Anastasia WFM

Feedback for Anastasia

👍 What you already do well

• Dynamic piece play. In games like your win against mvsatya you consistently seized the initiative with moves such as 16…Nh5! followed by 17…Nxf4, creating concrete threats instead of passive defence.
• Opening creativity. Your willingness to experiment (e.g. 2.f4 against the Sicilian and early g-pawn thrusts in the English) often drags opponents out of book and into complicated positions you handle confidently.
• Tactical awareness. Your conversion of tactical advantages (24…Rb8! and 29…Rc2+ in the same game) shows you can calculate several moves deep under time pressure.

🔍 Biggest improvement areas

1. Time management. Five of your last seven losses were on time, frequently in equal or better positions (see the diagram below). Your clock, not the board, is beating you.
2. End-game technique. Once pieces come off, your conversion rate drops. In the loss to epicness77 you reached a drawable rook-and-pawn ending but mis-coordinated your king and rook.
3. Over-extension of wing pawns. Early h- or g-pawn pushes work well when you can open lines quickly, but in several losses (e.g. 19…Qb4+ vs. dragzor) they created weak squares around your own king.
4. Narrow opening repertoire. With Black you rely almost exclusively on off-beat Sicilians and Grünfeld set-ups. Stronger opponents have started steering the game into positional lines you know less well (e.g. 3.Bb5 → 4.Bxc6 in the Rossolimo).

📈 Where to focus next

1. Practical clock handling

• Play three 3 + 2 sessions a week. The small increment forces you to move faster and rewards good technique.
• Adopt a “three-phase” plan:
  • Opening: aim to keep ≥ 2:15 on your clock after move 10.
  • Middle-game: use your opponent’s time to calculate forcing continuations.
  • End-game: switch to “simple moves” mode—no long thinks unless absolutely necessary.

2. End-game fundamentals

Spend 15 minutes daily on rook-and-pawn drills (Lichess trainer or a PDF of 100 basic endings). Target motifs:

• Lucena & Philidor positions
• King activation in minor-piece endings
• Triangulation & zugzwang

3. Solidifying your Black repertoire

Add one mainstream defence against 1.e4 and 1.d4 to complement your dynamic style.

4. Calibrating pawn storms

• Before pushing a wing pawn ask: “Can my opponent open the centre immediately?” If yes, reconsider.
• Annotate two of your recent games where …h-/g-pawn pushes back-fired and write down safer alternatives.

🔬 Illustrative moment

Your time trouble in the loss to epicness77 started much earlier than you realised. Replay the critical phase and notice how a simple consolidation (20…Be5! instead of 20…Be4?!) would have kept the position equal and saved over 40 seconds.

📊 At-a-glance stats

Peak Blitz rating: 2388 (2020-07-10)

Activity overview:

🗺️ 30-day action map

1. Week 1: Finalise study material for Caro-Kann & Nimzo; daily 15-min end-game drills.
2. Week 2: Play 20 games of 3 + 2; after each loss, tag the moment you fell below 40 seconds.
3. Week 3: Annotate three of your own games focusing on pawn-storm decisions; share one with a peer for feedback.
4. Week 4: Mix in ten 15 + 10 games to practise deeper calculation without clock panic; review with engine afterwards.

🚀 Final thought

Your tactical flair already matches 2300-level players. Combine it with sharper time management and a sturdier opening backbone, and breaking the next rating barrier is simply a matter of consistency. You’ve got this, Anastasia—good luck!