Zhansaya Sholpanbek WCM

Quick summary

Great run — 17 wins out of 22 recent games and a strength‑adjusted win rate ~0.72 shows you’re converting practical chances in blitz very consistently. Your opening results are strong (especially the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation and London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation), and you repeatedly convert small advantages into wins.

What you’re doing well

• Creating and pushing passed pawns — your win vs AdiMont ended with a decisive h‑pawn promotion idea (you consistently turn space into a passed pawn and march it).
• Active queen play and checks — you use checks well to keep the opponent’s king in uncomfortable squares and force concessions (several sharp queen sorties in the recent wins).
• Opening consistency — high win rates in your prepared lines (Alapin, London, Slav, Ruy) show solid repertoire knowledge and practical preparation.
• Converting simplifications — when trades or tactical exchanges appear, you usually pick the line that preserves your edge instead of complicating unnecessarily.
• Practical resilience in time scrambles — a lot of wins on low clock show you handle blitz pressure well.

Key patterns from your recent wins

• Queenside expansion + pawn breaks (example: early c5/b4 play in the Slav game) that create long‑term targets.
• Switching the queen to the kingside quickly (Qh5 → Qg5 → Qg7 in the main win) to exploit a weak castled king.
• Using tactical exchanges to remove opponent counterplay (rook and minor piece trades when you have a passed pawn or active king).

Areas to improve

• Time management: several games show very low remaining time in later middlegames. Try to keep a small buffer (20–30 seconds) for critical tactical sequences instead of burning time every move.
• Handling the Scandinavian and similar setups: your record there is shaky — review common pawn structures and counterplay ideas so you don’t get surprised out of the opening.
• Precision in tactical sequences: you win most games by tactical pressure, but a couple of missed defensive resources or unnecessary simplifications could have made wins harder. Slow down a touch when the position is sharp.
• Endgame technique polish: you convert well, but some conversions rely on the opponent blundering or flagging. Study rook+pawn and queen vs pawn endgames to make wins cleaner and faster.

Concrete drills (do these 3× weekly)

• 15 tactics puzzles in mixed time (5 easy, 7 medium, 3 hard). Focus on forks, pins, discovered checks and quiet sacrifices.
• 30 minutes of endgame practice: rook endgames and basic queen vs. pawn races (use short tablebase exercises if available).
• 30 minutes opening review: pick one problem opening (start with the Scandinavian Defense) — learn 3 typical plans for both sides and 2 model games.
• Play two 15+10 rapid games per week to practice deeper calculation and give your intuition more time to settle.

How to structure a training week

• Monday: Tactics + 15+10 rapid (play with a specific opening focus).
• Wednesday: Endgames + review one lost game from your recent streak (annotate key turning points).
• Friday: Opening study (Scandi or the French Tarrasch lines you play) + 5 blitz training matches applying the plans.

Actionable tips for your next blitz session

• In positions with opposite‑side pawns or pawn races, count moves to promotion quickly — if your passed pawn queens faster, force simplifications early.
• When you have the initiative, avoid passive waiting moves — pick the most forcing continuation to limit your opponent’s counterplay.
• Use the +2 increment: if you’re below 20 seconds on the clock, switch to “safe mode” — 1) avoid long calculations, 2) play standard improving moves and rely on increment to rebuild time.
• Record one critical loss per day (if any), find the one move that changed evaluation, and ask: did I miss a tactic, a plan, or get outplayed in the opening?

Opening pointers (based on your performance)

• Maintain the lines that work: keep and expand your repertoire in the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation and London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation.
• For the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense — focus on typical pawn breaks (c5 or e5 timing) and an active piece setup to avoid passive positions.
• For the Scandinavian Defense, study one reliable recapture line and a simple plan to neutralize Black’s central counterplay — that will improve your win rate there.

Example — recent win (review idea)

Study this win and annotate the critical moments (the queen’s kingside incursion and the passed‑pawn race). Start by asking: where did I gain the initiative, where did I trade into a winning endgame, and how did I use checks to force favourable king moves?

Final note

Your shape is excellent for blitz — you convert advantages and handle time pressure well. With a little focused work on time management, Scandinavian structures, and basic endgame technique you’ll make those wins cleaner and increase your consistency even more. If you want, I can prepare a 4‑week plan tailored to your openings and a short annotated review for the AdiMont game above.