Mark Stepanenko

Progress snapshot

Your recent rapid results show positive momentum, with a steady rating trend over the past months. You’re strongest in openings that lead to dynamic but controlled middlegames, especially lines that feature solid development and good piece coordination. Your overall strength adjusted win rate sits around the midpoint, which means there is clear room to convert more of your advantages into wins and to reduce avoidable losses.

What you’re doing well

• Strong results in core Italian/Two Knights style setups, particularly KGD: Classical with 3.Bc4 and KGA: Fischer with 4.Bc4. These lines give you practical middlegame chances and clear development ideas, which you’re executing well.
• Good consistency with development and king safety in many games, which helps you stay active while reducing risk in the early middlegame.
• Creativity and willingness to complicate when you have the initiative, which often yields chances to win material or create mating nets.

Key areas to improve

• Conversion of advantages: in several losses, small edges didn’t translate into a win. Focus on endgame technique and precise exchanges when you’re ahead to lock in the advantage.
• Time management in rapid: some positions demanded long thinking; build a simple time plan (e.g., target a set number of moves per segment and leave a cushion for the endgame) to minimize time pressure late in the game.
• Tactical vigilance: with a near 0.51 strength-adjusted win rate, sharpening pattern recognition and routine tactic checks will help avoid missed tactics or surprise counterplay.
• Opening diversification: while your top-performing lines are solid, maintain those as your core repertoire and have a couple of fallback lines with clear middlegame plans so you don’t drift into passive positions against unfamiliar setups. In particular, French Defense lines showed weaker results—plan a safer alternative or study common ideas in that line to avoid getting unsure positions.

Strategic plan for the next 4–6 weeks

• Reinforce core repertoire: deepen study of KGD Classical with 3.Bc4 and KGA Fischer with 4.Bc4. Review 2–3 exemplar games for each to extract typical middlegame plans and endgame transitions.
• Tactics and calculation: complete 10–15 minutes of daily puzzles, followed by a brief write-up (one-alt-move in a critical position and why it works) to improve hold of forcing lines.
• Endgame focus: dedicate 2–3 weekly sessions to rook endings and minor piece endings. Learn 3–5 practical endgame themes (opposition, outside passed pawn handling, and simplification when ahead).
• Post-game analysis habit: after each rapid game, write a 3-point recap (what went well, what didn’t, and one concrete plan for similar positions in the future).
• Time management drills: practice with a fixed, slightly shorter time control during training games to build discipline; aim to finish middlegames with a clear plan rather than endless contention.

Practical next steps

• Lock in two core openings for rapid play: KGD Classical with 3.Bc4 and KGA Fischer with 4.Bc4, and build a small set of ready-made middlegame plans for each.
• Use focused endgame practice to improve conversion of advantages into wins, especially in rook or minor-piece endings.
• Keep refining your pattern recognition with daily tactics, focusing on motifs like forks, pins, and discovered attacks, which frequently decide rapid games.

Optional quick references

To explore the openings you’re strongest in, you can review the following concepts: Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation and Two Knights Variation; and you can follow your own profile for updates: Mark Stepanenko