Gianmarco Leiva Rodriguez IM

Hi Gianmarco!

First of all, congratulations on the steady climb to 2000+ in both blitz and rapid (2139 (2022-03-27)). Your recent wins show a clear strategic understanding of the Reti / King’s Indian Attack setups and an ability to convert long games when you keep the position under control.

What you’re already doing well

• Consistent opening framework. You reach comfortable middlegames quickly with Nf3–g3–Bg2–O-O. Your move-order tricks (e.g., c3–d4 or delaying d4) often neutralise …d5 lines.
• Central pawn breaks. In the win vs “khoilong” you used e4, c4, c5 and f-file pressure to clamp down and eventually crash through. Good feel for when to change pawn structure.
• Tactical alertness under pressure. Even in time scrambles you spotted resources such as 54.Nf6+!! and 65.Bc6#.

Key growth areas

1. Handling counter-punches on the queenside.
   In several losses (e.g., vs “Omer-Dalors”, move 18…Nc2! and 24…Rc2!) you allowed …Nc2/…Nb4 forks or counterplay on the b-file. Before launching kingside pawn storms, ask “what is my opponent’s most forcing reply?” – a basic Prophylaxis check.
2. Pawn-storm timing.
   Early h-pawn pushes (h4–h5) in the Modern/Robatsch game left dark-square weaknesses and cost material (…gxh5, …Qa5!). Consider delaying flank pawn advances until you are fully developed.
3. Endgame technique.
   Good endgames slip away when you trade into opposite-colored-bishop or R+P endings without a clear plan (e.g., 40…Rxh2 in the loss above). A weekly dose of “100 Endgames You Must Know” plus playing some 10-minute “endgame sparring” games will pay off quickly.
4. Time management.
   Four of the last seven losses were on time. You play most moves in one or two seconds early, then burn >20 seconds on a critical decision. Try the 30–10–30 rule:
   • First 10 moves – max 30 sec total (you know the lines).
   • Middlegame critical moments – spend up to 30 sec each, but only three times per game.
   • Leave at least 30 sec plus increment for any rook or pawn ending.

Action plan for the next month

• Play one training game each day in a different opening as Black (Scandinavian, French, Sicilian). This widens your pattern base and improves calculation.
• Solve 20 intermediate-level puzzles with a 3-minute timer to simulate game tension.
• Review every loss with an engine only after doing a self-annotation. Write down why you chose each move & what you missed.
• Track results:
  and
  . Identify which sessions give the best focus.

Two positions to revisit

1. vs “Omer-Dalors” – after 22…Nb4. Why is 23.Rxc8+ a mistake and what safe consolidation was available?
2. vs “108stefan108” – diagram after 11…Bxf3. Instead of 12.gxf3, can you keep the structure with 12.Qe3 or 12.dxc5?

Keep up the disciplined study and your rating will make the next jump soon. Good luck!