J H

Quick summary

Nice conversion in your recent win — you defended a sharp attack, created a passed pawn and finished with accurate technique. Your losses in the same session show recurring themes: quick tactical shots around the kingside (Bh7+ style) and occasional looseness with piece safety. Below are clean, actionable notes and a short practice plan you can use right away in blitz.

Win — what you did well

Game vs Novica Trifunovic — highlights to repeat:

• Held your nerve in a sacrificial middlegame. You kept pieces coordinated and didn’t panic — a big plus in blitz.
• Identified and pushed a passed pawn, then used rooks and active king placement to escort it to promotion. Turning structural advantage into a concrete promotion plan is textbook technique.
• Finished with active rooks and a cut‑off enemy king. That conversion pattern is reliable — look for it when you can create connected passed pawns or open files.

Loss — concrete fixes

Game vs Guillermo Di Benedetto — decisive motif was a kingside check (Bh7+). Blitz losses often come from a handful of repeatable tactical patterns; fix those and your score will climb.

• Pre‑move checklist: before capturing or grabbing material, scan for opponent checks, ties to h7/h2 and potential forks. Make this a 3–6 second habit.
• When your king is castled and the opponent has bishops/knights pointing at h7/g7, consider prophylaxis (h6, Kh8, or timely trade). Don’t assume the pawn cover is permanent.
• Don’t grab pawns or go on long queen excursions until you’ve verified king safety and the availability of escape squares. Many tactical losses begin with a greedy or instinctive capture.

Recurring patterns to train

• King‑side sac motifs: Bh7+/Bh2, knight jumps to f7/f2 and mating nets — drill 10–15 puzzles weekly that begin with sacrifices or checks to these squares.
• Passed pawn conversion: you already promote effectively. Add focused rook‑and‑passed‑pawn endgame studies so you can convert even faster under time pressure.
• Loose piece awareness: make a short habit of scanning for Loose pieces and undefended pieces before you click. Many blitz losses come from hanging pieces or simple forks.

Memorize a few short phrases: Rook on the seventh, Loose pieces drop off, Book. They’ll act as quick mental triggers.

Blitz‑specific practical tips

• Time allocation: aim to spend 10–20s on critical tactical/king‑safety decisions, 3–7s on routine moves. Fight the urge to “speed run” through sharp positions.
• Pre‑move discipline: only pre‑move when no captures, checks or tactical motifs are present. A single wrong pre‑move costs far more than the saved seconds.
• If you’re materially ahead in blitz, simplify (trade) unless simplification hands the opponent counterplay. Your win shows you convert well — use exchanges to clarify winning plans.

3‑week practice plan (focused)

• Daily (10–20 min): Tactics trainer — concentrate on mates, forks and sacrifices toward h7/h2. Emphasize accuracy over speed.
• 3×/week (20–30 min): Endgame drills — rook vs rook + pawn, passed pawn racing, and basic promotion patterns. Replay your recent win and switch sides to see defensive resources.
• 2×/week (15–25 min): Opening review — go over typical Sicilian B28 and Trompowsky king safety motifs. Keep a one‑page note of typical enemy plans and your refutations.
• Weekly: play a 15|10 rapid or 5‑game blitz mini‑tournament and impose your new checklist (6‑second tactical scan before key decisions).

Actionable checklist (use every game)

• Before moving: 1) any checks? 2) any captures that hang pieces? 3) any forks or mating motifs? — 3–6 second routine.
• When attacked: prioritize king safety (trade or prophylaxis) if the attack looks forced; otherwise create counterplay on the opposite wing.
• Endgame rule: if you have a passed pawn + active rooks, head for simplification and promotion; if your passed pawn is isolated, keep pieces to support it.
• Review 3 motifs that lost you games that day and spend 10 minutes fixing them before your next session.

Replay suggestions & quick references

• Win vs Novica Trifunovic — study the defense → passed pawn → promotion path and note when to trade to simplify conversion.
• Loss vs Guillermo Di Benedetto — focus on the Bh7+ motif and positions where your kingside becomes vulnerable after material grabs.
• Terms to keep in mind: Rook on the seventh, Loose pieces drop off, Book.

Final note

You already convert imbalances well — that’s a rare and valuable skill. Pair that with a disciplined 6‑second tactical scan and focused weekly drills (tactics + rook endgames) and you’ll reduce the quick tactical losses significantly. Small checklist changes will give big improvements in blitz consistency.