Coach Chesswick
Quick summary
Francisco — nice work staying active and keeping your rating trend upward. Your opening preparation and practical feel in complex Sicilian and French types are clear strengths. Below I highlight what you do well, the recurring problems in recent blitz games, and a short training plan you can use over the next two weeks.
If you want to review your most instructive loss, open this game: Review this loss vs gao_1111.
What you are doing well
- Opening knowledge: you consistently reach promising middlegame structures from the Sicilian, French and Caro-Kann. Your stats show high win rates in the Dragon and Najdorf lines which is a big plus. See Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation and French Defense: Advance Variation.
- Aggressive intent: you generate kingside play and pawn storms quickly. That creates practical problems for opponents in blitz and gets you many wins.
- Consistency and volume: your large sample of games and positive short-term trend (recent rating gains) mean your methods work — keep refining them.
Recurring issues seen in recent blitz games
- Time management under pressure. In several games you spend too much time in complicated middlegames then make tactical oversights late. In blitz it is often better to simplify if you are low on time.
- Tactical oversights in open positions. Example: in the loss above you allow a decisive tactical reply around move thirty. Re-check that sequence with this link: Review the tactical sequence.
- Pawn overextension and weak squares. Pawn storms are a strength, but when your pawns advance without piece support you create targets on the flank and open files for opponent rooks and queens.
- Conversion and endgame technique. You have excellent fighting spirit, but converting small advantages into wins and avoiding stalemate traps (see the drawn stalemate vs TYLIO) needs attention.
- Back-rank and coordination errors. In blitz you sometimes miss an opponent counter-check or rook infiltration. Watch for those patterns and give priority to king safety and rook mobility (think Back Rank and Active piece).
Concrete 2-week training plan
- Daily (20–30 minutes): tactics puzzles focusing on calculation and pattern recognition. Solve mixed puzzles but emphasize mates, forks and discovered attacks.
- 3 times per week (30–45 minutes): rapid post-mortem of one lost/drawn game. Pick a concrete blunder or critical moment and ask Why did it happen? Use the links: Loss vs adam657 and Loss vs FM_Elbek.
- Twice per week (15 minutes): endgame drills — king and pawn versus king, basic rook endgames (Lucena and Philidor basics). These improve conversion rates.
- Weekly (2 blitz sessions): play 5+5 blitz but immediately review critical positions afterwards — don’t just play volume without targeted review.
- Opening micro-work (2 sessions): pick one Sicilian line you play and review 3 typical plans and one tactical trap to avoid. Keep your repertoire sharp rather than expanding it now.
Practical blitz tips to apply immediately
- When low on time simplify where safe. Trades reduce calculation and increase chances to flag the opponent.
- Before every pawn push ask What piece will defend this pawn? If the answer is unclear, delay the push.
- Force candidate checks for the opponent. Ask yourself each move Does this leave a back rank or weak-square tactic? (think Back Rank).
- Prioritize piece activity over material when practical. An active piece often creates more threats and practical chances than a small pawn edge (remember Active piece).
- If you see a complex tactical sequence, try to force exchanges to a clearer position if you are short on time.
Follow up and next steps
- Review these specific recent games — the most useful are: loss vs gao_1111, loss vs adam657 and the drawn stalemate tylio game.
- After you review, pick one recurring mistake and make it the focus of the next week (for example time management or pawn weaknesses).
- When you want, send one game with your notes and I will do a short targeted post-mortem: key moments, missed tactics, and a line-by-line checklist you can use in future blitz games.
Keep up the work. Your opening foundation and recent rating gains give you an excellent base to push higher — tighten the time play and tactical acceptance and you will convert more of your advantages into wins.