Mikhail Demidov GM

Mikhail Demidov – Personal Feedback & Action Plan

You are consistently playing at a very high blitz level, and the sample of recent games confirms both your dynamic style and the specific situations where points are slipping away. Below is a concise review of your current form, followed by an actionable training menu.

1. What You Are Already Doing Well

• Active piece play straight out of the opening. In nearly every PGN you reach early central tension with pieces aggressively posted (e.g. 14…Nb4! in your win vs michaelq2d5). Your sense for initiative is a core asset.
• Tactical alertness. You spot intermediate moves and resourceful counters even when low on time – see 28…Nxf4!! in the same game, turning defence into attack.
• Practical decision-making. In complex positions you rarely drift; instead you choose forcing lines that keep the opponent calculating under the 3-minute time limit.

2. Recurring Issues to Address

• Converting advantages. In several lost games you were objectively better but let the initiative go (e.g. vs snowlord on 15 May where 30…Nxd3 31.Rxd3 Qa6? allowed White’s passed g-pawn).
• Time pressure (“Zeitnot”). Many critical blunders occurred with <10 s on your clock. Even a 5-second reserve would have changed the result in at least two of the losses.
• King safety during pawn storms. Your own pawn pushes (g- and h-pawns) create chances but also dark-square weaknesses around Kf1/Kg1. Opponents have exploited this with …Qh4 or …Qg2 mates.
• Endgame accuracy. The resignation vs EddieMarsalla was unnecessary; the 4-vs-3 same-side pawn ending was drawable. This hints at insufficient confidence in technical endings.

3. Priority Training Menu (Next 14 Days)

1. Clock Discipline Drill. Play 10 blitz games forcing yourself to spend no more than 20 s on any single move before move 30. Review how this affects blunder rate.
2. Structured Endgame Review.
   • Session 1 – Basic king-and-pawn technique (opposition, outside passer).
   • Session 2 – Rook endings: side checks & bridge building.
   Use 15-minute study blocks on each, then test with Lichess or Chess.com drills.
3. Dark-Square Safety Theme. Solve 50 tactics filtered for “mate on dark squares” to sharpen prophylactic vision when advancing flank pawns.
4. “Two-Result Positions.” In winning middlegames aim to trade queens only when it leads to a simplified position you know you can convert quickly; otherwise keep attack alive. Add a note to your repertoire file as a reminder.

4. Micro-Notes on the Latest Games

Most recent win vs michaelq2d5 (2 Jun) – Excellent switch from queenside pressure to the decisive kingside assault starting with 27…Nh5!. In future, consider 33…g5 immediately; it forces White’s queen off f-file and avoids later complications.

Most recent loss vs snowlord (15 May) – Critical moment on move 35. Instead of 35…Bxe5? (trading the key dark-square bishop), keep pieces: 35…Bf8! and Black consolidates. The underlying issue was rushing under 40 s. Insert a quick “safety check” routine before exchanging your best defender.

5. Strength Snapshot

• Peak blitz rating: 3031 (2025-02-22)
• Tactical hit rate by hour:

6. Motivation Boost

You are already outperforming 99.9 % of blitz players. By patching the endgame leaks and adding 5-10 s of clock management discipline, you should break the next rating plateau with ease.

Good luck with the training, and feel free to send me the next batch of games for follow-up!