Štěpán Hrbek IM

Hi Štěpán, constructive feedback after your latest games

At-a-glance

• Peak bullet rating: 2741 (2025-03-12)
• Favourite pawn thrusts: h-pawn (played in 4 of the last 6 wins) and early …f6 as Black
• Live-game rhythm:
   

What you are already doing well

1. Tactical alertness. In the win vs max6021905 you exploited pins (…Rg6+!) and mating nets even with little time.
2. Practical time handling. Many victories come from creating difficult positions quickly and then letting the clock do the rest.
3. Psychological edge. Off-beat openings (Nimzowitsch, early king walks, h-pawn storms) often unsettle lower-rated opponents and yield fast material gains.

Growth opportunities

1. King safety in serious games.
   • In your most recent win your king visited d7-c6-c5 before move 8. Against 2000+ players that path is rarely forgiven.
   • In the Chess960 loss to Dangerzone214 you castled then weakened g7/h7 with …f6, …Ng6, …Nh4, giving White time to open files around your monarch.
   Action: Re-examine the principle of “castle, connect rooks, then expand”. Try a 10-game streak of mainstream setups (e.g. Modern without …f6, or Caro-Kann without king walks) and annotate how often your king comes under fire.
2. Central tension & pawn discipline.
   • In multiple losses you advanced flank pawns (…b5, …h5) while the centre was still fluid (e.g. vs nikita2504 and volvo333).
   • Moving the f-pawn early (…f6 / f3) repeatedly weakened e-squares and light-square complexes.
   Drill: Play 15-min games where you forbid yourself to push the a-, h- or f-pawn before move 8 unless it is a clear Zwischenzug.
3. Conversion technique.
   • A few opponents resigned in lost positions, masking end-game practice.
   • The Chess960 resignation on move 19 occurred even though the material deficit was only an exchange & pawn; fighting on would sharpen your technique.
   Task: Load five winning positions from your database and replay them against the computer at 2300 strength until you convert smoothly.
4. Opening structure portfolio.
   • You master “chaos” lines; balancing them with at least one solid main-line system will make you harder to prepare against.
   Suggestion: Add a classical reply to 1.e4 (e.g. Petroff or Berlin) and a calm White system (London / Catalan) and adopt them for 20 games each.

Illustrative moments

Next-week training menu

• 3 x 30-min sessions of tactics (theme: defensive resources)
• 2 rapid games (15 + 10) with post-game self-annotation focusing on pawn pushes you did not play – could they have been better?
• Review one GM game in the Petroff; note how the king rarely needs to think about safety before move 20.

Stay curious and keep the pieces coordinated. Good luck in your upcoming matches!