Maïli-Jade Ouellet WGM

Hi Maïli-Jade!

Your recent games show why you have already reached 2528 (2021-12-16): you play sharp, principled chess and are never afraid to seize the initiative. Below is a short review of the main trends I noticed, followed by a concrete training plan.

Your Key Strengths

• Opening awareness – You comfortably navigate both sides of 1.e4 and 1.d4. The French Exchange win (Nxf7!) and the Modern Defence crush underline a healthy feel for typical tactical shots.
• Tactical alertness – In several wins you spotted resource–heavy ideas (e.g. 14.Nxf7 vs the French, or 42.Nxc6! in the rook-and-knight ending) at blitz speed.
• Conversion technique under pressure – Despite low clocks you managed to queen the a-pawn against Zahar_Hilkevich and mate FearSamuel after a long defence. Your nerves are a competitive weapon.

Growth Opportunities

• Time management – Many games are decided solely on the clock. A quick glance at
  suggests results drop once you fall under 25 seconds. Aim to keep ≥ 45 seconds entering any endgame.
• Benoni / Benko structures as Black – In the loss to Cheer_Down you followed an A56 move-order but later allowed e3-e4-d5 without counterplay. Studying model games by Topalov or Radjabov will help.
• Handling opposite-wing attacks in the Accelerated Dragon – You were mated after 31…Rd1!. Recognise the critical moment:

Here 32.Re1 (over-protecting the back rank) or 32.Qe4 keeps the position playable.

Targeted Action Plan (3-week micro-cycle)

1. Opening “repair” sessions
   • 2 hours: update your Benoni files vs 12.Re1/13.h3 systems.
   • 2 hours: revisit the Maroczy structures you get from the Accelerated Dragon (focus on prophylaxis vs …Rd1 ideas).
2. Clock discipline drill
   • Play 15 games of 3|2, forcing yourself to move after three counts in non-forcing positions.
   • After every game check the move where you dipped below 30 s and ask: “Could I have speed-moved here?”
3. Endgame finesse
   • Daily 10-minute session on rook-and-pawn endings (e.g. Chessable’s “100 Endgames” chapters 35-45).
   • Annotate one of your recent wins where the engine shows +5 but the conversion took >20 moves. Focus on improving technique, not result.

Practical Opening Tweaks

• Vs g3-Sicilians consider the early …d5 break (Scheveningen style) instead of the …b5–b4 setup that left your king loose.
• Add a surprise weapon against the Benko-declined lines (e.g. …d6 move-order) to avoid being pushed into unfamiliar middlegames.

Mind-set Cue for Your Next Session

“Strong moves in 20 seconds beat perfect moves in 2 minutes.”

Keep nurturing your tactical vision, but pair it with pragmatic clock handling and a refreshed Black repertoire. Do that, and I expect the next rating jump very soon.

Good luck & enjoy the grind!