Matthew Fishbein NM

Quick summary

Nice run — you converted multiple big advantages in recent bullet games (creating passed pawns, promoting, and forcing resignation or flag wins). Short‑term trend is up (+38 last month) and your strength‑adjusted win rate (~50.6%) shows consistent performance against comparable opposition.

Replay one clean finish (review)

Here’s the decisive game where you pushed a passed pawn to promotion and forced resignation. Replay the critical sequence to study how you created and protected the pawn and prevented counterplay:

• Game vs bopielmarionglero2 — English / Caro‑Kann style middlegame.
• Replay:

What you’re doing well

• Converting pawn majorities into passed pawns and pushing them to promotion.
• Keeping pieces active — rooks and bishops often end up on strong files/diagonals.
• Opening consistency: several lines in your repertoire yield good win rates, so your preparation is effective.
• Practical clock handling in bullet — you win on time and convert under pressure.

Recurring weaknesses to fix

• Time trouble: some games show good positions lost to flagging. Manage the clock earlier in the game.
• Endgame technique under clock: simple rook and pawn conversions and king placement can be tightened.
• Tactical slips when simplifying — watch for checks, forks and back-rank ideas before committing to exchanges.
• Tunnel vision after gaining advantage: aim to neutralize opponent counterplay rather than overpressing immediately.

Concrete, short‑term drills (daily / weekly)

• 10–15 minutes tactics (focus on mate patterns and rook tactics). Solve under 10s to simulate bullet thinking.
• 15 minutes endgame drill 3×/week: rook vs rook + pawn, king + pawn races, Lucena position practice.
• Play 10 bullet games with a rule: when up material or a clear pawn advantage, simplify (trade pieces) to practice clean conversion.
• 1 rapid game (10+0) daily to practice decision timing and reduce panic in time trouble.

Opening & middlegame adjustments

• Keep using your best openings (your stats show clear strengths). Prioritize lines that give straightforward plans over messy complications in bullet.
• When ahead, run a short checklist before complicating: king safety, opponent counterplay, can I trade pieces to simplify? If yes, trade.
• Develop simple prophylactic moves to stop opponent counterplay (blockers, cuts, luft for the king) rather than hunting small gains.

Practical bullet tips

• Premoves: use sparingly. Only premove when no plausible tactical reply exists.
• If you have a passed pawn, put a rook behind it or cut the enemy king — that pattern wins many bullet games.
• Practice a few forced endgame wins (rook behind pawn, king cutoffs) so you can convert quickly when low on time.
• Consider some 1+1 sessions to build confidence converting with increments — fewer flag losses and cleaner technique.

4‑week study plan (practical)

• Week 1 — Tactics + rook endgames: 10–15m tactics, 10× Lucena/Philidor drills. Play 20 bullets but simplify when ahead.
• Week 2 — Opening consolidation: rehearse 3‑move plans in your core openings; study 5 model middlegames per opening.
• Week 3 — Time management: play sessions with the rule “no premoves unless safe”; practice flagging while preserving technique.
• Week 4 — Mixed consolidation: combine 10m tactics, 10m endgames, 2 rapid games to tie it together.

Personal reminders

• When you see a passed pawn, ask “Can I put a rook behind it?” — if yes, prioritize that plan.
• Neutralize opponent counterplay before starting a pawn race.
• Flag wins are fine, but aim to win on the board too — that reduces variance and builds technique.

Next steps

Pick one drill from the list and start today (e.g., 10 minutes of rook endgames). If you want, I’ll generate a 2‑week micro plan with positions and daily tasks or a short set of training positions (Lucena, rook behind pawn, simple queen endgames).