Quick summary
Nice work, Christiaan — many recent wins show a clear tactical eye and willingness to play for active chances instead of passively shuffling. You create pressure with rooks on open files and are comfortable launching direct attacks against castled kings. Below I highlight concrete strengths, recurring weaknesses I saw in your recent rapid wins, and a short training plan to keep improving.
What you do well
- Active piece play: you prioritize getting rooks to open files and aggressively use them on the second rank — that finishing pattern appears several times (see the game where Black finishes with Rfb2#).
- Good tactical awareness: you spot combinations and sacrifices that open lines and exploit loose kings (capturing on e2 / stepping into the enemy camp repeatedly).
- Opening success in specific systems: your numbers show very strong results with the Scandinavian and with sharp lines like Rapport‑Jobava and some Amazon Attack lines — you know your practical lines and get opponents into unfamiliar territory.
- Playing for initiative over material: you repeatedly accept dynamic imbalances (pawn structure plus active pieces) and convert them into decisive pressure rather than trying to hold extra material quietly.
Recurring weaknesses to fix
- Pawn-structure weaknesses from over‑ambitious pawn pushes — moves like advancing kingside pawns to open lines can work tactically, but sometimes leave lasting targets. Try to assess whether the pawn move gains more than it loses in long‑term squares and king safety.
- Occasional tunnel vision: once you see a winning tactic you go for it (good), but sometimes you underestimate the opponent’s counterplay or escape routes. A quick “what does my opponent threaten next?” check before committing fixes many of these cases.
- Time allocation in complex middlegames: on some games you spend lots of time early and then must play fast in the tactical phase. With 10‑minute games try to keep extra time for the critical middle game and conversion stage.
- Endgame technique & simplification judgment: when winners reach simplified positions you sometimes continue complicating when a quiet technical plan would do. Strengthen basic rook and minor‑piece endgames so you can convert more comfortably.
Concrete next steps (two‑week plan)
- Daily tactics: 20–30 minutes solving mixed tactics (mates, forks, pins). Focus on pattern recognition for second‑rank rook invasions and back‑rank motifs you use frequently.
- Endgame basics (3 sessions): 30–45 minutes each — rook vs rook, Lucena and Philidor ideas, basic king + pawn endings. Aim to convert simple +1 pawn or rook endgames without panic.
- Opening refinement (2 sessions): review your Scandinavian and the lines you play in the French Exchange. Drill one critical line until you can play the first 10 moves without thinking; add one concrete plan for the middlegame in each line.
- One slow training game per week (15+5): play and review deeply. In the post‑mortem identify one moment of tunnel vision and one where you handled time well/poorly.
- Practical habit: before any forcing continuation, ask two quick questions — “What does my opponent threaten after this?” and “If I’m wrong, what’s my backup?” — this reduces blunders from overcommitment.
How to practice the patterns you already use
- Rook on second rank drills: set up common motifs where rooks invade the second rank (victims: trapped king on b1/c1 or weak back rank) and practice finishing plans — force openings of files, exchange to create passed pawns, or coordinate with a queen/knight to mate.
- Attack vs structure tradeoff: take 10 positions where you can either open the king with pawn pushes or keep structure and improve pieces. Train evaluating the decision by counting attacking pieces vs defending pieces and estimating available checks/counters.
- Short calculation routine: for each candidate capture or sacrifice, calculate opponent replies for 2 full opponent moves (i.e., your move, their reply, your reply). If you can’t see a forced win, don’t commit in the game until you can.
Practical in‑game tips for rapid play
- Reserve extra time for the first 10 moves and the first critical decision after move 15 — that’s where most games swing.
- If you reach a sharp position and are low on time, simplify to a winning endgame rather than continuing the tactical melee unless you are certain of the calculation.
- When you see an opponent blunder or offer a trade, pause and check whether keeping tension preserves winning chances; automatic captures sometimes allow counterplay.
Game references & quick study
Review the tactical finishing sequence from your recent mate against yobrogoeasy — the way you routed your rooks to the second rank is textbook finishing technique. Replay the full game to see the buildup and ask yourself where the key moment to start simplifying arrived.
Replay the game here:
[[Pgn|e4|e6|Nf3|d5|exd5|exd5|d4|Nf6|Nc3|Be7|Bg5|O-O|Qd3|c6|O-O-O|h6|Bh4|Qa5|Kb1|Na6|Nd2|Nb4|Qe2|Qc7|Nb3|Bf5|Rd2|Rfe8|Qf3|Ne4|Qxf5|Nxd2+|Nxd2|Bxh4|Be2|Bg5|Nf3|Qf4|Qxf4|Bxf4|g3|Bd6|h4|Na6|Nd2|Bb4|g4|Bxc3|bxc3|Rxe2|Nb3|Rae8|Kb2|Rxf2|g5|Ree2|gxh6|Rxc2+|Kb1|Rxa2|Nc1|Rfb2#|orientation|black]Also check the opening choices you use frequently like the Scandinavian Defense and French Defense — keep the lines that fit your style and tidy up the ones that give you structural headaches.
Small checklist before your next rapid session
- Warm up with 6–8 tactics (5–7 seconds each) to wake pattern recognition.
- Pick one opening line to review (one page of notes — three typical middlegame plans).
- Play 3 rapid games, and review the most interesting one for 15 minutes after (focus on one recurring mistake).
Motivation & closing
Your Strength‑Adjusted Win Rate and opening breakdown show you’ve built a strong practical toolbox. Keep sharpening the patterns you use (rook invasions, back‑rank motifs) while patching small strategic holes (pawn structure, endgame technique). If you want, I can create a 4‑week training schedule with daily tasks tailored to your openings and recent games.