Tatiana Bogumil WGM

Hi Tatiana!

Great job maintaining a high 1900-level blitz rating (2416 (2019-10-02)). Your recent games show excellent strategic understanding and a healthy fighting spirit. Below are some observations and actionable tips to help you push through the 2000 barrier.

What you’re already doing well ✅

• Solid opening repertoire. As White you favour 1.Nf3 and transition smoothly into English / Réti structures. This keeps the position flexible and avoids heavy theory.
• Piece activity. In a majority of your wins you place bishops on long diagonals early, then double rooks on open files (e.g. vs andrewwc).
• Practical tactics. Swindles such as 18.Rxf7+!! in your loss to 9Maestro9 show you’re willing to calculate sharp lines under time pressure; that same skill netted you wins like the 28…Qg6? 29.Qc7! tactic vs bluemcccc.

Key areas to improve 🔍

1. Time management.
   • Four of your last six losses were “lost on time” in roughly equal or unclear positions.
   • You often drop below 1 minute by move 25 while opponents still have >40 s.
   Training idea: play 3|2 or 5|0 for a week; force yourself to make a move every 4 seconds until move 15. This builds an internal clock and reduces early think-tank moves.
2. Converting advantages.
   Against dimtask you were up the exchange after 33.Qf5 but drifted into time trouble and lost. A similar pattern appeared vs joeysasa where you were only slightly worse but flagged.
   Training idea: Practise winning technical positions vs the computer on depth-3. Focus on keeping the initiative while using 30-second increments.
3. King safety in Modern/King’s Indian setups as Black.
   You adopt …g6 setups (Modern, Pirc ideas). Recent defeats (e.g. LisaOcs) featured back-rank mating nets and weak dark squares.
   Fix: Study 10 model games of the Modern Defence with …c6/…d5 setups to learn typical pawn breaks and piece placements.
4. Tactical vigilance in the middlegame.
   Missed shots like 18…Qxa4 (you found) but later 31…Qb3?? allowed White perpetual resources. Running a daily 15-minute session on Puzzles Rush Survival until you consistently score 35+ will sharpen calculation.

Quick opening tweaks 📚

• Réti / English (White): After 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4, prepare the plan with d4 sooner to avoid Black’s …c5 break which cost time vs dimtask.
• Modern Defence (Black): Consider the “Tiger Modern” pawn chain: …a6, …c6, …b5 to fight for space and keep the queenside safe.
• Van Geet games: When facing 1.Nc3, meeting 1…e5 rather than 1…b6 will give you faster development and reduce early pressure.

Suggested study plan (4-week cycle)

1. Week 1: Daily 30 min tactics + 10 blitz games with increment.
2. Week 2: Analyse 5 personal losses in depth; annotate critical moments and alternative moves.
3. Week 3: Endgame focus—rook vs pawn endings. Recreate positions like your win vs Naora12345 and play them vs engine defence.
4. Week 4: Play longer rapid (10|5) twice a week and apply the conversion techniques.

Progress tracker

Keep enjoying the game, stay mindful of the clock, and your next milestone of 2100 is within reach. Good luck, Tatiana!