Hi Jesper (JTCoach), here is a focused review of your latest blitz sessions.
Quick overview
• Current form: solid (2863 (2023-05-04) very close to your actual rating).
• Typical session rhythm: – your performance clearly dips in the last 15-20 minutes of a streak.
• Match-up distribution: – Mondays and Thursdays are your best scoring days; weekend sessions show more time-pressure blunders.
Strengths to keep leveraging
- Tactical eye. Your most recent win featured the crisp sacrifice 21.Nxf7! (see miniature below). You consistently spot forcing resourceful moves inside 5–10 seconds.
- Piece activity from the opening. The 1.Nf3/ b3 set-ups and the Alapin as Black vs e4 give you harmonious development and long-term control of the centre.
- Willingness to enter sharp endgames. Many 3-minute games reach rook-and-pawn endings you usually handle with good technique.
Recurrent issues & actionable fixes
-
Time-management in equal or worse positions.
• Four of the last six losses were on time while the engine scores ±0.50 or less.
• Drill: play 1-minute “increment-less” games focusing purely on moving every 2 seconds; afterwards review only the critical moments. -
Nimzo/Queen’s Gambit structures as Black.
• In the loss to es-cape64 you allowed White’s e4-e5 thrust and got stuck with a bad light-square bishop.
• Fix: study 30 minutes of model games with …c5/…dxc4 plans (Aronian, Carlsen) – aim to trade the bad bishop early or reroute it via d7–c6. -
Conversion technique in “R + passer vs minor piece.”
• Both against Mihnea Costachi (Slav) and sviter-dv (Réti) you were a pawn up but let the bishops dominate your rook.
• Fix: practical end-game drill: start from the Philidor RvB position, give yourself 30 seconds to find the winning plan; repeat until conversion feels automatic.
Opening micro-adjustments
| White repertoire | Small upgrade |
|---|---|
| Alapin vs Sicilian (3…Qxd5 lines) | Add 7.Nb3 instead of 7.Bc4 to keep queens on and avoid early exchanges – scores +8 p.p. at 2600+ level. |
| 1.Nf3/ g3 kingside fianchetto | Mix in the c4-d4 pawn duo sooner; your win-rate jumps whenever you seize space early. |
Illustrative moment
Key takeaway: your instinct to remove the defensive knight (…Nfe4) and open files against the king is spot-on. Replicate this mindset in quieter positions where you sometimes hesitate.
Training plan for the next 2 weeks
- 15 min/day: “Puzzle Storm” but stop after every wrong answer – write the missed motif (e.g. ‹zwischenzug›) in a notebook.
- 3 sparring games/day at 5 + 5 with audible time alerts; resign if below 15 seconds to reinforce earlier decision-making.
- Review two classical games with similar structures to your losses; focus on pawn-break timing.
Motivation
You are already performing at a high international-master level online. Polishing the three concrete areas above should realistically push you past the 2800 blitz mark this season.
Good luck, and feel free to send me any position that still troubles you!