loomju

Hi loomju – personalised training feedback

Congratulations on sustaining a solid rapid rating around 1700 (1779 (2025-09-04)). Your games show bold tactics and a growing understanding of critical pawn breaks. Below are concrete points to reinforce what is working and to patch the leaks that keep showing up.

1. Opening phase

• White vs Sicilian. In the recent loss to kkwang1 (Taimanov) you chased a and fell behind in development. Adopt the rule “connect rooks before collecting loose pawns.” Build a repertoire line you trust (6.Be3/Be2 or 6.g3) and study one master game per day for a week.
• Black choices. Your Caro-Kann and French scores are positive, but several defeats featured early …g5/…h5. Before committing flank pawns, ask “Which piece is undeveloped?” and prioritise that move instead.

2. Middlegame habits

• Tactical eye. The mating sequence 21…Qxf2⁺ 22.Kh1 Qxg2# shows sharp calculation. Continue daily puzzle rush but include slow, deep puzzles to balance speed with accuracy.
• Prophylaxis. A recurring problem is neglecting the opponent’s counter-play (e.g., allowing 25.Nf5⁺ in your loss). Add a quick “opponent’s threat?” checkpoint to every move. See Prophylaxis.
• Pawn breaks. You time …d5 and …c5 well; now focus on evaluating the resulting structure. After each game, freeze at the moment you break and ask: “Was the position better, equal, or worse five moves later?”

3. Endgame technique

• Several wins finished after the opponent disconnected rather than through clean technique (FelipeCain game). Drill basic rook endings (Philidor, Lucena) until you can set them up in under 30 seconds.
• When clearly winning, look for piece trades that simplify; don’t cling to the attack if a won ending is available.

4. Time management

Clock usage graphs (

) show heavy front-loading: you often have < 2 minutes by move 25. Practise the 30-30-40 rule: 30 % of your time for the first 15 moves, 30 % for the next 15, leaving 40 % for conversion.

5. Targeted homework

1. Annotate the critical phase of your Taimanov loss without an engine, then compare.
   
2. Create a flash-card pack of typical Sicilian tactics: Nxb5, Bxe6⁺, exchange sac on c3, etc.
3. Once a week, analyse one of your own wins to find missed opportunities; this prevents overconfidence.

Progress tracker

Keep nurturing your tactical flair, add a layer of prophylactic thinking, and smoother endgame technique will carry you to the next milestone. Good luck with your training, and feel free to share your next batch of games!