Coach Chesswick
Hi Kuple86 – personalised post-game insights
1. Quick performance snapshot
- Your current rapid strength sits around 1338 (2023-05-16).
- Consistent activity – see and for your most productive playing windows.
- Recent score: 5 wins / 5 losses (sample above) – a healthy balance for learning.
2. What you’re already doing well
- Fighting spirit: Many of your victories come from positions that were equal or even slightly worse (e.g. 26…Rc1+ in your win vs walidmasrouki). You stay resourceful until the end.
- Piece activity over material: In several games you gave a pawn back to keep the initiative – a good practical mindset at your rating.
- Unorthodox openings: Lines like the Bird (1 f4) and Owen’s Defence (…b6) confuse opponents who rely on memorisation.
3. The biggest improvement levers
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Opening hygiene – stop drifting into trouble fast
• Loss vs Laqza: after 5 …Nh6?! 6 Bxh6 Bxh6 7 Qxf7+ you were busted in nine moves.
• Loss vs black69jesus: early …Bg4 allowed White’s e4–d5–Qxd4 fork without compensation.
Action: build a “first ten-move script” for White and Black. Two solid choices will do:- With White: add a principled 1 e4 repertoire (Italian or Scotch) so you always castle by move 7.
- With Black: vs 1 e4 play Scandinavian (…Qxd5 3…Qa5) or French; vs 1 d4 stick to QGD set-up (…d5, …e6, …Nf6, …Be7, …O-O).
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Tactical blunders – pattern drilling needed
Many defeats stem from missed forks, pins, or back-rank mates rather than deep strategy.- Example: in the Chigorin loss you missed 16…Rd3! 17 Rxa4 Rxd4 picks up the bishop safely but later hung pieces.
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Endgame technique & stamina
• Many wins are on time rather than checkmate.
• The 105-move marathon vs black69jesus shows difficulty converting extra pawns.
Action: learn the “finishing kit”:- King + pawn vs king races – opposition & square of the pawn.
- Basic rook endings: Lucena & Philidor.
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Time management
You often drop from 9 minutes to 3 minutes before move 20, then rely on opponent’s flag. Try the “20-40-40 rule”:- First 15 moves – spend ≤20 % of your clock.
- Middlegame – 40 %.
- Last 20 moves – 40 %.
4. Model combination to emulate
From your win vs walidmasrouki – a nice exploitation of open files and king activity:
5. Four-week action plan
- Week 1: Finalise opening notes (see section 3-1) – play 15 rapid games only in those lines.
- Week 2: Daily 20 tactical puzzles + review with engine why first candidate fails.
- Week 3: Watch one short video or article on rook endings; recreate positions vs engine.
- Week 4: Self-assessment: refresh your personal mistake list; add one new study topic like Prophylaxis.