Alexander Kopylov IM

Overview and quick take

You recently played a mix of tactical, dynamic middlegames and some clean endgame conversion in blitz. You showed good resilience under time pressure and were able to press for winning chances in complex positions. A few games featured sharp attacks or tactical sequences where your calculation paid off. With a small but focused adjustment plan, you can turn more of these sharp moments into consistent wins.

If you’d like to review your profile or track progress, you can check alexander_kopylov.

What you did well

• Active piece play in complex middlegames and willingness to take calculated risks when the position allows.
• Strong performance under time pressure in several games, including converting a tense moment into a decisive win.
• Ability to carry momentum into the endgame and convert small advantages into victories in multiple games.

Areas to improve

• Time management in blitz: Aim to establish a clear plan early and limit deep calculations to 2–3 forcing lines per position. Structure your choice: first assess the plan, then confirm tactic/power moves, and finally check for opponent threats.
• Endgame conversion: In positions with material advantage, keep rooks coordinated and aim to simplify toward a straightforward win (rook activity, king activity, and pawn structure) instead of trading into unclear endgames.
• Defensive alertness: In certain losses, you faced strong counterplay or mating nets. Build a small “defensive resource” library—patterns to neutralize threats, typical counterplay ideas, and prophylaxis to prevent counterattacks.
• Consistency across openings: You play a broad set of openings. Bolster a core repertoire for blitz with solid middlegame plans, so you can transition quickly from the opening to a clear plan.

Opening choices to lean on

Your openings performance suggests strong potential in certain systems. Consider narrowing to a core repertoire for blitz and study two to three lines deeply to improve transition to middlegames. Notable performers in your data include:

• Sicilian Defense: Closed — high win rate, good for dynamic, plan-driven play. Sicilian Defense: Closed
• London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation — solid and versatile, suited for practical blitz play. London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation
• French Defense: Exchange Variation — reliable and solid, a good fallback against 1.e4. French Defense: Exchange Variation

Other openings such as Caro-Kann, Four Knights Game, and the broader French/Sicilian families also show promise. Focus on a small core and add a couple of surprise lines as needed.

Strength Adjusted Win Rate and planning

Your current strength-adjusted win rate sits around 0.50, which is typical for blitz but leaves room for improvement. A practical path is to trade some breadth for depth in your opening choices and middlegame plans, then work on tactical sharpness and endgame technique to convert more of those close calls into wins.

Practice plan and next steps

• Pick 2–3 core openings (for example, Sicilian Closed, London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation, and French Exchange) and study their typical middlegame plans for blitz. Use Sicilian Defense: Closed and London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation as references to start building templates.
• Daily tactical work: 15–20 puzzles focusing on long forcing lines and endgame themes, to speed up calculation under time pressure.
• After each blitz session, review 2–3 critical moments. Write down a better plan, a missed tactic, and a defensive resource you could have used.
• Endgame drills: practice rook endgames and common minor-piece endings to improve conversion of advantages.
• Incremental practice: in the next 2–4 weeks, rotate through your core openings with concrete middlegame plans and pre-manned counterplay ideas to reduce time spent on decision-making.

Would you like a tailored drill plan?

Tell me which two openings you want to deepen for blitz, and I’ll generate a focused 14-day drill plan with puzzles, key middlegame ideas, and a game-review template to use after each session.