Borki Predojevic GM

Hi Borki (kiborg1987)!

Congratulations on maintaining a world-class blitz rating of 3019 (2023-12-21). Your tactical sharpness and fighting spirit are evident in the sample games. Below you will find targeted feedback designed to convert a great blitz repertoire into an even more consistent winning machine.

At-a-Glance Performance

Your Core Strengths

• Opening Versatility. You switch comfortably between 1…d6 (Philidor/Modern structures), the Caro-Kann, and flank systems such as 1…b6. This keeps opponents guessing and often drives them out of book early.
• Tactical Alertness. The recent Philidor win against Advait Patel shows how quickly you punish over-expansion on the kingside. Critical sequence:
  
• Piece Activity & Geometry. Re-routing knights (…Nb6-a4-c5 / …Nb3) and rook lifts (…Re6-g6 in several games) are recurring themes you handle smoothly.

Main Improvement Priorities

1. Clock Management.
   Four of the five losses supplied ended with flag-fall in positions that were still playable or even winning. • Aim to keep >20 sec by move 30 in 3-minute games.
   • Consider adopting a hard “move every 2 sec” rule once below 15 sec to avoid zero-second blunders.
2. Endgame Simplification.
   When clearly ahead you sometimes continue hunting for tactics instead of trading into trivial endings. Example from the loss vs Arystan Isanzhulov (Game 2): after 30…Qxa5 you remain a full rook up but keep queens on and allow perpetual checks until you flag.
   Guideline: Convert material > Keep thrill. If you are +5, head for a queen trade.
3. Pawn-Structure Discipline.
   Many openings with early flank pawns (…a5/…h5/…g5) give you dynamic chances but also create chronic weaknesses. Train the habit of asking “Where is my king’s long-term shelter?” before pushing a wing pawn.

Opening Notes

Middlegame Themes to Drill

• Prophylaxis. Before launching …g5 or …h5 ask: “What will my opponent do next?” (prophylaxis).
• Exchanging into Winning Endgames. Use two-for-one trade rules: if your extra piece has no immediate tactics, exchange queens or the most active enemy rook.
• Central Break Timing. Blitz often rewards early …d5 or …e5 pawn breaks; practice recognising the exact moment so you do not miss rip-open opportunities.

Endgame Snapshot

Your technique in rook endings is generally fine but time pressure spoils it. Compare:

• Win vs Seidterza – you converted a complex R+P ending efficiently.
• Loss vs Arysya – R vs N ending still winning, but you repeated checks and flagged.

Action item: 15-minute weekly drill of basic rook endings with 10 sec on the clock. The muscle memory will pay off in blitz.

Action Plan (4-Week Cycle)

1. Daily 5-minute pre-blitz warm-up: solve three 30-second tactics to sharpen pattern recall.
2. Twice per week: review one of your flagged games, pause at +4 positions, and set Stockfish depth 10. Ask “What is the cleanest conversion?”
3. Weekly: play two 10 + 0 games focusing on time-buffer discipline. Blitz speed improves when slower time controls teach you optimal clock allocation.
4. After 25 games with 1…d6, analyse frequency of early …g5/…h5 pawn pushes. Goal: keep reckless pawn storms under 20 %.

Implementing even half of the above should lift your win-rate by ~3-5 % and, more importantly, reduce frustrating flag losses.

Keep the fire burning!

All the best in your upcoming sessions, and feel free to share new games for further feedback.