Qi b Chen IM

Quick summary for Qi b Chen

Good momentum recently — your rating trend and recent wins show strong improvement. Your play in rapid games is producing concrete results, but a few recurring issues are costing you games against stronger opposition. Below are focused, actionable points to keep your progress steady.

Recent game highlights (click to inspect)

Key recent win (clean endgame conversion after active rook play):

• Opponent: basem shaban
• Opening: Indian Game / Pirc-type structure (you handled the kingside pawn storm well)
• Replayable game:

Recent loss to study: Opponent hashiresoriyo — lost after a pawn breakthrough and dangerous passed pawns on the h-file and a queue of promotions.

What you're doing well

• Active piece play: you consistently activate rooks and use open files to create practical chances — this is why you win many endgames.
• Pawn breaks: you look for and execute central and queenside breaks at useful moments (keeps the position dynamic).
• Momentum & improvement: your recent rating slope and +139 rating change show real, steady progress. Keep building on that.
• Opening variety: you play a good mix (Sicilian Najdorf lines, Scandinavian, Gruenfeld positions) which prevents predictability.

Recurring weaknesses to fix

• King safety in middlegames — several losses happened after your king became exposed when the center opened. Prioritize timely king moves or piece blocks before launching attacks.
• Allowing passed pawns — in losses opponents generated connected passed pawns (especially on the h-file). Watch pawn pushes that you cannot stop with existing pieces.
• Calculation under pressure — in faster time controls you sometimes miss the opponent's simple tactics (promotions, forks). Slow down one extra second on forcing sequences.
• Endgame technique vs queening races — when pawns are marching, evaluate whose king and rook activity matter more; you must assess whether to trade pieces or blockade the passed pawn early.

Opening notes (short, practical)

Targets based on your opening performance:

• For Sicilian Najdorf lines: consolidate one reliable anti-Najdorf setup. You had mixed results — reduce novelty experiments in tournament games until you know the typical plans by heart. Consider studying Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation.
• Scandinavian & simple Q exchanges: those games show quick success — keep these as practical weapons when you want solid play and fewer theory traps. See Scandinavian Defense.
• When you get queens off early, plan transitions to rook + pawn endgames — you convert well when your rooks are active.

Tactical patterns to drill

• Passed pawn racing and blockade patterns — practice positions where one side has a distant passed pawn and the defender must blockade with piece(s).
• Queen vs minor-piece tactics — study mating nets and skewers that arise when the enemy king is exposed after you trade queens.
• Rook activity on 7th / open files — exercises where doubling/swinging rooks win material or create decisive threats.

Endgame & practical play

• When ahead: trade into rook-and-pawn endgames only when your king is centralized and you can create a passed pawn or invade on the seventh rank.
• When behind: keep rooks and queens on to maximize swindling chances, look for checks and perpetual possibilities, and avoid pawn races you cannot win.
• Always count promotion squares when pawns are running on the flank — in your loss the opponent queened because the promotion path was underestimated.

Time management & practical tips

• You perform better when you invest an extra 5–10 seconds on critical captures and king moves — avoid quick auto-moves in sharp positions.
• In positions with long pawn chains or blocked centers, spend your time to create a plan (which pawn break, which piece to reroute).
• Set a simple in-game checklist: (1) any immediate captures? (2) king safety? (3) opponent threats? (4) candidate move list of 2–3 options.

Concrete next steps (one-week plan)

• Daily: 15–20 tactical puzzles (focus: passed pawns, rook endgames, queen forks).
• 3 study sessions: review 3 losses — replay them slowly and write down the turning moment and the alternative you missed.
• Opening: pick one Najdorf line and learn the typical middlegame plans (one 30–45 minute study session).
• Play: 10 rapid games and after each, note one thing you did well and one mistake to fix.

Keep it motivating

Your strength-adjusted win rate around 47% and recent upward slope show you're on the right path. Small, consistent drills on passed-pawn races and king safety will yield more rating gains than random opening blunders. Stick to the one-week plan and review one loss deeply after each play session.

If you want — I can:

• Annotate one loss and one win move-by-move with clear “if/then” plans.
• Build a 4-week training schedule focused on endgames and Najdorf middlegames.
• Send a short quiz (5 positions) each day tailored to your recent mistakes.