Coach Chesswick
Hi Israel (maestrolino21)!
You’ve been playing fast-paced 3-minute games against 2300-2500 opposition and holding your own around . That’s impressive. Let’s build on your strengths and tighten a few screws so you cross the next milestone.
What you’re already doing well
- Dynamic pawn breaks out of the opening. Your wins with 1.d4 Nc3 e4 (Veresov / Blackmar-Diemer ideas) show courage to open the position early and seize the initiative.
- Piece activity over material. In the C11 French (win vs mati4333) you sacrificed a pawn for open lines and long-term pressure—exactly the right attitude in blitz.
- Killer instinct in winning positions. Most of your victories end before move 30 because you keep multiplying threats instead of passively converting.
- Confidence in endgames. Your conversion of the long rook-and-pawn ending vs micomesina was calm and technically sound.
Quick wins (1-2 weeks)
- Tighten the fianchetto setups. Four of your recent losses began with …g6, …Bg7 but later suffered after Qa5/Qc5 excursions that left the dark squares weak (games vs mouseroom44, betterchess2000, ChessPunctum).
- After …g6, challenge central pawns before pushing …c5. If White plays d4-d5 you often end up with a bad
-like pawn on c4. - Consider 0-0 and …d6 first, postponing …c5 until your king is safe.
- After …g6, challenge central pawns before pushing …c5. If White plays d4-d5 you often end up with a bad
- Time management. Every single loss above Move 70 was on the clock, not the board. Set a mental “tank point” at 30 seconds: simplify or force perpetual pressure before you drop below it.
- End-of-game technique drill. Replay the lost B27 Sicilian: once you reached the bare-king ending (move 70) you had only 6 seconds vs 25. With correct pre-moves the draw was trivial. Practice the Philidor and building bridges until you can play them blindfold.
Structural improvements (1-3 months)
- Define a Black repertoire versus 1.e4. You currently mix Hyper-Accelerated Dragon, Pterodactyl and Modern. Pick one main line and learn the strategic markers so you’re not improvising after move 10.
- Deepen your French-type structures. Your best games come from A45/C11/D00 setups where you occupy e5/d5. Study classic French middlegames (e.g. Uhlmann) to transfer those motifs when you’re Black.
- Endgame repetition. Use 10-minute sessions of
K+P vs K,R+P vs R, and opposite-bishop endings on an app each morning. Sharper clock handling will follow naturally.
Opening snapshot
| ECO | Result | Key takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| A45 (Indian Game) | 1-0 | Good pace, but watch …e5 breaks when colors reversed. |
| C11 (French Burn) | 1-0 | Excellent pawn storm; keep the idea of h4-h5-hxg6. |
| B27 (Sicilian Hyper-Dragon) | 0-1 | Queen adventures cost tempi; prefer …Qa5 only after castling. |
Suggested study plan
- Watch one annotated game daily that features your chosen defenses.
- Play two 5|5 games focusing only on clock discipline—no bullet-style premoves before minute 2.
- Finish with 10 puzzles limited to “find the quiet defense” to balance your natural aggression.
Motivation boost
Your hourly win-rate curve shows a dip around 02:00 UTC—likely fatigue. Consider shifting the toughest games to your personal peak zone:
Keep enjoying the journey, Israel. With small tweaks to the Modern/Pterodactyl structures and tighter time control discipline, 2600 blitz is well within reach. See you at the board!