Coach Chesswick
Hi Jean, here is your personalized game-review and training plan
What you are already doing well
- Dynamic piece play. You are comfortable seizing the initiative with early pawn breaks such as 10…c6 in the Modern Defence and 13…g5 in the King’s Indian. This willingness to unbalance the position often rewards you with rich middlegames.
Example: - Tactical alertness. Several recent wins relied on concrete calculation (e.g. 28…Rc1+!! in your win vs
3eegd). This suggests steady calculation habits.
Example snippet: - Opening variety. You alternate between 1. Nf3 / g3 systems and 1. e4 set-ups, giving opponents fewer chances to prepare.
Recurring issues to address
- Over-committing kingside pawns as White.
In the loss toAlireza_317the sequence 12…h4 13.g4 left your king drafty and the g3-h3-g4 structure became the target of …g5-gxf4 (move 23). Try asking “how will these pawn pushes be defended in 5 moves?” before advancing. - Clock management.
Three of your last seven losses were on time in roughly equal or winning positions. Even when ahead (e.g. vsNigelDwarf) you entered move 50+ with <10 seconds. Consider adopting a “Safe-move mode” once below 60 seconds: simplify, pre-move obvious recaptures, and use the increment. - Conversion technique in favourable endings.
In the drawn-out win vsAdeshhhhyou required 89 moves from a +6 position. Streamlining to a basic winning plan (push passed pawns first, limit king checks later) will save both time and energy.
Targeted training plan
| Focus area | Exercises | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| King safety after pawn storms |
• Analyse classic games with opposite-side attacks (e.g. Tal–Botvinnik 1960). • In sparring, forbid yourself from pushing g- or h-pawns until your rooks are connected. |
Concede <2 king-side pawn weaknesses per game over next 20 games. |
| Time management |
• Play 10 games of 3|2 focusing solely on keeping >20 sec at move 30. • Review them on fast-forward to notice hesitation patterns. |
Average clock on move 30 ≥25 sec in long games. |
| End-game conversion |
• Drill rook-and-pawn vs rook until you can mate in <40 sec. • Study Silman’s rule of “schematic thinking”—plan then move.• Annotate your win vs Adeshhhh, asking “what was the simplest winning route?” |
Reduce average move count after reaching +4 evaluation by 25%. |
Quick opening checkpoint
• As Black you score well in the Modern (B06) and French (C13). Keep them.
• Versus 1. Nf3 you sometimes reach hesitant …b6 / Bb7 setups. Consider a direct …d5 → c5 structure (Catalan-style) to simplify.
• With White, your 1. Nf3 g3 Bg2 repertoire is solid, but have a sharper alternative ready (maybe the English Four Knights) when behind in a match.
Progress dashboard
Personal best so far: 2574 (2022-07-08)
Track your activity:
Key concepts to review
- Prophylaxis – see prophylaxis
- Critical moments & move-candidates – candidate moves
- Waiting moves in endgames – zugzwang
Next steps
1. Annotate your last loss, marking every pawn move with a “?” or “!”.
2. Schedule two 30-minute sessions this week for end-game drills.
3. After 20 rapid games, send me your PGN and we’ll revisit your progress.
Stay curious and keep calculating!
– Your Chess Coach