Olivia Smith WFM

Hi Olivia Smith!

Congratulations on maintaining an upper-1800 to low-1900 blitz rating (2130 (2022-10-27)). Your results show that you can beat 1900–2000 players convincingly, yet you sometimes drop points against lower-rated opposition. Below is a focused action plan based on your last few games.

1. What you already do well

• Opening variety & surprise value. You handle 1.d4 systems (London, Queen’s Gambit Accepted) as well as 1.e4 (Rossolimo, Ruy López, Alekhine). This keeps opponents guessing.
• Tactical alertness. Your 21…Qh2# miniature against justsyfy showcased classic mating-net technique: distraction (…Nc4), line opening (…b5) and decisive queen entry.
• Initiative-first mindset. You’re happy to sacrifice pawns for activity (e.g., …e5 in the Accelerated London, …f5 in the Jaenisch-style Ruy López). This is an asset—keep it!

2. Recurring problems & quick fixes

• Time management. Five of your last seven losses were on time—even in equal or better positions. Try the “30-20-10” rule: aim to have ≥ 30 s after the opening, ≥ 20 s entering the middlegame, ≥ 10 s for the endgame. Practise one-minute “move-on-every-beat” drills to hard-wire faster decision making.
• Pawn-push addiction. Games vs goldinspiredphoenix & dimitar80 show early a- and h-pawn thrusts that weakened your own king and cost tempi. Ask yourself before pushing a rook pawn: “What fresh square will this create for a piece right now?” If the answer is none, restrain the pawn.
• Loose conversions. In multiple wins you were completely winning but still allowed counter-play. Adopt a “freeze-improve-convert” checklist:
  1) Freeze counter-play (cover back-rank, stop passed pawns).
  2) Improve worst piece.
  3) Only then calculate the kill.

3. Opening micro-targets

4. Critical moment examples

Fast win snapshot (Black vs justsyfy):

…Nd3! 14.b4 Ba7 15.Bc2 Ne5 16.Na3 Qd6 17.Bb3 b5 18.Nc2 Rac8 19.Nd4 Nc4 20.a4 Bb8
21.axb5 Qh2# 
  

Good pattern: create multiple threats (…Nc4 hit b2 & e3) then swing queen to h-file. Bank this pattern.

Time-forfeit loss (Black vs willc-h99): After 22…Ne4 you were objectively fine, yet you spent 20 s on 24…e5?! and flagged. In low-material races simplify first (22…Rxa6! 23.Bxa6 Rxa6 equal) and trust your endgame technique.

5. Training menu for the next 4 weeks

1. Daily 10-minute bullet-proofing: play 3 games of 1|0 focusing only on safe quick moves. Goal: instinctive replies under 3 seconds.
2. Structured tactics: 20 positions/day, theme “interference & clearance” (the motif behind …Qh2#). Rate each attempt A/B/C to track accuracy.
3. Endgame checkpoint: Revisit basic rook vs pawn endings. Your flagged games often reach R+P endings—automatic technique saves time.
4. Opening journal: After every session jot one position where you felt unsure; add a single engine-checked line. Small bites improve memory retention.

6. Motivation corner

Your hourly performance curve shows clear hot streaks around 19:00-21:00 your local time (

Keep up the energy, Olivia! Addressing the time-pressure issue alone will add ~60 rating points. Combine that with shoring up pawn-push discipline and you’ll be challenging the 2000 barrier soon.

Good luck, and see you at the board!