easy. Aim for 90 % conversion with >30 s left.

Sample highlight

Enjoy revisiting your swift miniature (12 moves!) – try to spot why 11.a3? was the fatal slip:

Your performance snapshots

When are you most dangerous? Explore below:

Next-month goals

• Maintain ≥65 % win rate in blitz vs. 2100-2300.
• Finish every rapid game with >1 min on clock.
• Upload 10 annotated games to your study database.

Keep up the great work, Jason. Your tactical flair already makes you a formidable opponent—polish the positional and clock-handling aspects and 2400+ is within reach!