kosovel

Hi kosovel – here’s a personalised post-match review

Quick snapshot

• Current peak (Blitz): 2107 (2018-09-05)
• Typical session pattern:
   
• Main openings seen this week: Queen’s Gambit (Accepted & Declined), Old Indian, assorted French/Sicilian side lines.

What you already do well ✅

1. Piece activity over material. In several wins (e.g. the D20 game vs loloso) you willingly gave up a-pawns to seize open files and coordinate rooks. That shows good practical judgement.
2. Handling of opposite-side pawn majorities. When you reached the RB v R ending (Move 37 …g6 vs loloso) you converted the passer calmly and kept the rook behind the pawn — textbook technique.
3. Fast tactical vision. You spot short-term forks and skewers quickly (e.g. 29…b4 in the JohnPolit game, fixing the knight and opening the c-file for a decisive queen jump).

Growth opportunities 🚀

1. Time management. Four of the last six losses were simply flag-outs in playable positions (abc8000, loloso, Hitttman, VBVROI).
   • Aim to start every game with a 20-second “time bank”: move quickly in familiar lines and spend the saved time only when a new position appears.
   • Train with 10 + 0 or 3 + 2 to break the “think-too-long-then-blitz” habit.
2. Pawn-push discipline. Several early flank pushes weakened you without gaining space:
   • Loss vs loloso (E00): 3. a3 and 4. c5 created holes on d5/e5 and fell behind in development.
   • Loss vs abc8000 (A40): 14. a4 and 15. b5 locked your own queenside and invited …Nc5 > …Nd3.
   Rule of thumb: “If my king is still in the centre, every pawn move needs a concrete tactical reason.” Ask yourself What squares will become weak if this pawn leaves?
3. Defensive calculation under pressure. In the Benoni loss to bonihargenz you allowed 17…Rxf3 because the g-pawn was pinned. Two moves earlier you could have prevented it:
   Here 16.Rd1 or 16.Be3 unpins the f-pawn and keeps the position equal. Add a quick “king-safety & loose-piece” scan to your move check-list before committing.
4. Opening repertoire focus. You often reach playable middlegames, but the first 12 moves cost a lot of clock time because your lines vary widely. Consider:
   • As White: build a stable 1.d4 system (e.g. London or Queen’s Gambit Declined) and study two model games per week.
   • As Black: your Queen’s Gambit Accepted results are strong — great! Pair it with a reliable reply to 1.e4 (your French/Sicilian hybrids look experimental). I’d suggest the French or Caro-Kann; both suit your solid center style.

Action plan for the next 14 days

1. Daily puzzle rush (3-min) until you consistently hit 28+. This reinforces fast pattern recognition so you conserve think-time for strategic moments.
2. Endgame mini-drills. Play ten R+P vs R endings against the computer. Your win vs loloso shows promise; make that technique bullet-proof.
3. Review one loss with engine & coach notes. Pick the abc8000 game first; identify why you chose each pawn push and what alternative kept flexibility.
4. Game quota: 5 longer games (15 + 10) per week. Rapid time-controls let you apply new opening lines without flagging.

Glossary refresh

Quick links you might find useful: Minor piece outpost, Isolated pawn, Prophylaxis, Zugzwang

Closing thought

You’re already playing at an 1800-plus level; smoothing out time trouble and early pawn loosening could easily net ~100 rating points. Keep the pieces active, trust your intuition, and give yourself enough clock to calculate the critical lines. Good luck in your next session!