MadDog94 IM

Quick summary

Nice recent wins — you're showing strong attacking instincts, good piece activity and practical conversion in blitz. Your losses are usually from allowing tactical decisive shots (forced checks/captures) or getting caught by passed-pawn tactics in the French. Below are specific, actionable points to keep the upward trend and stop recurring mistakes.

What you did well (from the recent win vs 20r3000)

• You kept initiative and used active pieces — knights and queen hunted the enemy king aggressively instead of waiting for slow maneuvers.
• Good tactical awareness: you spotted forks and checks (the knight jump into the opponent’s camp and the sequence of queen checks that forced the king into the open).
• You convert pressure into concrete threats — instead of just accumulating, you created mating nets and forced the opponent into time trouble.
• Opening handling: in the Tarrasch-like structure you developed pieces to natural squares and seized the center quickly.

Main weaknesses to fix (from the recent losses)

• Calculation of forcing sequences: in the loss to gameplyd you missed a decisive sequence with a passed f-pawn and mate threats. Always check immediate checks/captures/threats before a pawn advance or exchange.
• King safety and back-rank / infiltration awareness. Some pawn pushes (and passive king placement) allowed enemy pieces to invade or create mating nets.
• Time management under pressure — in blitz you sometimes let the opponent’s clock do part of the job, but you want to avoid relying on flags. Use increment and spend 4–6 seconds on critical forcing moves.
• Opening-specific: your performance in the French Defense is lower than your main lines (win rate ~47%). Work on the typical ideas and how to handle Advance/Wina­wer plans if you play those positions often.

Concrete next steps — what to practice this week

• Daily tactics: 15–25 minutes focused on mates and forks (target puzzles that force you to calculate 2–4 ply). That directly reduces missed forced mates like in the game vs gameplyd.
• Two forced-sequence checks per game: before you move, quickly scan for any checks, captures, threats. Make it a habit (3-second checklist).
• Opening tune-up: spend 30–45 minutes on the French Defense: Winawer/Advance typical pawn breaks and defensive resources — especially responses to white’s f‑pawn pushes and knight tactics.
• Review 5 recent losses: do a short post-mortem (engine off first, then engine) and write down 1 repeatable mistake per game. Keep a tiny “errors” notebook.
• Endgame & conversion drills: 2 sessions this week on king + pawn vs king and rook endings — practical conversion problems help you finish opponents when you have attack or material edge.

Blitz-specific checklist (quick habits during a game)

• Before you press the clock, ask: “Any checks/captures/threats?” (If yes, calculate.)
• Avoid unnecessary pawn moves that create holes around your king when the center is open.
• If you have a clear plan (attack or simplify to a winning endgame), don’t drift — convert. If you’re ahead, swap to simplify; if behind, create complication.
• Use increment: spend 4–6 seconds on critical forcing moves (captures, checks, promotions).

Study plan (4-week cycle)

• Week 1 — Tactics bootcamp: 20 minutes/day + review tactical motifs you missed in your last 10 games.
• Week 2 — Opening focus: 2 sessions on French Defense (Advance/Winawer): plans, typical piece placements, and the main defensive resources. 1 session reviewing your best opening, e.g. Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, to reinforce strengths.
• Week 3 — Endgames: rook+pawn vs rook, passed pawns, basic queen endgame patterns. 2 practical training positions per session.
• Week 4 — Play and review: 10 blitz games, immediate 5–10 minute review on the worst 3 (note the repeat mistakes). Focus on not repeating the same tactical oversight.

Leverage your strengths

• You have a strong record with systems like London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation and Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation. Use those openings when you want stable, practical wins.
• Your attacking sense and piece activity win games — keep looking for sharp continuations but pair them with a quick forcing-check habit so you don’t miss defensive resources.

Immediate technical drills (do these in one session)

• 10 mate-in-2 puzzles (tactics trainer).
• 5 tactical positions from your last loss — calculate 3 moves ahead and annotate your thought process.
• 3 mini endgames: king+pawn vs king, rook vs rook+pawn — play them out with a friend or engine at low depth.

Useful reminders

• Small habits beat big plans: the “scan for checks/captures/threats” habit will eliminate many losses.
• When ahead, exchange into simpler endings — you convert well when the position is controlled; avoid needless complications.
• Keep a short log of one recurring mistake per week. If the same issue appears 3 times, make a focused practice block to fix it.

Want me to drill with you?

If you want, tell me which opening you want to fix first (example: French Defense or Tarrasch Variation) and I’ll prepare a 2-week micro-plan with model lines and 10 tactical positions tailored to those structures. I can also walk through one of the recent games move-by-move if you paste the PGN you want reviewed.