Coach Chesswick
Quick summary
Nice run recently — you're converting strong middlegame advantages and finishing with clean technique. Your recent Oct 6 game vs aivrs is a good example of turning activity and passed pawns into a win. Your overall adjusted win rate (~56%) and positive rating slope show you're trending up.
Recent game to review (play through)
Revisit the Oct 6 victory vs aivrs — focus on how you increased pressure and simplified into a winning rook + pawn ending.
What you're doing well
- Strong opening results in many systems (Scotch, Four Knights, several Sicilian lines and the London) — your preparation and familiarity pay off.
- Good attacking instincts: you create kingside pressure and open files with pawn storms (examples vs catty321 and Lidong Wang).
- Conversion technique: you calmly turned activity into a winning rook endgame on Oct 6 — strong sense for simplifying at the right moment.
- Consistent positive rating trend and a decent strength-adjusted win rate — shows good practical play and decision-making under rapid time controls.
Primary weaknesses to fix
- King safety after exchanges: in your most recent loss to eduardotare you got exposed after tactical exchanges around the king. Be cautious accepting captures that open lines toward your king.
- Occasional tactical vulnerability — a few games show missed defensive resources or countertactics. Sharpen pattern recognition for forks, discovered checks and back-rank ideas.
- Specific openings with lower win rate: the QGD Ragozin and Barnes Defense lines have mixed results — either refine the lines or avoid them in fast games until you feel comfortable.
- Time-management habits: in rapid you often have good time but keep an eye for mini-time-scrambles where accuracy falls. Use increments to double-check forcing lines.
Concrete training plan (4-week cycle)
- Daily (15–25 minutes): 20 tactical puzzles focused on motifs you miss (pins, forks, discovered attacks). Use mixed difficulty — aim for speed + accuracy.
- 3× per week (30–45 minutes): Analyze one loss and one close win with an engine — but first do a “why did I play this?” self-check. Ask: what was my opponent threatening? What plan did I have?
- Weekly (1 session): 45–60 minutes endgame study — rook endings and simple king+pawn conversions. Your conversion is good; make it bulletproof.
- Openings (2 sessions/week, 30 min): Solidify your home repertoire. Keep what works (Scotch, Four Knights, Caro-Kann Classical). For the QGD Ragozin and Barnes, pick one practical improvement or sideline to test twice and evaluate.
- Practical play: 10 rapid games per week, then pick 2 to review. Focus on applying the tactics and king safety checklist.
Game-specific checklist (before and during the game)
- Before castling/accepting trades: scan for enemy knights and bishops that could hop to attacking squares — avoid creating flightless squares for your king.
- When materially even and pieces are active: prefer simplifying to winning endgames only if your king is safer than opponent's and pawn structure is better.
- On each move: ask three quick questions — (1) What is my opponent threatening? (2) Is any of my piece loose or en prise? (3) Do I have tactical shots I can force?
- Endgame habit: trade into pawn endings only if you understand the resulting pawn structure; otherwise keep rooks/active pieces.
Short-term goals (next 30 days)
- Cut down on king-exposure losses — aim to reduce tactical blunders by 30% (track in your reviews).
- Work one weak opening (e.g. QGD: Ragozin) and play it twice in rated games to test fixes.
- Complete a 4-week endgame module: basic rook endgames, Lucena, Philidor basics.
Notes & resources (placeholders)
- Review the Oct 6 game vs aivrs and the June loss vs eduardotare — both are instructive in opposite directions.
- Openings to keep using: Scotch Game, Four Knights Game, Caro-Kann Defense — these suit your style.
- Openings to polish: QGD: Ragozin, Barnes Defense — pick one short plan and one anti-trick each.
- Placeholder for study log: add short notes after each session — what tactic motifs recurred, which endgames felt shaky.
If you want, I can produce a personalized 4-week calendar with exact daily exercises and links to positions from your recent games to drill.