Maud Rodsmoen WFM

Overview of your recent games

You have demonstrated a flexible opening repertoire and the ability to win in a variety of middlegame types. The recent results show strong performance across several openings, with active piece play and clear winning chances in dynamic positions. The main area to improve is handling the Ruy Lopez Bird Variation (Bird Defense) and the endgame transitions that followed in some losses, so you can convert more advantages into wins.

What you’re doing well

• You comfortably navigate a wide range of openings, including French, Modern Defense, Nimzo-Indian, and several Ruy Lopez lines. This versatility helps you avoid being predictable and keeps opponents guessing.
• Your games often feature active piece play and practical pressure on the opponent’s position, which leads to decisive middlegame chances.
• You show resilience in dynamic positions and are able to seize winning chances when your opponent missteps or creates weaknesses.
• Your results across multiple openings indicate solid fundamentals and the ability to adapt plan ideas to the position on the board.

Key improvement areas

• Strengthen your handling of the Ruy Lopez Bird Variation. The Bird Defense can create complex pawn structures and counterplay ideas for Black; study the typical plans for White to maintain a clear central and kingside initiative and practice concrete, multi-move plans rather than relying on general ideas.
• Endgame technique and transition accuracy. In several losses, the game drifted into endgames where accurate rook and pawn play matters most. Work on common rook endings and simple pawn endings so you can convert advantages or hold difficult positions more reliably.
• Calculation discipline in middlegames. In tight positions, pause to verify forcing lines a few moves ahead and consider alternative recaptures or exchanges that could change the evaluation. This reduces over-commitment to a plan that may backfire.
• Time management and move ordering. In longer daily games, make a habit of allocating time for key moments (middlegame plans, tactical shots, and endgame transitions) so you don’t rush into critical decisions.

Opening-focused plan

• Bird Variation (Ruy Lopez): build a study routine around the common pawn structures and typical middlegame plans arising after 4. Nxd4 exd4. look at a couple of model games to internalize the standard ideas, including how to handle central breaks and piece placement.
• French Defense: Tarrasch Variation and related lines: reinforce typical middlegame plans and how to use central tension to your advantage, with an eye toward solid development and timely pawn breaks.
• Modern Defense, Nimzo-Indian, and other major openings you use: continue deepening understanding of key middlegame plans, especially how to activate rooks on open files and how to coordinate minor pieces in closed structures.

Helpful resources can be found in your openings set, and you can review model games for the Bird Variation to reinforce concrete ideas. Ruy Lopez: Bird Variation

Practice plan for the next 4 weeks

• Week 1: Focus on the Bird Variation. Study 2 annotated games from strong players, identify the typical plans, and practice the most common replies you’re likely to face.
• Week 2: Endgame fundamentals. Do rook-and-pawn endgame drills and 3- to 5-pawn endings to improve conversion accuracy.
• Week 3: Tactics and calculation. Do daily 15-minute tactic sessions focused on motifs that appear in your openings, plus at least 1 tactical puzzle from each of your main openings.
• Week 4: Apply and test. Play 2 practice games focusing on the Bird Variation and then annotate them afterward to identify any recurring decision points you want to improve.

Optional resources and quick links

To review or share your recent games, you can use profile links and opening references if needed. For example, you can view your profile Maud Rodsmoen and explore the related openings French-Defense-Tarrasch-Open and Ruy-Lopez-Bird-Variation as starting points for study.