Coach Chesswick
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)
- 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). - 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?” - 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!