Kristyna Laurincova WFM

Hi Kristýna!

Congratulations on a string of energetic victories—your attacking play in the recent Caro-Kann games (e.g. vs bleskpt) shows real tactical flair. Below is a focused roadmap to help you reach your next plateau (1876 (2020-04-19) incoming!).

1. What you’re already doing well

• Kingside pawn storms after opposite castling. In several wins you timed the h- and g-pawns perfectly, opening files for heavy pieces.
• Piece activity > material. You willingly return pawns for open lines, and it often pays off with direct mates (see move 25 Rxf8# vs BleskPT).
• Tactical awareness. Forks like 15…Nxc2+!! in your Black win were cleanly calculated.

2. Biggest growth areas

a) Time management

Four of your last five losses were on time despite playable positions. Even in 3 + 2 you often hit <10 seconds with 20 + moves left.

• Adopt a three-speed thinking routine:
  1. Opening (0-10 moves) – move in <5 s when still in book.
  2. Critical moments – spend up to 30 s (use increments).
  3. Simple recaptures / forced moves – trust your calculation, move in <10 s.
• Practice “one-minute drills”: play 1 | 1 games focused only on moving fast with solid structure, not on winning.

b) Black repertoire vs 1.e4

Most miniatures you lost began with the Najdorf: 6.Bg5 e5 7.Bxf6 gxf6 … leaving weakened dark squares and zero development.

c) Handling early queen raids (Slav & English losses)

Opponents lured your queen/bishop away with Qb3/Qxb7 ideas. Remember the principle: “attack the queen, gain tempi, finish development.”

• After 7.Qb3 in the Slav, the main reply is 7…a5!? only after …Ra7 or …Na6 systems. Simpler: play 7…Qc7 or 7…dxc4 and castle.
• Set up a blunder-check ritual whenever your opponent’s queen enters your half: “What undefended piece/pawn can I save with tempo?”

d) Converting long endings

Your wins end before move 30; unfinished endings cost points when the attack fizzles. Study one classical endgame theme per week: opposition, outside passed pawn, rook behind passed pawn, etc.

3. Targeted training plan

1. Openings – build a compact Black repertoire: download 20 model Caro-Kann games and play them in analysis mode. Try the same pawn-storm plans you love as White but from the Black side (opposite-side castling often occurs!).
2. Tactics – 15 minutes/day on motifs you actually miss: deflection, intermediate moves, back-rank tricks. Use the “flip board” option so you learn to spot ideas against you.
3. Endgames – solve 3 rook-and-pawn studies each weekend; annotate where you moved too slowly or chased pawns needlessly.
4. Practical play – alternate 10 | 0 (for quality) with 3 | 2 (for speed). Track results in
   and
   to spot fatigue patterns.

4. Quick inspiration corner

Replay your crisp mate vs BleskPT and ask, “Why did each move work?”

5. Closing thought

Your attacking instincts are strong—polish the foundations (time, openings, endgames) and the tactical fireworks will shine even brighter. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!