Coach Chesswick
Game snapshot (latest win)
Nice clean finish in your most recent win — you opened aggressively, castled long and brought rooks into the attack. Review the game to see the key tactical moments below.
Replay the game (interactive):
Opponent: jof5678 · Opening: French Defense
What you're doing well
- Active, aggressive play — you consistently look for tactical chances (sacrifices, rook lifts, pawn storms) and don't shy from sharp positions.
- King-safety awareness in attack — castling long and launching pawns on the kingside earned you direct attacking chances in several wins.
- Endgame persistence — in the long win you converted a passed pawn and used your king actively; you keep pushing until the opponent flags or blunders.
- Opening variety and surprise value — your repertoire includes offbeat lines and gambits that score well for you (you get practical chances and opponents are often unprepared).
- Resilience under time pressure — lots of wins come from pressing advantages and finishing quickly when opponents’ clocks are low.
Recurring weaknesses to fix
These are clear themes from your recent games — addressing them will give you an immediate rating boost in blitz.
- Tactical oversights in the opening and early middlegame — games like the loss to hundao83 show you can be hit by forks/sacrifices early. Slow calculation on sharp lines is costly.
- Allowing opponent counterplay — sometimes you win material but then allow passed pawns or counterchecks (see the loss vs fazal13579 where a passed pawn promotion decided the game).
- Transition mistakes — after winning material you occasionally simplify into positions where the opponent’s active pieces or pawns create threats. Convert advantages more directly.
- Time management/composure — you do well when the opponent flags, but don’t rely on it. Use your clock better in critical moments (spend a little more time calculating tactics early; play faster on quiet moves).
Concrete examples and what to learn from them
- Win: Castled long and opened the g/h-files to attack — strong plan. Takeaway: when you castle opposite sides, prioritize pawn storms and rook lifts over long maneuvering.
- Loss (early tactical): In the Four Knights-style loss vs hundao83 you were punished quickly by knight checks and captures. Takeaway: in open positions watch for knight forks on f5/g7/e6; calculate captures that create double attacks before committing.
- Loss (endgame): Against fazal13579 a passed pawn promotion and a mating net ended the game. Takeaway: when simplifying, check passed-pawn races and back-rank weaknesses — ask “who queens first?” and who has mate threats?
Practical drills (daily / weekly)
- Daily tactics (15 minutes): focus on forks, discovered attacks, and sacrifices — do 20 mixed tactics puzzles and review each mistake.
- Endgame basics (3× week, 20 minutes): king + pawn vs king, rook vs pawn, and basic rook endgames. Practice Lucena and defense setups — they pay off in blitz conversions.
- Opening clarity (2× week, 15 minutes): pick 2 main openings you want to play (example: French Defense and one aggressive gambit you’re comfortable with). Learn typical tactical motifs and one “trick” line to surprise opponents.
- Blitz practice plan: play 5 blitz games with the goal of “convert > simplify > repeat.” After each game, note one tactic you missed and one good decision you made.
Quick checklist for your next 10 blitz games
- Before moving, ask: “Is any piece hanging or can I be forked?” (3–5 seconds)
- If you win material, trade down when it reduces the opponent’s counterplay (aim to remove active enemy pieces).
- When castling opposite sides, prioritize pawn storms and opening files — be direct.
- In pawn races, calculate promotions for 2–3 moves ahead; if uncertain, simplify or blockade.
- Use 10–15 extra seconds for sharp opening decisions — it pays back in fewer blunders later.
Suggested short study resources
- Tactics trainer (set theme: forks & discovered attacks)
- Short endgame video on rook endgames / Lucena
- One opening-video or notes for your go-to defensive responses — keep lines and typical tactics in mind
Closing encouragement
Your style — sharp, aggressive, and persistent — is perfect for blitz. Tightening up a few tactical and conversion habits will turn many close losses into wins. Keep the momentum: small daily drills + reviewing one critical game per session will give the best return on time.
Want a short annotated list of 5 tactics from your latest win/loss to train on? I can extract and annotate them — tell me which game to focus on first (win vs jof5678 or a loss).