Coach Chesswick
Hi Like962 — personalised post-game feedback
Quick overview
- Current form: solid tactical wins against 2550+ opponents, but a streak of fast-paced losses as White.
- Peak performance:
- Typical session times & results:
- Day-to-day consistency:
What you’re doing well
- Dynamic piece play. Your recent Sicilian win over siruntxa44 featured the instructive manoeuvre 20…Rac8! & 25…Bc4, constantly switching the bishop to the most active diagonal.
- Converting advantages. In both Scandinavian victories you simplified into favourable rook-and-pawn endgames and kept your technique clean.
Example finish (highlights only):
- Opening range as Black. You comfortably switch between the Sicilian ( …c5 ), Scandinavian ( …d5 ) and QGD setups, which makes you unpredictable.
Recurring problems
- King safety after early pawn pushes. Several losses start with g-pawn or h-pawn advances (e.g. 7.g3 vs aska04 and 7.g4 vs bruvski0708). The resulting dark-square holes invited tactics you could not answer in 3-minute time controls.
- Impulse sacrifices. Ideas such as 18.Rxf5?! (vs aska04) or 25.Nf6+!? (vs bruvski) weren’t objectively sound and cost material without sufficient compensation.
- Time management. You often reach critical positions with <20 seconds, after which blunders follow quickly. This is visible in all five recent defeats.
Targeted training plan
1. Openings (White)
- Adopt a main-line Slav/Catalan repertoire that keeps the centre solid and postpones wing pawn pushes.
Key idea: play 7.e3 instead of 7.g3 in the Slav to avoid early …dxc4 followed by …c5-c4. - Memorise critical branches only up to move 12; spend the next study phase on typical middlegame plans instead of exact moves.
2. Middlegame
- Daily tactics: mix of mate-in-2 and defensive puzzles (focus on “find the refutation”).
- Prophylaxis drills: after each opponent move, force yourself to ask “what is their threat?” before considering your own plans — this will reduce speculative sacs.
3. Endgame
- You convert advantages well; reinforce this strength by revising the Philidor and Lucena rook endgames (Philidor, Lucena).
4. Clock handling
- Play two 5 + 5 games for every set of 3 + 0 blitz sessions. The added increment trains you to calculate without panicking yet still keeps the pressure realistic.
- Adopt a micro-routine: If you are under 30 seconds, move on forcing replies (checks, captures, threats) rather than positional manoeuvres.
Next steps
• Analyse the full loss against aska04 with an engine, paying special attention to the position after 17.Bh5.
• Review the diagram below once, then replay it without a board — this strengthens visualisation:
• Schedule a follow-up coaching session in one week; bring two games where you felt completely in control and two where you felt lost early.
Stay motivated!
Your tactical eye is already master level — sharpen your defensive awareness and clock control, and a rating jump is inevitable. Good luck in your next matches!