Kiren Vivek Nasta NM

Quick summary

Nice sharp play in your recent blitz session — you keep finding active attacking ideas (especially against kingside setups) and you’re willing to calculate forcing lines. At the same time time trouble and some endgame technique cost you a couple of games. Below are concrete points you did well, key leaks to fix, and short drills you can use right away.

Highlight: what you did well

• Active attacking instincts — you repeatedly create threats against the enemy king (example: the sacrifice and Rxf7+ finish in your win vs Artem Alek Fedorov).
• Good opening familiarity — you arrive at middlegames you know well and then press with thematic pawn storms and piece activity (Sicilian Defense lines feature prominently).
• Tactical awareness under pressure — you spot forks, captures and decisive checks quickly in blitz; you convert concrete chances when the opponent blunders.
• Practical decision-making: you choose simplifying tactics when appropriate rather than trying to win on subtle long-term advantages.

Main weaknesses to address

• Time management / clock handling — a couple of losses came from running low on time or collapsing in long endgames. In blitz you need a simpler plan when the clock is the real opponent.
• Endgame technique — when games reached rook-and-pawn or minor-piece endgames you sometimes missed the fastest path to a draw or the simplest conversion. Practice the basic rook endgames and common king-and-pawn setups.
• Pawn overextension in attacking play — pushing too many pawns around your king or the center can create weak squares the opponent exploits. Keep at least one safe flight square when launching a kingside assault.
• Occasional tactical blunders in chaotic positions — you do well tactically overall, but in very sharp messes a hanging piece or missed intermezzo pops up. Slow down one extra second on ambiguous captures.

Concrete examples (from your recent games)

• Win vs Artem Alek Fedorov — Great use of centralizing rooks and then breaking through with a decisive sacrifice on f7. That shows both calculation and pattern recognition; reinforce this by studying king‑hunt motifs and typical f7/f2 sacrifices.
• Loss vs Indy Southcott-Moyers — ended up losing on time in a complex endgame. The position had many checks and passed pawns; with more endgame familiarity and simpler plans under the clock you can convert or hold these positions more reliably.
• Games vs strong attackers (e.g., Meri Arabidze) — watch the tactical shots around your king and avoid weakening pawn moves that open lines toward your king too early.
• Replay a key winning line:
• Embedded mini‑replay of the tactical win (play through quickly to internalize motifs):

Short checklist — things to practice this week

• 10–15 minutes daily tactics (focus on mates and winning material patterns): aim for accuracy, not speed.
• 30 minutes of targeted endgames twice this week: rook + pawn vs rook, basic king + pawn, and opposition/triangulation basics.
• Play a few rapid (10|3 or 15|10) games to practice the same opening plans without extreme clock pressure; this helps internalize ideas you then use in blitz.
• In blitz, if your clock < 40s: switch to a one‑move plan—pick a safe, straightforward move instead of calculating long variations.

Opening advice (practical, blitz‑friendly)

• When you take Sicilian structures, prioritize piece activity and one clear pawn break rather than dozens of flank pawn moves. See Sicilian Defense plans: central break + rook on open file.
• Against the Caro‑Kann and closed center games keep your pieces aimed at the opponent’s weak squares and avoid unnecessary pawn pushes near your king—this reduces tactical backfires.
• Build a 3–5 move “fast plan” for each opening line you play in blitz (develop, castle, pick a break square). When low on time execute that plan immediately.

Practical drills (10–30 minutes each)

• Tactics set: 20 puzzles in 20 minutes — mark the ones you miss and review patterns.
• Endgame blitz: 10 positions of rook endings; practice converting/defending with a 5-minute clock with 3s increment (repeat until comfortable).
• One‑phase training: play 10 blitz games but force yourself to spend at least 5 seconds on every critical capture or check — builds the habit of not blundering in messes.

Next-session game plan

• Start with a 5–10 minute warmup of tactics.
• Play a 10|3 session: use your main opening repertoire but impose the “fast plan” rule when under 40 seconds.
• After the session, pick 2 lost games and go through them slowly: find the one moment that changed evaluation and write down the better plan.

Final note — quick habits to form

• Before every move ask: “Is any piece currently hanging?” — this single question prevents many blitz blunders.
• When ahead on material, simplify and trade down; when behind, keep complexity and create targets.
• Treat the clock as an opponent: if you feel the time slipping, choose solid simple moves rather than speculative tactics.

If you want, I can: (a) annotate one of your recent games move-by-move, (b) create a 2‑week training plan tailored to your openings, or (c) build a 30–position tactics drill from patterns you miss most — tell me which.