Kertu Karba

Quick summary

Nice volume of blitz games and a steady rating around 955 — that means your basic practical skills are solid and you convert chances often enough to hold a stable rating. Your strength-adjusted win rate is strong (about 0.74), which suggests you score well versus players of similar or slightly higher strength. Now the work is to convert that into a higher, more consistent score by reducing avoidable losses and sharpening a compact opening plan.

What you’re doing well

• Playing a lot of games regularly — great for pattern recognition and comfort in time trouble.
• Good results in some sharp lines (notably Sicilian Defense and the Blackburne Shilling Gambit). Keep the aggressive instincts — they pay off in blitz.
• Practical intuition: you often find active plans instead of passive moves, which is key in short time controls.
• Stable rating over recent months — that means you’re not tilting or losing long streaks, which is a good psychological foundation.

Main areas to improve

• Blunders / hanging pieces — a big share of losses in blitz come from simple oversights. Watch for Loose Piece situations: pieces left unprotected or on open squares.
• Opening consistency — many games are labeled "Unknown," which suggests you’re playing a lot of off-book or improvised lines. A small, repeatable repertoire will reduce early mistakes and give clearer middlegame plans.
• Time management — when the clock gets low you make more tactical errors. Practice keeping at least a small buffer rather than burning the last seconds (Flagging mishaps and Mouse Slipes are painful in blitz).
• Endgame basics — some games slip away in simple endgames where a few correct king/pawn or rook rules would save points. Solidifying those basics will convert close games into wins.

Concrete drills (15–30 minutes/day)

• 10–15 minutes tactics: focus on forks, pins, skewers and discovered checks. Do mixed-level puzzles but finish only when you understand the idea behind the solution.
• 5 minutes: a short “blunder check” habit — before every move ask two quick questions: “Which of my pieces are unprotected?” and “What checks/captures/threats does my opponent have?”
• 10 minutes openings: pick 1 opening for White and 1 reliable defense for Black and run through typical plans (not every line). For example, keep Sicilian Defense lines you know and tidy up weaker results in your other choices.
• Once per week: review 3 of your lost games — identify the turning point (tactical miss, time trouble, poor plan). Make one clear rule to avoid the same mistake.

Opening plan suggestions

• As White: choose one main e4 or d4 system and learn the 4–6 standard middlegame plans rather than memorizing long move lists.
• As Black: keep a dependable reply to 1.e4 and 1.d4. You have good results in the Sicilian Defense — expand the lines that worked and drop the ones with repeated losses (e.g., lines where you faced the Barnes Opening: Walkerling or unusual setups).
• Keep a couple surprise traps (like the Blackburne Shilling Gambit) for blitz, but don’t rely on them — study the typical refutations so they don’t backfire.

Time management & blitz technique

• Use a simple time budget: allocate 10–15 seconds for most opening/quiet moves, 30–60 seconds for critical decisions. Try to keep at least 10 seconds banked for the last phase.
• Avoid long think in the first 10 moves — that’s where you can fall behind early. If a position is equal and nothing critical is happening, make an easy, solid move and save time.
• Pre-move smartly: only pre-move when no capture or tactic could change the result. Blind pre-moves in complex positions invite Mouse Slip losses and Flagging confusion.
• If your platform supports increment, prefer it — even +1 or +2 seconds greatly reduces flag risk and improves move quality in endgames.

Endgames and practical play

• Master king-and-pawn versus king, basic rook endgames and simple queen vs rook tactics — these often decide blitz games.
• When ahead, simplify: trade pieces (not pawns) to convert a material advantage — many wins are lost by complicating unnecessarily.
• When behind, look for swindles: checks, pins, and perpetual ideas. Practicing common mating nets saves points.

One-week micro-plan

• Day 1–2: tactics (15 min) + 10 blitz games focusing on “blunder check.”
• Day 3: opening deep-dive (20 min) into the Sicilian lines you play; pick one side line to remove from your repertoire if it’s giving repeated losses.
• Day 4–5: 20 min endgame practice (rook and pawn endings) + review two recent losses and write down the turning move.
• Day 6–7: mixed play: 20 tactical puzzles + 15 longer blitz games (5+0 or with increment) implementing the time-budget rule.

Small checklist to use before each game

• Pick one opening idea only. Don’t improvise the first 6 moves.
• Two-second blunder scan before every move (checks/captures/threats).
• Keep 10 seconds in reserve — don’t spend all your time early.
• If you won the opening, simplify towards a winning endgame; if you’re worse, keep complications and look for tactical chances.

Final notes & encouragement

You’re doing the right things: high game volume, steady rating and strong adjusted win rate. Focus next on cutting blunders, building a compact opening plan, and practicing fast, accurate time management. Small, consistent practice (15–30 minutes a day) on the points above will show results quickly in blitz.

When you want, share 2–3 of your recent lost games (PGN or links) and I’ll give concrete move-by-move feedback on what to change.

Useful quick links (placeholders)

• Study this opening more: Sicilian Defense
• Watch out for trap patterns like: Blackburne Shilling Gambit
• Common blitz hazards: Loose Piece, Mouse Slip, Flagging