Thal Abergel GM

Hi Thal, here’s a focused review of your recent blitz sessions

You are currently hovering near your personal best of 2536 (2018-11-26). Your results show a healthy win-rate (see

What you’re doing particularly well

• Early initiative & surprise value. In several French and Scandinavian wins you used provocative queen moves (e.g. 2.Qe2, 3.Qh5 vs …e6 e5) to drag the opponent out of theory and seize the first tactical blow.
• Tactical alertness. Your conversion against Arkhipenko_Daniil featured accurate material grabs (20.Qxb7, 21.Qxa7) while keeping the king safe, and the precise sequence 31.c3–32.cxd4! under time pressure.
• Piece activity in simplified positions. The win versus AlphaZ3r0 shows excellent awareness of dominating squares: 16.Nc6, 18.Ne4, 19.Nd6+ created a bind that survived the mass exchanges.

Recurring issues to fix

• Kingside safety in the Sicilian. All three recent losses as Black arose from Scheveningen structures where White played the “g4–h4” storm. Moves such as 13…Rc8 and 18…Qb5 ignored the essential counter-thrust …h6 or …g6. Review model games by Kramnik–Anand (2008) to internalise the correct defensive plans.
• Static evaluation in endgames. In the Grünfeld loss to valdesuti you resigned a pawn race that was still tenable: 38…h2! 39.a8=Q+ Kg7 keeps drawing chances. Add a daily dose of pawn-endgame puzzles; they will pay dividends.
• Clock management. Roughly 40 % of your decisive results are determined by the clock. Notice how you dropped below 10 s as early as move 25 against Agoking701, forcing superficial replies like 30…e5?. Try the “10 second rule”: invest at least 10 s on any move that changes the pawn structure or opens a file.
• Prophylaxis & forcing replies. Too often you play an automatic capture and only then ask, “What can my opponent do?” Insert one extra glance for hidden zwischenzugs and mating nets (e.g. 42.Qg7# arose because 41…Be8? was played without checking the queen check on g7).

Action plan for the next two weeks

1. Opening clinic: Analyse 5–10 master games in the Scheveningen focusing on Black’s pawn breaks …d5 and …h6. Create a mini-repertoire file and blitz it vs the engine.
2. Endgame sprint: Solve 20 pawn-endgame studies on lichess.org/practice filter “king & pawn”. (Use 5 min timer per study to mimic game tension.)
3. Tactical diet: 30 mixed motifs/day. Mark every missed resource that involved a hidden defender or a quiet move—these are your blind spots.
4. Practical play: Switch half of your blitz games to the 3 + 2 pool. The increment forces you to finish winning positions instead of flagging opponents, sharpening technique.

Quick reference from your latest PGNs

• Most recent win miniature:
  
  
• Critical turning point of last loss:
  
  

You have the tactical vision of an attacking player; combine it with solid defensive technique and tighter time management and 2450+ blitz is within reach. Good luck, and feel free to send the next batch of games for review!