Yuliya Liavonava WFM

Feedback for Yuliya Liavonava (“Juleona”)

You continue to hold a solid ~2250 blitz level (), and your results show an ambitious, tactical style. Below are observations from your latest games along with concrete steps to accelerate your improvement.

What you are doing well ✅

• Initiative-driven play. In most wins you seize space quickly (e.g. the h- and g-pawn storms vs xsenon054 and biostatistician). Your opponents are forced to react to your ideas rather than the other way around.
• Tactical alertness. Combinations such as 23. Qa5# (Chess960) or the exchange sac 22.Rxf5! illustrate sharp calculation and courage.
• Converting advantages. The rook-and-pawn ending vs Daniel Taboas Rodriguez was converted smoothly despite low time, showing good end-game habits.

Main improvement themes 🔍

1. Pawn-structure discipline.
   Several losses begin with ambitious pawn pushes (…g5/h6 vs olek_ria; …c6/b5 in the Nimzo-Indian vs leonidtoronto). These moves created permanent dark-square holes and weakened your king. • Before committing a pawn two squares, ask “Can this pawn ever retreat? What square does it leave weak?” • Study classic games on the light-square Dutch and Benoni to see how masters time …f5/…g5 breaks.
2. Handling central tension.
   In the Nimzo loss you played 13…e5 14…e4 without full preparation, releasing the tension and handing White outposts. Train yourself to look for intermediate moves (zwischenzug) and improve pieces before closing the center.
3. King-safety awareness in opposite-wing attacks.
   When your own pawn storm is rolling, you sometimes skip one prophylactic move (castling long before pushing h-pawns, centralizing a rook, etc.). Adding even a single safety move would have neutralized counterplay in games 2 and 3 of the loss set.
4. Opening repertoire coherence.
   Your white openings (English, Bird, 1.d4 systems) score well; with Black you alternate between Dutch structures, Nimzo-Indian and off-beat lines. Consider building two “anchor” defences:
   • vs 1.e4 — e.g. Najdorf or Rubinstein French
   • vs 1.d4 — keep the Nimzo/Queen’s Indian but learn model plans after 4.e3/4.Nf3
   A narrower repertoire will save clock time and deepen your middlegame understanding.

Illustrative snippets

Your recent win (London-System counter):

• The early …Bxb1!? surprised the opponent, but be aware that giving up a bishop and opening the a-rook can backfire. • Good follow-up with 7…Ne4 seizing the square while the white queen’s bishop is off the board.

Your recent loss (Nimzo-Indian):

Critical moment after 15…h6 16.Nh3 g5?!

• Here …dxc4 first, then …Re8/…e5 would have challenged the centre before weakening the kingside. • Run this position through an engine only after your own analysis to compare ideas and deepen pattern recognition.

4-Week Action Plan 🗓️

Keep embracing your natural attacking flair, but balance it with structural discipline and a streamlined opening book. Consistent review and targeted drills will nudge you toward the 2300 milestone.

Good luck, and enjoy the journey!