Keaton Kiewra IM

Hi Keaton!

Great streak lately—your attacking win against gmmilli is a model game. Below is some feedback drawn from your most recent games.

What’s working well

• Sharp Caro-Kann repertoire – You handle both sides of the Caro-Kann comfortably and aren’t afraid of topical sidelines such as 4.h4/…h5. Your 17-move miniature vs GMmilli shows excellent feel for the initiative.
• Early initiative & pawn storms – h-pawn launches (h4/ h5) score well and fit your tactical style. You calculate concrete lines quickly and punish passive replies.
• Tactical awareness – Forks like 17.Rd6# (vs tastycelery7) and forcing sequences such as 14.Nf7+ Qxf7 15.Qxf7! demonstrate sharp vision.

Main improvement spots

• Clock management – 4 of your last 5 losses were on time, often in roughly equal positions. Bullet is brutal: every second saved in the opening = extra depth later.
• Endgame conversion – In several time-scrambles you entered won or drawable endings (e.g. vs ChessSwole) but ran short of both time and technique. Rook-pawn coordination & simplification could have sealed the result.
• Over-extension of flank pawns – When the storm doesn’t land, advanced pawns (g4/h4/h5) become targets. In the Pirc loss you eventually had weak h-pawns that tied down your pieces.

Action plan

1. Bullet-specific opening menu
   Aim for systems you can play almost “blindfold.” Examples:
   • As White: London, Jobava, or even 1.e4 → Scotch Four Knights.
   • As Black: Pirc/Modern setups vs 1.e4 and a King’s Indian structure vs 1.d4.
   Pre-makes & auto-pilot moves here free up time for later calculation.
2. Time-pressure drills
   • Play 20 one-minute games focusing on finishing with >5 s every time.
   • Practice “move every two seconds” puzzle rush runs.
   • Use the “increment mindset”: with +1 s you only need to move fast, not perfect; bank those increments early.
3. Endgame refresher
   Spend 15 min/day for one week on the following themes:
   • Lucena & Philidor rook endings
   • Basic king + pawn techniques (opposition, triangulation)
   • Pawns vs minor piece endings
   This will pay immediate dividends when bullets reach the final 5-second scramble.
4. Maintain pawn structure discipline
   Before advancing the g- or h-pawn ask yourself: “If the attack fizzles, can that pawn be defended by another pawn?” If not, consider a slower buildup (Re1, Qf3, etc.).

Key moment to review

From your loss to ChessSwole (position after 18…Nc6):

Instead you chose 19.Rd5?! which kept tension and cost precious seconds. The quieter line trades a pair of rooks, removes Black’s active piece, and is easier to blitz out.

Stats & tracking

• Peak Blitz:
• Momentum charts:

Next steps

Play a mini-match (20 games) where your only goal is never to drop below 5 s on the clock; track how many games you still win. Combine that with the endgame routine above and re-evaluate in a week.

Keep the momentum, keep the clock under control, and that next rating jump is right around the corner!