Hi Kincső — quick summary of these recent games
Well done converting two clean wins by generating piece activity and constant threats (see wins vs is-z and elefante161183). Your most recent loss vs jvegmie2034 ended with a tactical knight check that exploited weaknesses around your king — a common blitz pattern. Below I highlight strengths, what went wrong in that loss, and a compact plan to fix it.
What you’re doing well
- Fast tactical vision. You regularly spot forks, penetration to the 7th/8th rank and double‑attack motifs — that wins blitz games.
- Active piece coordination. You bring rooks and queen into the attack quickly and punish passive setups by the opponent.
- Versatile openings. You can play semi-open systems and switch gears when opponents surprise you, which keeps them uncomfortable.
- Finishing instinct. When the king is exposed you prioritise checks and forcing lines rather than simplifying too early.
Primary reason for the loss (plain language)
The loss came from a short tactical sequence where your king had limited escape squares and an enemy knight/check invaded. In simple terms: small pawn/placement moves created holes and you were short on prophylaxis against checks and forks.
Concrete fixes — what to practice and why
- One extra second rule: before any pawn push or quiet queen move ask: “What checks, captures or forks does my opponent gain?” If the answer includes a check or fork, re-evaluate.
- Back-rank awareness: when rooks are still on the back rank, avoid weakening front pawns around your king. Practice simple luft or rook lifts as standard responses. See Back Rank.
- React to enemy knights early: if a knight is approaching your king-side, either trade it or create escape squares immediately — don’t wait to see if the tactic lands.
- Post-game review discipline: after each loss identify the first move that created the tactical vulnerability and write one sentence why it was a problem.
Drills & short practice (15–30 minutes/day)
- Tactics (15 min): focus on forks, discovered attacks and back-rank mates. Stop after 3 mistakes and review them carefully.
- Prophylaxis positions (5–10 min): set up 6 king-side positions where a knight or queen threatens to invade; practise the correct defensive motif (trade, luft, block).
- Endgame polish (10 min): rook vs. rook, king + pawn basics — converting small advantages prevents losses when tactics fail.
- One game review (15 min): choose a recent loss and annotate moves 10–25 with one question per move (Why this move? What did it change?).
Two‑week focused plan
- Week 1 — defence & tactics:
- Daily tactics (forks/back-rank) + 1 game review before using an engine.
- Play 6 blitz games focusing on avoiding unnecessary pawn moves around the king.
- Week 2 — practical application:
- Daily: 15 minutes of endgame practice + 10 minutes solving positional puzzles.
- Play 4 rapid (10+5) games where your explicit target is to keep the king safe and convert technical advantages.
Short checklist to use during blitz (stick on your screen)
- Before a pawn push near your king: “Which squares did I weaken?”
- When an enemy knight heads to your camp: consider trade or make luft/rook lift immediately.
- If the opponent has an active queen: trade or block lines rather than ignoring it.
- Winning material? Pause to check for immediate counterchecks or perpetuals.
Study references & openings to revisit
- Model Pirc games to learn patient pawn breaks and prophylaxis: Pirc Defense.
- Short clips or puzzles on back-rank mates and deflection tactics: revise Back Rank motifs.
- Replay your Alapin/Sicilian wins and ask: “How did activity compensate for structural issues?”
Immediate actions (today)
- 15 minutes: tactical puzzles focused on forks and back-rank mates.
- 10 minutes: replay the decisive sequence from your loss and underline the first move that created the hole.
- Play one 10+5 game emphasizing king safety — force yourself to skip risky pawn breaks until pieces are developed.
Final encouragement
Your tactical speed and willingness to create threats are real strengths. If you add a small dose of defensive discipline (the extra second rule + simple prophylaxis) you’ll convert many tight losses into wins. If you want, I can make a 7‑day micro-schedule with exact puzzles and one annotated game — tell me which game to annotate.